How to Download Sentinel Satellite Data for Free

Download Sentinel-1 and Sentinel-2 Satellite Data
If you want to download Sentinel satellite data, then you’ve come to the right place.


One of the most exciting developments in remote sensing at this time is the European Space Agency’s Copernicus Programme.

Copernicus’ six Sentinel satellites collects comprehensive pictures of our land, ocean, emergency response, atmosphere, security and climate change to understand the health of our planet.

Until very recently, this data has become available to the public at no cost

Today, we show you step-by-step how to download Sentinel satellite data:

Sentinels Scientific Data Hub


In 2014-15, Sentinel-1 and Sentinel-2A were successfully launched from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana.

One Sentinel scene after the other, data has been rolling out on a user interface called the Sentinels Scientific Data Hub.

It’s now available for the public to access.

But you will have to hop through a couple of hoops before you can get your fingers on it.

Follow these steps to download free Sentinel satellite data:

Step 1: Create a User Account
Go to Sentinels Scientific Data Hub.

In the top-right of the webmap, click the SIGN UP button.

Insert valid entries for your name, email and location. Click register. Validate your email.

With a few clicks of the mouse, you’ve gain access to ESA’s Sentinel data.

Step 2: Select Your Area of Interest
Where is your study area?

Using the SEARCH CRITERIA text box in the top-left, type in your area of interest.

In our example, we’ve typed Germany. Click Enter twice.

From here your search will yield results for all the Sentinel satellite data available.

Sentinel-1 (Synthetic Aperture Radar C-Band) swaths are depicted in red. Sentinel-2 (multispectral data) swaths are depicted in green.

Read More: What’s the difference between active and passive sensors?

Step 3: Download Sentinel Data
Now, that we have our user account created with our study area defined – all we have to do is sift through the results and download our chosen Sentinel data.

As we are working with large data sets, you will have to be patient with download speeds. It’s easy for the server to timeout during the download.

Select the product you want to download. S1A is Sentinel-1A. S2A is Sentinel-2A.

Below the product thumbnail that has the download URL. This is what you want to clip in order to download your chosen Sentinel data.



What’s Next?
After you download Sentinel satellite data, chances are that you are going to want to display it in the visible spectrum. This is exactly how our eyes see objects around us.

Each image is separated by their respective spectral band. See our table below for the spectral bands of Sentinel 2. Sentinel 2B will be identical to Sentinel 2A.

If you want to combine the red, green and blue channels as composite bands (such as Google Earth imagery) – read our composite bands tutorial.

…Or maybe you’d like to perform an NDVI analysis in ArcGIS or an image classification.

You now have free satellite data from Sentinel to help you.

What are the Spectral Bands of Sentinel 2A and 2B?
We’ve listed below, the spectral and spatial resolution of Sentinel 2A. There are 13 bands in total. Four spectral bands have a 10 meter resolution. Six bands have a 20 meter resolution. And the remaining 3 have a spatial resolution of 60 meters.

Here are the spectral band details for Sentinel 2A:

Band	Resolution	Central Wavelength	Description
B1	60 m	443 nm	Ultra blue (Coastal and Aerosol)
B2	10 m	490 nm	Blue
B3	10 m	560 nm	Green
B4	10 m	665 nm	Red
B5	20 m	705 nm	Visible and Near Infrared (VNIR)
B6	20 m	740 nm	Visible and Near Infrared (VNIR)
B7	20 m	783 nm	Visible and Near Infrared (VNIR)
B8	10 m	842 nm	Visible and Near Infrared (VNIR)
B8a	20 m	865 nm	Visible and Near Infrared (VNIR)
B9	60 m	940 nm	Short Wave Infrared (SWIR)
B10	60 m	1375 nm	Short Wave Infrared (SWIR)
B11	20 m	1610 nm	Short Wave Infrared (SWIR)
B12	20 m	2190 nm	Short Wave Infrared (SWIR)

Source: SENTINEL-2 Spatial Resolution

Each single satellite revisit time is 10 days. Because there are two satellites (Sentinel 2A and 2B), this means it has a combined constellation revisit of 5 days.

Source: GIS Geography

USGS Projects Large Loss of Alaska Permafrost by 2100

Using statistically modeled maps drawn from satellite data and other sources, U.S. Geological Survey scientists have projected that the near-surface permafrost that presently underlies 38 percent of boreal and arctic Alaska would be reduced by 16 to 24 percent by the end of the 21st century under widely accepted climate scenarios. Permafrost declines are more likely in central Alaska than northern Alaska.

Northern latitude tundra and boreal forests are experiencing an accelerated warming trend that is greater than in other parts of the world. This warming trend degrades permafrost, defined as ground that stays below freezing for at least two consecutive years. Some of the adverse impacts of melting permafrost are changing pathways of ground and surface water, interruptions of regional transportation, and the release to the atmosphere of previously stored carbon.

“A warming climate is affecting the Arctic in the most complex ways,” said Virginia Burkett, USGS Associate Director for Climate and Land Use Change. “Understanding the current distribution of permafrost and estimating where it is likely to disappear are key factors in predicting the future responses of northern ecosystems to climate change.”

In addition to developing maps of near-surface permafrost distributions, the researchers developed maps of maximum thaw depth, or active-layer depth, and provided uncertainty estimates. Future permafrost distribution probabilities, based on future climate scenarios produced by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), were also estimated by the USGS scientists. Widely used IPCC climate scenarios anticipate varied levels of climate mitigation action by the global community.

These future projections of permafrost distribution, however, did not include other possible future disturbances in the future, such as wildland fires. In general, the results support concerns about permafrost carbon becoming available to decomposition and greenhouse gas emission.

The research has been published in Remote Sensing of Environment. The current near-surface permafrost map is available via ScienceBase.

Current probability of near-surface permafrost in Alaska. Future scenarios. ( High resolution image)


Contacts:
Email Contact
Phone: 703-648-4180

Email Contact
Phone: 605-594-6078

Source

US Topo Maps Reach Milestone

Updated Illinois and South Dakota maps completes second National Map revision cycle
With the release of new US Topo maps for Illinois and South Dakota, the USGS has completed the second, three-year cycle of revising and updating electronic US Topo quadrangles. This means that since late 2009, the USGS has published nearly every map in the conterminous U.S., twice.


“The USGS and NGP are proud of our history and legacy of topographic mapping in the US,” said Mike Tischler, director of the USGSNational Geospatial Program. “This latest cycle of US Topo production is a testament to the professionalism and capability of our staff and keeps that legacy alive. We've revised more than 110,000 maps in the last six years to include higher quality data across the country, and have been able to deliver those maps in an easy to use format to suit the diverse needs of our users. While reaching the end of the second-cycle is an important achievement, we look forward to the next cycle of US Topo production, and investigating emerging technologies to better serve the needs of the country.”

In the past 12 months, the production staff of the NGP has updated, revised and loaded 18,767 US Topo quads covering 18 states. That equates to the assembly, inspection and loading of nearly 75 maps per working day. Additionally, the staff created more than 635 new 1:24,000 scale maps for Alaska, as part of the Alaska Mapping Initiative. All of the new US Topo maps are digital and offered for free download, as the USGS no longer prints topographic maps using traditional printing technologies.

Other improvements to the state maps in the second-cycle include the inclusion of National Scenic Trails, “crowdsourced” trail data from theInternational Mountain Bike Association, increased parcel land data ( PLSS), and most recently, trail data from the U.S. Forest Service.

The complete new map sets for Illinois and South Dakota join Maine, Alabama, Arizona, Nebraska, Nevada, Missouri, California, Louisiana, Mississippi,New Hampshire, Vermont, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Wyoming, and Florida as revised states for fiscal year 2015.

All of these new US Topo maps replace the first edition US Topo maps and are available for no-cost file download from The National Map, the USGS Map Locator & Downloader website , and several other USGS applications.

The first three-year production cycle ended in September 2012, and the second cycle ended in September 2015.

To compare change over time, scans of legacy USGS topo maps, some dating back to the late 1800s, can be downloaded from the USGS Historical Topographic Map Collection.

Find more information on US Topo maps online.

This graphic represents the planned US Topo map production schedule for the next three- year revision cycle. The US Topo project repackages data from national GIS (geographic Information system) databases as traditional maps, primarily for the benefit of non-GIS users. Unlike traditional topographic maps, US Topo maps are mass-produced from secondary sources, on a programmed refresh cycle, using the best available data at the time of production. ( high resolution image 1.96 MB) As a result of the inclusion of selected National Scenic Trail data on the US Topo maps, 13 state map series now feature National Scenic Trails, and more will be added in the coming months. These trails have been established by Congress to provide for maximum outdoor recreation potential and for the conservation and enjoyment of nationally significant scenic, historic, natural, and cultural qualities of the area through which such trails may pass.

There are 11 National Scenic Trails:

• Appalachian National Scenic Trail
• Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail
• Continental Divide National Scenic Trail
• North Country National Scenic Trail
• Ice Age National Scenic Trail
• Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail
• Natchez Trace National Scenic Trail
• Florida National Scenic Trail
• Arizona National Scenic Trail
• New England National Scenic Trail
• Pacific Northwest National Scenic Trail( high resolution image 63.6 KB)

Contact Information:
Email Contact
Phone: 573-308-3850

Email Contact
Phone: 303-202-4019

Source

Arctic Tundra Fire Causes Widespread Permafrost Landscape Changes

Large and severe tundra fires cause top down permafrost thaw, playing a major role in altering Arctic landscapes according to a new study led by the U.S. Geological Survey.

The study documented widespread thermokarst formation, characterized by subsidence of the land surface as a result of melted ground-ice, in the years following a tundra fire event. Thaw of ice-rich permafrost is known to impact terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems by altering vegetation communities and hydrology as well as releasing carbon that was previously stored in the frozen ground below.

"Thermokarst development may sound like an esoteric topic, but when ground ice melts it affects everything at the surface, formation or drainage of lakes, how much water runs off the landscape and what kind of plants can grow," said Philip Martin, Science Coordinator for the Arctic Landscape Conservation Cooperative. "This is an essential part of the puzzle for resource managers and Arctic residents to piece together how the land is changing."

Researchers, led by the USGS, used repeat airborne LiDAR data acquisitions, a remote sensing tool that allows for the creation of highly detailed topographic models of the landscape, to quantify thermokarst development in the aftermath of the 2007 Anaktuvuk River tundra fire. By comparing data obtained two and again seven years post-fire, researchers determined that thermokarst affected more than 34 percent of the studied burned tundra area compared to less than one percent in similar unburned tundra.

Arctic tundra fires are known to have an immediate and severe impact on the landscape through combustion of vegetation and soil organic layers. However, widespread thermokarst development in the aftermath of an Arctic tundra fire had not been previously measured in detail.

"With LiDAR data acquisitions, we are able to document landscape changes in a measurable way like never before," said lead author Benjamin Jones, a Research Geographer with the USGS. "It is likely that the impact of fires and other disturbances on permafrost-influenced terrain in the Arctic has been underestimated since highly precise elevation data, such as from LiDAR datasets, are not widely available in these regions."

The paper " Recent Arctic tundra fire initiates widespread thermokarst development" was published in the journal Scientific Reports, the online open access journal from the publishers of Nature.

The work was supported by the Land Change Science and Land Remote Sensing programs at the USGS, the USGS Alaska Science Center, the Arctic Landscape Conservation Cooperative, the University of Alaska Fairbanks, and the Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research.

A photo from the study area acquired in August 2015 showing thermokarst development manifest as a network of troughs forming over degrading ice wedges (left). Comparison between the two airborne LiDAR data showing permafrost terrain subsidence in the aftermath of a large and severe Arctic tundra fire. (High resolution image)

Contact Information:
Email Contact
Phone: 907-786-7039

Email Contact
Phone: 650-329-4046

Source

Wider Selection of US Topo Maps From USGS Now Available in Avenza's PDF Maps App

Providing science for a changing world, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) continues to support the delivery of its digital maps through Avenza Systems Inc.'s popular, award-winning PDF Maps app. The wider selection of more than 120,000 US Topo maps on a popular digital mapping platform provides digital users access to USGS' rich map content, and extends its reach with a growing base of mobile consumers.

With the digital map user base continuing to rise year after year, USGS map users benefit from Avenza's PDF Maps app geospatial technology. The app currently aids a growing number of people who reference digital devices for work or recreation. Travelers, recreationists, scientists and conservation and environmental decision makers already make use of USGS topo maps but the expanded use of the maps via the PDF Maps app provides current USGS topo map users the ability to digitally access maps in areas with little to no internet reception and input notes and images within the map all while tracking current position.

The USGS produces Topo maps on a continuous basis with more than 18,000 revised quadrangles produced every year. Currently, thousands of maps from USGS's extensive library are now available in Avenza's PDF Maps database including the most current variations that reflect the changing landscape of the country. Many historical maps can also be accessed with thousands more dating back 130 years being added in the near future. The app provides constant access to geographic information and points of interest, with additional interactive features such as measuring, place marking and location tagging. Avenza's PDF Maps app operates without the risk of lost reception due to cell tower proximity, making it the ultimate traveling tool since it does not rely on an internet connection to use map data and obtain and display location.

"Distinguished map publishers like the USGS fully recognize the shift to digital and how consumers are accessing and consuming information that was once static and digitally implementing it into their daily lives and making it more interactive," said Ted Florence, president of Avenza Systems Inc. "Avenza's PDF Maps app is an example of how a digital tool can expand the utility of a map beyond location guidance; it is also a tool to capture an experience in real-time. As the industry continues to evolve to fit into the world of a mobile consumer, we look forward to strengthening our ties with groups like the USGS.

PDF Maps app 2.6 is available now on the iTunes App Store free of charge for personal and private use. PDF Maps app is also available for use with Android devices in the Google Play Store free of charge for personal non-commercial use. A Windows version is currently in public beta targeted for a release later this year. Commercial, government and academic use licensing is available for a nominal annual fee. For more information about PDF Maps, visit the Avenza website at http://www.avenza.com or the PDF Maps website athttp://www.pdf-maps.com. Pricing of each map is set by the publisher and free maps remain free to users through the PDF Maps app in-app store.

For more information on USGS Topo products, visit the website athttp://nationalmap.gov/ustopo

About Avenza Systems Inc.

Avenza Systems Inc. is an award-winning, privately held corporation that provides cartographers and GIS professionals with powerful software tools for making better maps as well as the PDF Maps mobile mapping system. In addition to software offerings for Mac and Windows users, Avenza offers value-added data sets, product training and consulting services. For more information, visit the Avenza website at www.avenza.com.

Contacts: Christine Simmons
LFPR Public Relations
www.lfpr.com
(for Avenza Systems Inc.)
949-502-6200 ext. 320

Source

Mapbox’s Landsat-live project: Maps with the most up-to-date Satellite imagery

By Muthukumar Kumar



The Landsat program from USGS/NASA is certainly the most iconic Earth Observation program ever. Not only does it provide the longest continuous space-based record of Earth but the Landsat program also democratized access to satellite imagery, enabling researchers across the world to use latest satellite imagery for various Remote sensing and GIS studies. (Read more: Landsat 8 Captures dramatic details of the Earth; will push the Earth – Monitoring Envelope).

Although Landsat satellite imagery have been available for the public for a while now, we haven’t had a project that can be considered as the OpenSatelliteImagery project, well until now. Mapbox has changed that with Landsat-live, a geoawesome project that utilizes the latest Landsat 8 data is publicly available on Amazon Web Service via the Landsat on AWS Public Data Set.

Chicago March 11, 2015 (Landsat 8 imagery via Mapbox Landsat-live)

With every pixel captured within the past 32 days, Landsat-live features the freshest imagery possible around the entire planet. – Camilla Mahon, Mapbox blog

Finally, a project that lets us understand how the planet changes in weeks, instead of the picture perfect – sunny, green satellite imagery that we are so used to by now thanks to Google Earth and other similar projects. Mapbox’s Landsat-live is going to help showcase the big gap between how we perceive the world in our maps with satellite imagery overlays and how it actually is. And of course, Mapbox choose to overlay the satellite imagery with OpenStreetMap data.

Chennai, India

With a 30 meter resolution, a 16 day revisit rate, and 10 multispectral bands, this imagery can be used to check the health of agricultural fields, the latest update on a natural disaster, or the progression of deforestation. – Camilla Mahon, Mapbox blog

Besides the Earth Observation projects that Landsat-live would make possible, I am sure it is not going to be long before someone decide to create the next Geoguessr with this project. Satguessr – the Landsat-live based Geography game! maybe we should Anyone interested in the idea?


Five years from now, real-time maps might be as ubiquitous as YouTube videos—but for now, they feel as futuristic as movies might have to Victorians. – Charlie Loyd, Mapbox toCitylabs


Mapbox’s Landsat-live project showcases the Landsat program in the kind of spotlight, it deserves.

P.S: @Mapbox: maybe you guys can think about adding a timeline functionality for the Landsat-live service! It would be all the awesome to see how things have changed in the last few satellite revisit periods.

Source

USGS evaluates Sigma Space’s Single Photon LiDAR as a key technology for its 3D Digital Elevation Program

Sigma Space technology may enable first high-resolution 3D map of the Unites States and the Planet



Through a recent contract awarded to two evaluating companies, the United States Geological Survey has requested from Sigma Space the collection and processing of Single Photon LiDAR (SPL) in a test area in upper Connecticut. SPL is a disruptive LiDAR technology created by Sigma, which enables collection of elevation data at much higher speeds and resolution than conventional LiDAR systems. While SPL is by now a well developed technology in use by the US DoD and in commercial data acquisitions, this is the first attempt by USGS to validate the technology as an enabler for its3DEP program. The 3DEP program by USGS aims to create a comprehensive 3D map of the US. If done at the highest quality level, but using conventional LiDAR technology, such program could cost more than $ 1.5 billion and take 8 years to complete, according to the National Enhanced Elevation Assessment. However using SPL the cost could be reduced by up to a factor of ten and completed in one year.

“The key concept behind the high efficiency of SPL is the ability to use single photons, elementary light particles, to make a range measurement,” explains Dr. Marcos Sirota, CEO of Sigma Space. “Conventional LiDARs use hundreds or thousands of photons per measurement. That is why our system is so much faster. Furthermore, the detector physics and associated electronics enables our system to operate in full daylight, in comparison to other photon-sensitive technologies that can operate only at night,” he added. Also, because SPL uses green laser light it has both topographic and bathymetric capabilities in a single LiDAR.

After receiving the request, and one coordination phone call with USGS and the evaluating companies, Sigma Space personnel were able to collect SPL data for the entire 500 square mile test area in one weekend, with densities in excess of 20 points per square meter. In addition, they simultaneously collected RGB imagery for a large part of the test area at 4 cm resolution, using a MIST camera, courtesy of Visionmap.

SPL technology is also to be proven soon in space. NASA’s ICESat II mission, to be launched in 2017, adopted SPL as the LiDAR technique for its Advanced Topographic Laser Altimeter. The primary objective of the mission is to measure polar ice sheet elevation change and sea ice thickness. Sigma provided the timing and on-board processing electronics for the 64 channel, single photon LiDAR system. Sigma also provided the optical assembly for the pointing determination system which tracks the laser and telescope pointing with respect to the star field, in the instrument.

Sigma Space Corporation produces next-generation LiDAR, laser ranging, attitude determination, spectroscopy, radiometry, and optical communication instrumentation for remote sensing and defense applications. Sigma Space offers advanced science, engineering and geospatial data services to private and government clients, including NASA and DoD. www.sigmaspace.com



View source version on businesswire.com:http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20150827006044/en/


Contact:
Sigma Space
Natalie Lau, 301-552-6000

Source

TopoView from the USGS is Available

By Susan Smith


TopoView provides one of the USGS’s most important and useful products, the topographic map, in a way that is easy to use, accessible and provides wonderful historical map data.

In 1879, the USGS began to map the Nation’s topography. Just like in a lot of modern mapping, this topographical mapping was done at different levels of detail, as needed to support various land use, exploration and other purposes. The collection of maps deepened and expanded as the years passed, with the USGS producing new map versions of each area. The most current maps are available fromThe National Map. For those users who need historical reference maps, TopoView shows the many and varied older maps of each area. TopoView also takes into account the fact that the names of some natural and cultural features have changed over time, and the ‘old’ names can be found on these historical topographic maps.

According to USGS materials, this interface was created by the National Geologic Map Database project (NGMDB), in support of topographic mapping program managed by the National Geospatial Program (NGP). Geologic mapping and topographic mapping at the USGS have a long tradition together (see 1888 report). The NGMDB project is proud to assist the NGP in bringing these maps to the Web.

TopoView is packed with new features as well as downloadable file formats such as jpeg, GeoTIFF, and KMZ. The maps shown through topoView are from the USGS’s Historical Topographic Map Collection(HTMC). The goal of this scanning, which started in 2011, is to provide a digital repository of USGS 1:250,000 scale and larger (more detailed) maps printed between 1884 (the inception of the topographic mapping program), and 2006. Currently, there are more than 178,000 maps in the HTMC. The NGP is accurately cataloging and creating metadata to accompany high-resolution, georeferenced digital files of each of these printed maps. At present, these maps are offered as GeoPDFs, through The National Map and the USGS Store. However, additional formats are now being offered for evaluation and use through topoView to include:
GeoTIFF – The GeoTIFF files are a compressed, 300 dpi TIFF image format, with embedded georeferencing information so that the map can be used directly in a Geographic Information System (GIS). The GeoTIFFs are generated at true scale, allowing users to plot the map at the intended map scale in cases where a hard copy is needed.
JPEG – The high-resolution JPEGs, or ‘Browse JPEG’ format are useful for getting a quick view of the map in order to find place names or simply explore the map area without the need for downloading a large file.
KMZ – The KMZ format is a compressed form of the KML format which is used for displaying the maps in Google Earth.

Source

Woolpert Selected by USGS to Evaluate New Lidar Technologies for 3DEP

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has contracted with Woolpert to evaluate new lidar (light detection and ranging) technologies to assess the suitability to support the 3D Elevation Program (3DEP).

This use of the single photon and Geiger mode lidar for this evaluation is new to the commercial market, according to Woolpert Project Director John Gerhard.

“This technology provides the ability to fly at higher altitudes while acquiring data at an increased point density,” Gerhard said. “The USGS has asked us to provide an evaluation of this sensor technology in support of 3DEP.”

The USGS is developing the 3DEP initiative to respond to the growing need for high-quality topographic data nationwide, to address issues that include flood-risk management, precision agriculture, natural resource management, infrastructure management and hazard mitigation.

Woolpert—a national architecture, engineering and geospatial firm—will then evaluate the data, conduct an accuracy analysis, develop final data products and provide a comprehensive report to the USGS by the end of the year.

About Woolpert
Woolpert is a national architecture, engineering and geospatial (AEG) firm that delivers value to clients by strategically blending engineering excellence with leading-edge technology and geospatial applications. With a dynamic R&D department, Woolpert works with inventive business partners like Google; operates a fleet of planes, sensors and unmanned aerial systems (UAS); and continually pushes industry boundaries by working with advanced water technologies, asset management, Building Information Modeling (BIM) and sustainable design. Woolpert’s mission is to help its clients progress—and become more progressive. For over 100 years and with more than 25 offices across the United States, Woolpert serves the needs of federal, state, and local governments; private and public companies and universities; energy and transportation departments; and the United States Armed Forces. For more information, visit woolpert.com or call 937-531-1258.

Source

2,000 Miles of Ocean Seafloor and Coastline Imagery Available from the USGS

BY ELIZABETH BORNEMAN





The U.S. Geological Survey has provided a new look at approximately 2,000 miles worth of coastlines and seafloor imagery surrounding the United States. Researchers are “learning the dynamics of the seafloor and how things have changed in the last few decades,” said Nadine Golden, a geographer with the U.S. Geological Survey. “Being able to get a picture of that is extremely useful.” The images could help with habitat protection and offer insight into natural disasters.

Underwater cameras used by the U.S. Geologic Survey have mapped the California coastline and picked up some great video on the sea life and movement of the physical coastline this year. Thousands of pictures and video clips have been compiled by the survey that allows users to explore portions of the sea floor from their computers. In addition to mapping the west coast of the United States parts of the Atlantic and Gulf coasts are also available to explore online.

Much of the ground covered by the cameras has never been seen or mapped before. The cameras picked up abundant sea life, underwater landscapes, and beautiful coral formations untouched by tourists or even many divers.

This new ocean database is fun to play around on, but it is also integral to continuing scientific research. With the video scientists, marine biologists and geologists (among others) can study the life in the ocean and the physical geography of the sea bed to check for changes and patterns in the things they see. These videos and pictures provide a cheaper way to do research- scientific organizations don’t have to send their own underwater cameras, scientists or submersibles down to the ocean floor, which can be a very expensive and dangerous venture.

Geologists too benefit from this new look at the sea floor. Since much of the world’s sea floor remains unmapped and unseen, the parts of it we can get a glimpse at are really important for advancing technologies and making inferences as to what other parts of the sea floor might look like. The research can help scientists determine seafloor composition, habitats, animal life, and other valuable data in addition to crisis management plans in case of an underwater earthquake, temperature fluctuations, or tsunamis.

The seafloor is a dynamic and ever changing place- animals migrate to and fro, and currents rapidly build and erode massive underwater structures. Scientists now have a more accurate way to map these changes through the work of the U.S. Geological Survey. The survey made several trips a year to various coastlines in the United States and dropped special cameras behind their boats, which were able to capture life on the sea floor. Cameras took both videos and still pictures while the boat moved at a leisurely 2.3 miles an hour. In good weather that doesn’t sound too bad!

The underwater world isn’t all coral reefs and stunning fish, however. Scientists are equally as interested in the ‘boring’ bits; the bits where the sea floor is muddy and rocky and where fewer animals are about. These places are important for understanding erosion and coastline change. For example, the coastline of California struggles with a depletion of sand and erosion which drastically changes the look of the sea floor just off the coast. These changes and patterns in sediment flow can help create projections for the future as to what California’s beaches could look like.

In addition to mapping erosion rates and sediment levels, other organizations are using the data to conduct research and answer scientific questions previously out of reach. Graduate students in universities around the world can use the data gathered by the U.S. Geological Survey to map the sightings of different organisms and trace their habitats in specific areas. Additionally, the general public can pose some interesting questions about underwater life that scientists have been previously unable to answer- now, with the availability of these pictures and videos, a myriad of questions can be answered about the vast ocean around us.

The data is also essential for mapping how hurricanes and tropical storms affect areas of the Gulf and Atlantic Coasts. This information could be used in the future to project where a hurricane could land, what damage that would cause to the surrounding area, and how people can protect themselves against storm surges and other effects of a major storm. Studies about how hurricanes and tropical storm currents change the geography of the sea floor is also of interest to scientists and marine biologists who research plant and animal life in these affected areas.

Visit: Coastal and Marine Geology Video and Photograph Portal

Reference

Green, Sean. Scientists explore 2,000 miles of the ocean floor — and you can too. The LA Times. March 20, 2015.