Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center - Who We Are and What We Do

Will scarce rainfall in Ethiopia this year mean a famine next year?

surfaces and serves as an invaluable resource for documenting how they have changed over time.

*One terabyte = 1,000 gigabytes

Could a bulge in the heart of a volcano in Indonesia signal that it’s

remote sensing instruments.

Roughly 1.5 terabytes* of information arrive at EROS every day to become part of the largest civilian archive of remotely sensed land data in the world. The archive represents a perfectly preserved 70-year record of Earth’s land

about to erupt?

The more than 600 people at EROS work in diverse ways

since the Center opened in 1973. EROS is probably best known as the USGS receiving station for Landsat satellite images. However, we acquire data and images from many other satellites, as well as from other kinds of

to help answer questions like these. The answers affect millions of people worldwide.

the key to gathering this information.

Satellites that capture detailed images of Earth’s continents, islands, and coastlines are and have been EROS’ primary source of remotely sensed data To understand our planet at local, regional, national, and global scales, people need information about Earth’s land surfaces and how they are changing. Land remote sensing is Acquiring information is very important, but so is making information easily available to those who need it. Every day, EROS supplies—primarily via the Internet—nearly a terabyte worth of current and historical land data to scientists, natural resource managers, urban planners, government decision makers, and other users around the world.

EROS is also recognized for its expertise in developing new ways to analyze, visualize, and utilize remotely sensed land data for studying diverse aspects of Earth’s terrestrial environment. We use satellite and other data to study the carbon cycle and simulate the effects of climate change, explore the causes and effects of wildfires, aid in disaster response activities, monitor drought, provide early warning of famines, investigate ecological changes and their effects, and improve the prediction of volcanic eruptions.

EROS is a unit of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). Created by an act of Congress in 1879, the USGS stands as the primary science agency for the Department of the Interior. It is sought out by thousands of partners and customers for its natural science expertise and its vast earth and biological data holdings. The USGS is the science provider of choice for accessing the data and information required to help resolve complex natural resource problems across the Nation and around the world.

We also create data sets that deal with land cover (for example, the types of vegetation found in a place) and land surface features such as topography. People use these data sets to answer questions and solve problems in many different countries and settings. Finally, EROS conducts training classes worldwide on how to use satellite data and geographic information.

Earth’s land surfaces include areas that are changing rapidly, with significant repercussions for populations, economies, and the environment. By acquiring, distributing, and developing new approaches to using remotely sensed land data, EROS plays a pivotal role in helping people everywhere understand these changes and their implications.

Contact Information

Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center Sioux Falls, SD 57198

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