REMOTE SENSING

Information

Source

Obtainable

Comments

USGS Earth Resources

The EROS Program provides

The EROS Data Center, near Sioux Falls,

Observation Systems

remotely sensed data.

To

South Dakota, is operated by the USGS to

(EROS) Data Center

obtain publications,

provide access primarily to NASA's Landsat

User Service

request further

imagery, aerial photography acquired by the

EROS Data Center

information, or place an

U.S. Department of the Interior, and

U.S. Geological

order, contact the EROS

photography and multi spectral imagery

Survey

Data Center.

acquired by NASA from several satellite data

Sioux Falls, SD

systems sources.

The primary functions of

57198

the Data Center are data storage and

(605) 594 6151

reproduction, user assistance, and training.

Landsat Data

Landsat satellites sensor

The Landsat satellites were designed to

images are found in

orbit the earth about 14 times each day at

spectral bands:

an altitude of 920 km, obtaining repetitive

coverage every 18 days.

The primary sensor

  Band 4 (emphasizes

aboard the satellites is a multi spectral

sediment laden and

scanner that acquires parallelogram images

shallow water)

185 km per side in four spectral bands.

  Band 5 (emphasizes

cultural features)

  Band 6 (emphasizes

vegetation, land/water

boundaries, and

landforms)

  Band 7 (as above, with

best penetration of

haze)

  Band 5 gives the best

general purpose view of

the earth's surface.

Black and white images

and false color

composites are

available.

NASA Aerial

Photography is available

NASA aerial photography is directed at

Photography

in a wide variety of

testing a variety of remote sensing

formats from flight at

instruments and techniques in aerial flights

altitudes ranging from one

over certain preselected test sites over the

to 18 km.

Photographs

continental U.S.

generally come as 230 mm

by 230 mm prints at scales

of 1:60,000 or 1:120,000,

and are available as black

and white, color, or

false color infrared

prints.

Aerial Mapping

Aerial photography

Because of the large number of individual

Photography

coverage obtained by the

photographs needed to show a region on the

USGS and other Federal

ground, photomosaic indexes are used to

agencies (other than the

identify photographic coverage of a specific

Soil Conservation Service)

area.

The Data Center has more than 50,000

for mapping of the U.S. is

such mosaics available for photographic

available as 230 mm by 230

selection.

mm black and white prints

which are taken at

altitudes of 600 m to 12

km.

Scales range from

1:20,000 to 1:60,000.

A4 11

November 1992