| Eolian and Rainfall Mapping |
![[Rainfall Mapping]](/projects/eolian/naz79-title_sm.gif) Monitoring regional and global ecosystems requires a capability to map surface features and to detect surface change. Vegetation cover, changes in vegetation cover and density, as well as surface soil types, are especially important parameters for evaluating ecosystems for a variety of hazards and conditions, including eolian erosion vulnerability. Surface sampling and instrumentation can provide very detailed data records at a particular ground location. These data can be collected at a very high temporal frequency which is important for certain types of applications and analyses. However, ground based data can have the disadvantage of poor spatial resolution/representation when dealing with regional and global ecosystem scales. Remotely sensed satellite images can be used to monitor surface features and their changes over large areas, such as the southwestern United States deserts. The images can show how different parts of an ecosystem are reacting to climate and other environmental changes at a resolution and scale not possible with ground-based instrumentation.
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| Visit the Eolian and Rainfall Mapping web page for a full report and imagery.
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Imagery
| Landsat MSS (satellite), and ground-based photography |
| Locations | Wyoming, Arizona
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Related Internet Resources
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| USGS Earth Surface Dynamics |
| USGS Earth Surface Processes |
| USGS Global Change Research Program |
| USGS Desert Winds Project |
![[Icon: Arid and Semi-Arid Lands Research]](/icons/desert_button.gif){kind=icon}
![[Icon: Coastal & Marine Research]](/icons/marine_button_sm.gif){kind=icon}
![[Icon: Arid Lands Research]](/icons/desert_button_sm.gif){kind=icon}
![[Icon: Other Environments Research]](/icons/other_button_sm.gif){kind=icon}
![[Icon: Software]](/icons/software_button_sm.gif){kind=icon}