Washington and Landsat

Fact Sheet 2022-3021
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Abstract

Washington is a State of untamed wonders, from its ruggedly beautiful coastline to the volcanic peaks of the Cascades. “The Evergreen State” is also a State of contrasts, home to rainforests west of the Cascades and deserts to the east. Half of Washington is forested, and its orchards grow more than one-half of the apples sold in the United States. Rivers are important to the State, particularly the Columbia River, the largest North American river that flows into the Pacific Ocean. Dozens of dams have been constructed in the river basin, including the largest hydroelectric producer in the Nation, the Grand Coulee Dam.

Washington’s diverse landscapes also change in various ways over time. Some are relatively steady, like urban expansion in the populous Puget Sound region. Others can be sudden, like the Mount Saint Helens eruption in 1980—one of the largest volcanic eruptions that caused the largest landslide in U.S. history. Although landscape change may be hard to detect at any one time, the Landsat program provides an objective view of it over decades. Landsat not only allows one to see what Mount Saint Helens looked like before and after the eruption, but also how the area has evolved since.

Here are a few examples of how Landsat benefits Washington.

Suggested Citation

U.S. Geological Survey, 2022, Washington and Landsat (ver. 1.1, January 2023): U.S. Geological Survey Fact Sheet 2022–3021, 2 p., https://doi.org/10.3133/fs20223021.

ISSN: 2327-6932 (online)

ISSN: 2327-6916 (print)

Study Area

Table of Contents

  • Tracking Mount Saint Helens’ Recovery
  • Monitoring Landscapes and Habitats
  • Assessing the Aftermath of Fires
  • Landsat—Critical Information Infrastructure for the Nation
  • References Cited
Publication type Report
Publication Subtype USGS Numbered Series
Title Washington and Landsat
Series title Fact Sheet
Series number 2022-3021
DOI 10.3133/fs20223021
Edition Version 1.0: April 25, 2022; Version 1.1: January 24, 2023
Year Published 2022
Language English
Publisher U.S. Geological Survey
Publisher location Reston, VA
Contributing office(s) Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center
Description 2 p.
Country United States
State Washington
Online Only (Y/N) N
Google Analytic Metrics Metrics page
Additional publication details