Tag Archives: Landsat Golden Jubilee

Timelapse Tuesday – 37 years of Urban Growth in Ames, Iowa

By #Time Lapse Tuesday, Activity, Landsat Golden Jubilee, Observation, Remote Sensing, , , , , , , , , , , , ,

This week we are exploring urban growth in Ames, Iowa. The red areas are showing areas of vegetation that are primarily agricultural in the larger areas, the neon green areas are short grass and trees, the gray color is urban areas, and blue areas are water.

Timelaspse Video of Ames, Iowa 1984 to 2021 – Summer Landsat Images

As you watch the time lapse video notice several things:

  1. The expansion of Ada Hayden (the large lake in the center right of the image.)
  2. How the agricultural land in the center of the images fills in rapidly with development between 2008 to 2021
  3. The increase in permanent water retention ponds in as the city develops.
  4. Many of the red agricultural parcels along Ioway Creek (the left river) become smaller and more developed through the time series.

Compare an image of north Ames, Iowa from 1987 to 2021 – what other urban growth changes can you spot?

Ames, Iowa – 1987
Ames, Iowa – 2021

Celebrate with us today! 30 years of GIS at ISU!!!

By Activity, Announcement, Event, Geography Awareness Week, IGIC, Landsat, Landsat Golden Jubilee, NASA, Outreach, , , , , , , , , ,

Today is GIS Day! We are celebrating in the North atrium of the College of Design. Today is an especially exciting celebration as we are also celebrating the 30th anniversary of the ISU GIS Facility on campus and 50 years of the US Landsat, earth observing satellite mission. Please join us in the College of Design from 11:30am to 2:00 pm. We will have several activities, puzzles, refreshments, educational giveaways, and door prizes.

For additional information and directions, visit: https://www.design.iastate.edu/event-listings/2022/11/gis-day-open-house-event/.

Are you Counting Down to GIS Day 2022?

By Announcement, Education, Event, Geography Awareness Week, Landsat, Landsat Golden Jubilee, Outreach, , , , , , , ,

Wednesday, November 16, 2022, the Iowa State University GIS Facility will be hosting an open house event for GIS Day from 11:30 to 2:00 in the North atrium of the College of Design.

This year we will also be celebrating the 30th anniversary of the ISU GIS Facility and 50 years of Landsat, the US Land Satellite mission. We will have refreshments and giveaways. It will be a chance for students interested in the GIS minor and GIS certificate programs to ask questions and to meet with GIS professionals. We have confirmed professionals from the Iowa Department of Transportation coming to showcase some of their work. If other GIS professionals are interested in reserving time to meet with students, please contact Amy Logan.

Fall Equinox in Northeast Iowa – #Landsat50

By Earth Observation Day, Imagery, Landsat, Landsat Golden Jubilee, Phenology, Remote Sensing, , , , , , , , , , , ,

Happy Fall! Observe the changes across the landscape in seasonal images in Northeast Iowa. Snow, forest, farmland. Can you notice the areas of coniferous trees versus deciduous trees and where there is seasonal farmland compared to pasture areas? Also notice the changes along the Mississippi and Upper Iowa Rivers. Enjoy the changing seasons!

Winter Equinox – 12/13/2021 – Landsat 8 – Bands 5,4,3
Spring Equinox – 03/27/2022- Landsat 9 – Bands 5,4,3
Summer Solstice – 06/23/2022 – Landsat 8 – Band 5,4,3
Fall Equinox – 09/19/2022 – Landsat 9 – Bands 5,4,3

This year we are celebrating 50 years of the Landsat earth observing satellite mission. Landsat data helps us observe changes in our communities and environment over time.

Disaster at Lake Delhi – #Landsat50

By #Time Lapse Tuesday, Environmental Change, Imagery, Landsat, Landsat Golden Jubilee, Outreach, Remote Sensing, USGS, , , , , , , , , , , ,

Well, it’s Water Wednesday. Today’s Landsat highlight is a time lapse video (2007-2017) showing the effect of a 2010 dam breach on the water level of Lake Delhi located in Delaware County in eastern Iowa. Notice the dramatic decrease in water and the exposure of large sandbars and the refilling of the lake as the dam is restored.

This year we are celebrating 50 years of the Landsat earth observing satellite mission. Landsat data helps us observe changes in our communities and environment over time.

Change Over Time – Flooding on the Landscape (NW Iowa)

By Education, Environmental Change, Imagery, Landsat Golden Jubilee, Observation, Remote Sensing, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Use sliders to compare images.

Today’s image shows an area in northwest Iowa between Spencer (Clay County) and Emmetsburg (Palo Alto County). The two images on the left are showing water levels in 1990 (typical year) and 2022 (recovering from a drought) compared to 1993 (heavy flooding) and 2008 (flooding). Notice the swollen streambanks and flooding along water bodies in the right images.

7/6/1990 – Landsat 5
06/21/1993 – Landsat 5
06/29/2022 – Landsat 9
06/14/2008 – Landsat 5

This year we are celebrating 50 years of the Landsat earth observing satellite mission. Landsat data helps us observe changes in our communities and environment over time.

How are you celebrating the Landsat’s Golden Jubilee?

By #Time Lapse Tuesday, Activity, Announcement, Education, Environmental Change, Event, Imagery, Landsat, Landsat Golden Jubilee, NASA, Observation, Outreach, Remote Sensing, Resource, Story Map, USGS, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
This image is from the Camp Landsat website: https://landsat.gsfc.nasa.gov/outreach/camp-landsat/

To celebrate the Landsat Golden Jubilee, consider taking a virtual visit to Camp Landsat! This summer Camp Landsat is celebrating this exciting anniversary with 5 weeks of programming, celebrating the 5 decades of Landsat’s continuous mission. This week the theme is People and Places.

Enjoy and explore many activities from Camp Landsat including:

Graphic from GLOBE Program Website: https://observer.globe.gov/do-globe-observer/challenges/land-cover-challenge-2022

Stay Cool and Keep Observing!

Celebrating 50 years of Landsat Earth Observation!

By Announcement, Education, Imagery, Landsat, Landsat Golden Jubilee, NASA, Observation, Outreach, Story Map, USGS, , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Saturday, July 23, 2022 marked the 50th anniversary of the launch of the USGS/NASA Landsat earth observing satellite mission. With the launch in 1972, Landsat has continued its earth observation mission and become the longest continuous earth observing satellite.

July 1972 – Landsat 1 Launch: This image is from the NASA website: https://www.nasa.gov/directorates/heo/scan/images/history/July1972.html

Enjoy this video recalling the launch and explaining the beginning of the earth observing satellite mission, Landsat 9 – Part 1: Getting off The Ground: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FlRf17Egexo.

Keep Observing!

Happy Summer Solstice Week! Let’s head to the lake!

By Education, Imagery, Landsat, Landsat Golden Jubilee, Observation, Outreach, USGS, , , , , , , , , , ,

We are continuing our celebration of the 50th year of the US Landsat satellite imagery program. This week we are heading to the lake – Clear Lake, Iowa, located in north central Iowa.

Below are four images showing Summer Solstice (6/13/2019), Fall Equinox (9/17/2019), Winter Solstice (12/22/2019), and Spring Equinox (3/18/2019) from Landsat 8. The images are presented in color infrared which shows vegetation in red rather than green for better contrast.

Summer Solstice – 6/13/2019
Fall Equinox – 9/17/2019
Winter Solstice – 12/22/2019
Spring Equinox – 3/18/2019

Observations:

  • At Summer Solstice things are still greening up while at Fall Equinox the fields are all green and some are beginning to be harvested.
  • Observe the different states of the lake: open water, snow covered, and frozen.
  • The topography of the landscape (ie. hills and roughness) are much more apparent with snow on the ground. In the summer/fall images, it all looks flat.

What else do you notice? Happy Observing!