What is the USGS Land Cover Institute?

Welcome to the U.S Geological Survey (USGS) Land Cover Institute (LCI). The USGS currently houses the institute at the Center for Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The LCI will address land cover topics from local to global scales, and in both domestic and international settings. The USGS through the Land Cover Institute serves as a facilitator for land cover and land use science, applications, and production functions. The institute assists in the availability and technical support of land cover data sets through increasing public and scientific awareness of the importance of land cover science.

• USGS Land Cover Institute Poster

Where is it?

The USGS Center for EROS is the national archive for remotely sensed images of the Earth's land surface. For decades, the USGS has been a world leader in providing remotely sensed data and demonstrating its scientific applications. The USGS acquires, processes, archives, and distributes Landsat and other satellite and airborne remotely sensed data products to scientists, policy makers, and educators worldwide. These data are acquired by both civilian satellites and aircraft and are used to study a wide range of natural hazards, global environmental change, economic development and conservation issues. Today, the USGS operates and manages the Landsat 5 and 7 satellite missions and works closely with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to define and implement future satellite missions.

What Can the USGS Land Cover Institute Do for You?

Locating Land Cover Data

The USGS LCI will endeavor to assist in identifying suitable land cover data sets to meet modern scientists, policy makers, and educators continuing requirements for the most accurate and up-to-date land cover data available. The USGS LCI will continue to identify potential partnerships for the continued development of land cover data and applications. This is accomplished through providing links to organizations that distribute land cover data and to those whom demonstrate the application of such data.