When the MESSENGER spacecraft completed its third and final fly-by of Mercury in September, cartographic experts from the U. S. Geological Survey used the imagery captured to complete a mosaic showing the 55 percent of the planet never seen by humankind.

The MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry and Ranging (MESSENGER) spacecraft was launched in 2004 and is the first mission in more than 30 years to visit the planet Mercury. The trip requires multiple "fly-bys" to alter trajectory, slow the spacecraft and eventually enter orbit, which will happen in March 2011. Until then, the new image mosaic will be used to plan image observations for when the spacecraft is orbiting Mercury.

The sophisticated image mosaicking processes is critical to the scientific success of planetary missions. In the past, these efforts have created important planning tools for systematic mapping of planetary surfaces as well as the selection of landing sites.

While the average person may be familiar with the process of creating mosaics by using their personal computer to merge several photos together, there are some significant differences in this case.

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Source: USGS

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A new collection of selected Landsat earth images worldwide, Global Land Survey 2005 (GLS2005), is now available for free download to any user around the globe.

Under a long-term partnership, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) periodically select and process thousands of the best-available Landsat satellite images, or "scenes," into a Global Land Survey, recording baseline conditions across the Earth's land surface such as forest cover, urban sprawl, cropland areas, glacier size, regional snow cover, drought status, wildfire scars, and coastal features. User demand for GLS data has been increasing steadily, with many scientists claiming these data sets are invaluable for global-change and climate-change research.

Nearly 10,000 satellite images, each covering approximately 100 X 100 miles, are now available from the recently completed 2005 data set. Previous sets include GLS1975, GLS1990, and GLS2000. All GLS images can be previewed and downloaded for free at either of two USGS web sites: Glovis or Earth Explorer.

The earliest GLS data sets, GLS1975 and GLS1990, were drawn from U.S. and international partner receiving-station archives of images captured by earlier Landsat satellites that could image regions all over the world but did not have the capacity to record full global coverage and return it to the U.S. archive. Due to this limitation, plus persistent cloud cover in some parts of the world, these GLS data sets include images from years on either side of their nominal date.

Landsat 7, launched in 1999, was the first satellite capable of recording and returning entire seasonal data collections on a global scale, which enabled creation of the GLS2000 data set from a single satellite over a relatively short time period. However, due to a technical malfunction in 2003, wherein 22% of the pixels in each Landsat 7 image are lost, plus the availability of excellent data from two other Landsat sensors, the GLS2005 collection includes: Landsat 7 scenes with missing pixels filled in from images captured over the same site shortly before or after the selected GLS scene; Landsat 5 images of some areas; and images of islands and reefs captured by the Landsat-prototype sensor onboard NASA's Earth Observing 1 (EO-1) satellite.

Fuller descriptions of the GLS data sets can be found at the web sites mentioned above. Other questions or comments can be directed to custserv@usgs.gov.

Source: USGS

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The U. S. Geological Survey (USGS), an agency of the Department of the Interior, has allocated $7 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds to 15 universities and state agencies nationwide.

Recovery Act funds will be used to modernize the equipment in volcano monitoring networks, to produce high-resolution maps of high-threat volcanoes for modeling volcanic hazards for at-risk populations, and to analyze data from recent eruptions.

"As population and development expand near hazardous volcanoes, and air traffic over volcanic regions grows, risks from volcanic activity are increasing." said John Eichelberger, USGS volcano hazard program coordinator. "The modernization of our volcano monitoring networks will deliver more reliable, robust information - supplying emergency responders with critical information they can use to save lives and reduce damage, while creating or preserving jobs in equipment manufacturing, geophysical services, aviation services, academia including student researchers, and state agencies."

Universities receiving funding include the University of Utah, University of Washington, University of South Florida, University of Wisconsin, University of Alabama, University of Hawaii at Manoa, University of Alaska at Fairbanks, California State University at Fullerton, Boise State University, Northern Arizona University, and Southern Methodist University. State agencies receiving funding include the Oregon Department of Geology and Mineral Industries, Wyoming State Geological Survey, Washington Department of Natural Resources, and the Alaska Division of Geological and Geophysical Surveys.

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act passed earlier this year gave $3 billion to the Department of the Interior. Of that amount, $140 million in funding goes to the USGS.

The Recovery Act funds are part of a stimulus package that is an important component of the President's plan to jumpstart the economy and put a down payment on addressing long-neglected challenges so the country can thrive in the 21st century. Under the Recovery Act, Interior is making an investment in conserving America's timeless treasures - our stunning natural landscapes, our monuments to liberty, the icons of our culture and heritage - while helping American families and their communities prosper again. Interior is also focusing on renewable energy projects, the needs of American Indians, employing youth and promoting community service.

"With its investments of Recovery Act funds, the Department of the Interior and its bureaus are putting people to work today to make improvements that will benefit the environment and the region for many years to come," Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar said. "These investments in volcano monitoring will provide jobs while contributing to training the next generation of volcano scientists in partnership with USGS."

Secretary Salazar has pledged unprecedented levels of transparency and accountability in the implementation of the Department's economic recovery projects. The public will be able to follow the progress of each project on www.recovery.gov and on www.interior.gov/recovery. Secretary Salazar has appointed a Senior Advisor for Economic Recovery, Chris Henderson, and an Interior Economic Recovery Task Force to work closely with Interior's Inspector General and ensure the recovery program is meeting the high standards for accountability, responsibility and transparency set by President Obama.

Source: USGS

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