exceptional circumstances for this surveying challenge, such as making allowances for the variable depth of the snow pack and establishing the appropriate surface that coincides with mean sea level, were judiciously considered before the new apex elevation was finally determined.
The Landsat 8 image from June 15, 2015, shows a clear view of the perennially snow-covered summit. Glaciers stream down the mountain to lower elevations.
Burned Area Analysis for the Soda Fire, Idaho August 28, 2015
On August 10, 2015, the Soda Fire began burning about 8 miles northeast of Jordan Valley, OR. It spread rapidly because of high winds, parched fuels, triple digit heat, and low humidity. Over 283,000 acres had burned by August 20.
On the morning of August 22, Landsat 7 captured a postfire image (left) of the Soda Fire burn scar. This image was used along with a prefire image from Landsat 8 to derive a Burned Area Reflectance Classification (BARC) map.
The BARC map (right) was created using digital image analysis techniques developed by USGS, USFS, and other scientists, and it allows a synoptic view of fire extent and severity. The map is preliminary and has not yet been field-validated.
This type of detailed information would be difficult to obtain in a timely manner based on ground observations alone. Reflecting the amount of vegetation loss caused by the fire, the colors on this map show that the Soda Fire was mostly classified as low and moderate severity (light green and yellow), with few high severity areas (red).
EROS scientists respond to dozens of requests for burn mapping support each year. It would not be possible to obtain a rapid and complete assessment without satellite imagery, and Landsat’s 30-meter resolution provides the detail needed for rapid landscape-scale wildland fire mapping.
Expansion of the Suez Canal, Egypt August 20, 2015
The Suez Canal is a man-made waterway connecting the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea. It is one of the world's most important waterways for trade, but the main channel was previously too narrow to allow ships to travel and pass in opposite directions.
A massive expansion project was started in 2014 to increase the depth of the existing channels and create a separate shipping lane along a major portion of the Suez Canal. The project took one year to complete and included 22 miles (35 kilometers) of new channel near Ismailia, Egypt. This new shipping lane will dramatically shorten the travel times for ships traveling in both directions.
This series of Landsat 8 images shows the area before, during, and after construction. The first image (August 2014) shows the Suez Canal near the time construction began. The new route is faintly visible in the second image (December 2014) while construction was in progress. The third image (August 2015) shows the completed and operational canal project, with the new shipping lane filled with water and clearly visible.
The 40+ year archive of Landsat imagery is a valuable resource for monitoring land use changes over time.
Island-Building in the South Pacific August 4, 2015
An undersea volcano between the two small islands of Hunga Tonga (right) and Hunga Ha’apai (left) began erupting in early December 2014. After about a month of eruptive activity, a new landmass had formed, nearly joining the two islands.
This series of Landsat 8 images shows the two islands in October 2014 (before eruptions), in December 2014 (during the eruptions), and in July 2015 (after the eruptions).
Along with creating new landmass, the volcanic activity has also radically changed the islands’ ecology. The first panel shows vegetation cover (green) on both of the original islands. The predominantly gray and brown colors in the third image now indicate bare land surface, especially on the southeastern island.
Landsat images are often useful for mapping changes to the Earth’s land surface. Future images will also allow scientists to monitor any changes and long-term recovery of vegetation and land cover
Laguna Pastos Grandes is a shallow salt lake located in Bolivia’s Pastos Grande