PubTalk 7/2010 — Looking Down On Our Planet

New satellite imagery reveals a changing global surface

by Ron Beck, USGS Land Remote Sensing Program

• Nearly 40 years of USGS satellite imagery shows dramatic changes earth's surface features
• Changing patterns of land use are seen in urban growth, clear cutting of amazon forests, and surface mining
• Landsat imagery monitors potential natural disasters such as hurricanes, wildfires, and flooding and records the environmental impact of human disasters such as the Chernobyl incident and Deepwater Horizon oil spill
• Future satellite programs will provide scientists, planners, and managers with valuable information about our environment