Day 4 GAW 2023: Take Joseph Kerski’s Earth Quiz
This is an excellent challenge to test your geography skills and identify natural features from aerial imagery.
Tag Archives: Remote sensing
Timelapse Tuesday – 37 years of Urban Growth in Ames, Iowa
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.
As you watch the time lapse video notice several things:
- The expansion of Ada Hayden (the large lake in the center right of the image.)
- How the agricultural land in the center of the images fills in rapidly with development between 2008 to 2021
- The increase in permanent water retention ponds in as the city develops.
- 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?
Disaster at Lake Delhi – #Landsat50
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)
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.
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?
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:
- A time-lapse video featuring urban growth in Shanghai, China
- Oh, the Places We Go! Story Map
- Take the 2022 GLOBE Land Cover Challenge
- Create a stunning Landsat Collage
- Write a postcard from Camp Landsat featuring view from Naples, Italy
Stay Cool and Keep Observing!
Celebrating 50 years of Landsat Earth Observation!
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.
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!
#TimeLapse Tuesday – Spot the Change – Urban Growth of Ankeny, Iowa
What changes do you notice in this Landsat time lapse video?
1) The areas of purple and white in the image are urban areas. Throughout the video they fill in the area from the bottom to the center. The pink areas are farm land.
2) Did you notice the increase in the number of retention ponds (dark blue specks in the urban areas) over time? Retention ponds are used to prevent flooding and provide for water storage in urban areas. As areas become urbanized there is often more surface covered in concrete, parking lots and buildings. There are fewer places for the water to flow directly into the ground.
3) Did you spot the golf course on the northern edge of the city?
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.
This video was created using Google Earth Engine. You can create your own time lapse videos by visiting: https://emaprlab.users.earthengine.app/view/lt-gee-time-series-animator.
IowaView Rendezvous at Spirits in the Gardens
On November 1st, IowaView staff participated the “meet-a-scientist” at the annual Reiman Gardens Spirits in the Gardens event featuring a self guided pathway with hundreds of carved pumpkins as well as scientists to meet along the way. During our shift, there were over 250 visitors of all ages. We were able to share posters featuring remote sensing and GIS, which included aerial imagery of Ames and Reiman Gardens dating from the 1930s to 2019. Participants enjoyed seeing change over time as Ames has urbanize over the last ninety years. Staff gave out goodie bags with AmericaView poster, USGS trading cards, and Earth as Art bookmarks and booklets.
Earth Science Week – Day 3: Earth Observation Day
Happy Earth Observation Day!
Today we are celebrating remote sensing, the study of the earth using secondary observations from instruments such as planes, kites, drones, satellites as an exciting and powerful educational tool to help us show changes over time.
This year the AmericaView/NASA team has put together a fun and beautiful educational poster!
- 1
- 2