th this band combination.
Though the Terra satellite images the entire Earth every 1 to 2 days, its ASTER instrument with its three separate telescopes only collects data when it is remotely programmed to do so over requested areas of land. That makes it valuable for monitoring disasters. Because Terra’s orbit is similar to that of Landsats 7 and 8—though timed differently—they prove quite complementary when it comes to identifying the impacts of wildfire, flooding, and other events.
Though there is little population in the wildfire area, Russia’s Roscosmos State Corporation for Space Activities asked the International Charter “Space and Major Disasters,” of which USGS and EROS are members, for assistance. That request was granted July 2, giving Russia rapid access to satellite data for assessing the extent of damage and helping with disaster response.
Landsat Reveals Industrial Growth in Powder River Basin July 1, 2016
The expanding coal fields in Wyoming’s Powder River Basin serve as prime examples of Landsat’s ability to monitor land cover change related to industrial growth across the American landscape.
In imagery acquired more than three decades apart, Landsat time-series data illustrate what USGS scientists call a central reality of industrial growth in this country—changing the use of land to increase its economic output. Agriculture remained the main occupation in the basin into the 1970s, until the coal boom took off. The largest U.S. coal mine, the North Antelope Rochelle Mine south of Gillette, WY, opened late in 1983.
The influence of mining is readily apparent in these Landsat images. In 1984, the Landsat 5 scene is largely devoid of open-pit mining signatures. But 32 years later, in 2016, Landsat 8 captures how the Black Thunder Mine and the North Antelope Rochelle Complex have expanded over the last few decades. In 2014, the two mines produced 22 percent of the nation’s coal supply.
USGS officials estimate that mines in the Powder River Basin generally have less than 20 years of economically recoverable coal remaining. Once they end operations, coal mining companies are required by law to reclaim the land, a requirement that Landsat can help verify in the decades to come.
New Delhi Among Fastest Growing Urban Areas in the World June 28, 2016
In a world becoming increasingly urbanized, few cities have seen growth as dramatic as that occurring in India’s capital of New Delhi.
These Landsat images from March 1991 and March 2016 show the city and its adjacent suburban areas—known collectively as Delhi. The area’s population ballooned from 9.4 million to 25 million during that period. Only Tokyo is more populated today with a population of 38 million. The United Nation’s Report on World Urbanization projects that Delhi will be at 37 million residents by 2030.
Landsat can be a valuable tool in monitoring urban growth and its impact on the environment. Adjacent forests and agricultural fields converted to streets, parking lots, and rooftops can affect wildlife habitat. Rainfall blocked by impervious surfaces from soaking into the soil can pool and increase local flooding. Chemicals present on the pavement at the time of rain can be carried away with runoff, reducing water quality and threatening aquatic ecosystems downstream.
All are important considerations—in Delhi or any area undergoing significant growth—when it comes to discussions about urban planning. From a regional standpoint at least, and from an environmental one, Landsat is an important part of that conversation.
Large Wildfire Consumes Boreal Forest in Eastern Russia June 22, 2016
A massive wildfire on the Kamchatka Peninsula in far eastern Russia has consumed nearly 600,000 acres of boreal forest and tundra since late May 2016.
Shortwave infrared bands on Landsat 7 used in combination with the visible red band revealed a large, brown burn scar on June 10, 2016, compared to 11 months earlier—on July 18, 2015—when Landsat 8 captured an image showing healthy, growing forest vegetation. Fires appear orange in the 2016 image, and smoke from the fires is