Browse Records of the Earth’s Surfaces, Coastlines and Reefs
The Landsat Program Records are the only accurate image record, spanning nearly four decades from 1972, revealing both natural and human-induced change in 180 countries.
Fanned Out (21st century) by United States Geological Survey (USGS) and the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)UNESCO Memory of the World
The Landsat Program
The geography of the world and how that geography has changed over time are captured by the Landsat Program.
A Study in Algae (21st century) by United States Geological Survey (USGS) and the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)UNESCO Memory of the World
Why Are the Landsat Program Records Important?
The Records are recognized by scientists worldwide as the only accurate image record, spanning nearly four decades and starting in 1972, of the earth’s land surfaces, coastlines, and reefs at a scale revealing both natural and human-induced change in existence in 180 countries.
Mezen Mixing (21st century) by United States Geological Survey (USGS) and the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)UNESCO Memory of the World
Provides Current Land-Surface Image Data
The Landsat Program, managed under a partnership between the United States Geological Survey (USGS) and the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), provides historical and current land-surface image data via USGS archives and those of its international-partner ground receiving stations around the world.
Wondrous Wetlands (21st century) by United States Geological Survey (USGS) and the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)UNESCO Memory of the World
Societal and Scientific Benefits
The societal benefits derived from worldwide uses of Landsat data are well documented in scientific literature and include the following categories: disasters, health, energy, climate, water, ecosystems, agriculture, and biodiversity.
Outburst (21st century) by United States Geological Survey (USGS) and the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)UNESCO Memory of the World
Continuously Updated Records
These Records are obtained and continuously updated by sensors onboard a series of land-imaging satellites that began with the launch of Landsat 1 in 1972.
Deep Blue Cubism (21st century) by United States Geological Survey (USGS) and the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)UNESCO Memory of the World
Space Age Development
In 1975, NASA Administrator Dr. James Fletcher predicted that if one space age development would save the world, it would be Landsat and its successor satellites.
Torn Apart (21st century) by United States Geological Survey (USGS) and the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)UNESCO Memory of the World
Condition of Earth’s Landscape
Periodic imagery of the earth’s surface provides a record vital to monitoring, understanding, and predicting conditions on the landscape.
Palmyra (21st century) by United States Geological Survey (USGS) and the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)UNESCO Memory of the World
How Are the Landsat Program Records One-of-a-Kind?
As noted, there is no other four-decade image record of the earth’s land surfaces, shallow coastal regions, and reefs at the scale of Landsat. Such images, which cannot be retaken, are one-of-a-kind and irreplaceable.
Re-entry (21st century) by United States Geological Survey (USGS) and the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)UNESCO Memory of the World
Important Scientific Niche
Landsat fills an important scientific niche as a Landsat satellite can provide global coverage on a seasonal basis, yet images that are detailed enough to characterize human-scale processes such as urban expansion, agricultural irrigation, and deforestation.
Watching Wetlands (21st century) by United States Geological Survey (USGS) and the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)UNESCO Memory of the World
Environmental Change Map
Landsat allows scientists to detect and evaluate environmental change over time. Often, this baseline knowledge is represented in the form of a map.
Salty-Desolation (21st century) by United States Geological Survey (USGS) and the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)UNESCO Memory of the World
What Do Landsat Images Map?
Landsat images have been used to map geologic faults and fracture zones. This information has served as the basis for a series of global tectonic activity maps, the first in 1977. They've also been used to find previously unmapped volcanic fields.
Rapid Ice Movement (21st century) by United States Geological Survey (USGS) and the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)UNESCO Memory of the World
Navigational Aid
Landsat-derived maps have been used to aid in navigation of poorly charted areas, especially in the Arctic and Antarctic regions where ice conditions can change drastically.
