Landsat and Energy

topics 1970s. since the make energy decisions on related informed land helping and the information about people satellitesLandsat have collecting been plants are when sparse. surface the minerals on identify help energy companies infrared visible and together measurements mining and vegetation dams sites. near The of biofuelgauge crops health the natural and decision and makersallows to farmers to ability measure infraredLandsat’s light operations end. after recovery ecological of mining energy and generation track and impact environmental the monitor makers can years of imagery, 40 more than decision With toability measure infrared visible and light. record of Earth’s of its land because and of unparalleled its because decades-long is useful energy in the sector both Landsat development. impact environmental and human of energy new energy mitigating and sources the role in identifying playsLandsat important an for energyworldwide. grows, demand the As for people Energy is agrowing necessity National Aeronautics andSpaceAdministration in Energy Landsat’s CriticalRole year makes it possible to trace land cover changes from 1972 to the present. 1972 the to from changes cover land trace to possible it makes year to year and sensor to sensor from data image digital Landsat’s of consistency The land. the on impacts human measuring for ideal is resolution 30-meter Landsat’s landscapes. varying Earth’s of record unparalleled an provide satellites Landsat ABOUT LANDSAT n biofuel n efforts n n n Landsat DataforDecision-making

hydroelectric dams hydroelectric mine fires uraniumand deposits impactsMitigating from ecological to producing dedicated crops Managing reclamation and mines surface Monitoring through detection safety Promoting of coal oil,Locating natural vents gas, geothermal LS-2013-1-002-GSFC (1/4) Landsat and Energy n Locating oil, natural gas, geothermal vents, coal n Mitigating ecological impacts from hydroelectric and uranium deposits dams Many energy sources, including fossil fuels, uranium for Dams that generate hydroelectric energy change the course nuclear energy, and geothermal vents for geothermal of a river, affecting the surrounding landscape and estuaries. energy, come from minerals or geologic events under the The Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) in Oregon used Earth’s surface. Landsat observations of infrared light can data from Landsat 7’s Enhanced Thematic Mapper to classify distinguish different minerals and geologic features on Earth’s habitats along the Columbia River Estuary. This effort helps surface, which can provide clues that help identify fuel the BPA support wildlife conservation and comply with the sources underground. For example in the Southwest, the U.S. Endangered Species Act, while allowing hydroelectric dams Geological Survey (USGS) uses Landsat data to produce to continue to operate and support energy needs. mineral classification maps that indicate the presence of geothermal systems and are used by energy companies. n Monitoring biofuel crops Biofuel farmers use free Landsat data to identify areas of n Improving mining safety through detection of coal their farm that are thriving and others that are under stress. mine fires Landsat data are also used to forecast crop production, Coal fires can be caused by spontaneous combustion of coal, measure and manage water use, and monitor drought. by lightening or forest fires igniting a coal seam, or by mine- Both family and commercial farmers rely on Landsat related activities like welding, electrical work or explosives. images to assess changing growing conditions. These fires can burn undetected in mine shafts releasing noxious gases that can cause asphyxiation. The fires can cause life-threatening burns and contribute to coal mine roof instability, causing mines to collapse. Landsat’s thermal bands can detect hot spots near the surface that can indicate the presence of a hidden fire. Without Landsat thermal data, many of these coal mine fires would go undetected, putting miners in danger. n Monitoring surface mines and reclamation efforts Landsat has collected data on mining sites for over forty years, showing what many of these landscapes looked like before, during, and after surface mining. The record helps monitor vegetative regrowth and valley filling and helps identify impacted areas. The Hobet coal mine in West Virginia is pale tan against the dark green forest. The pale green areas near the mine are reclamation areas where plants are beginning to grow. Landsat images like this one from September 2012 are used to monitor surface mines and reclamation efforts.

Image courtesy NASA’s Earth Observatory. Further Reading

Miner Safety and Health Administration NASA Landsat http://www.nasa.gov/landsat http://www.msha.gov/ Landsat Science http://landsat.gsfc.nasa.gov Using Remote Sensing to locate oil and gas USGS Landsat http://landsat.usgs.gov/ http://www.fas.org/irp/imint/docs/rst/Sect5/Sect5_5.html

Downstream Effects of Mountaintop Coal Mining http:// Contact www.epa.gov/region3/mtntop/pdf/downstreameffects.pdf Dr. James R. Irons Landsat Data Continuity Mission Project Scientist USDA Crop Explorer http://www.pecad.fas.usda.gov/ [email protected] cropexplorer/