Banner for the Landsat Science News Digest for January 2026. In the background is a blue-green and white Landsat image and white text is in the forefront.

Algae Swirls Across a South African Reservoir

January 7, 2026
A Landsat image of a mostly brown landscape features a dark-blue reservoir partially covered by bright green algae in the north and center.

Watch as vivid green blooms form, drift, and fade in Hartbeespoortdam reservoir over the course of a year. Recent research (Ali et al., 2022) used 40 years of Landsat data to evaluate algal growth dynamics in the reservoir.

How Harmful Algal Blooms Form
 
multitemporal Enhanced Vegetation Index-2 information from HLS for an area of irrigated cropland of Central California

January 26, 2026

Landsat Science at AGU



Landsat science highlights from the American Geophysical Union 2025 Fall Meeting (AGU25). Explore updates from the National Land Imaging Program, Harmonized Landsat and Sentinel-2, and more.

 
False-color Landsat 9 map shows cooler purple/blue Gulf of Maine waters and warmer orange/yellow nearshore coves.

January 15, 2026

Landsat Helps Maine Oyster Farmers Choose Where to Grow

Source: Emily DeMarco, NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center



Oyster farmers in Maine use Landsat data to see which coves run warmer or cooler, a critical metric in deciding where to farm shellfish.

A collage of Landsat images of various societal benefits including false- and natural-color images of Earth features.

December 17, 2025

New Landsat Science Team Announced

Source: USGS Landsat Missions


The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with NASA, has named the new Landsat Science Team that will support the world’s longest-running Earth observation mission for a planned 2026-2030 term. 
 

“[Aquaculture] is an example of how NASA’s Earth science program supports our nation. We collect global data, but its value grows when it’s used locally to help communities work smarter and make their livelihoods more sustainable.”

 

—Chris Neigh, Landsat 8 and 9 Project Scientist

NASA Data Helps Maine Oyster Farmers Choose Where to Grow

 

PUBLICATION SPOTLIGHT


A global assessment of coastal vulnerability and dominant contributors


| Basnayake et al., 2026


Nearly 10% of the global population lives in coastal areas within 10 m elevation from mean sea level. Basnayake et al., 2026 presents the first-ever global assessment of coastal vulnerability to flooding and erosion hazards. The researchers combined the Coastal Vulnerability Index (CVI) approach with global datasets, including using Landsat data to measure historical shoreline change rates from 1984-2016. Coastlines that show high rates of historical coastal erosion were deemed more vulnerable to future erosion. Combined with five other indicators—geomorphology, coastal slope, mean tidal range, wave height, and relative sea level change—this shoreline data enabled the researchers to assess vulnerability at 362,424 locations spaced at 1-kilometer intervals along the world's coasts under present-day conditions. The analysis reveals that countries with the highest coastal vulnerability are predominantly located in tropical and subtropical regions, particularly West Africa and northern South America. Geomorphology, mean tidal range, and coastal slope emerged as the dominant contributors to present-day vulnerability in these highly vulnerable areas.
This map displays a. the median CVI class, b. the 10th percentile CVI class, and c. the 90th percentile CVI class per country. The countries with the highest risk are in the tropics, especially West Africa and northern South America.

This map displays a. the median CVI class, b. the 10th percentile CVI class, and c. the 90th percentile CVI class per country. The countries with the highest risk are in the tropics, especially West Africa and northern South America. Image credit: Basnayake et al., 2026

Find more selected Landsat publications on our website.
 

NASA's Earth Observatory

Selected Landsat Images

January 26, 2026

Finding Freshwater in Great Salt Lake



Reed-covered mounds exposed by declining water levels reveal an unexpected network of freshwater springs that feed directly into the lake basin.
A satellite image of the Great Salt Lake shoreline in 2025 shows exposed gray lakebed with clusters of small dark mounds; an inset provides a close-up view of the mounds.

January 20, 2026

North America's Greenhouse Hub


The expansion of greenhouses in southern Ontario is changing the appearance of the land surface—and the night sky.
A satellite image from 2025 shows the towns of Leamington and Kingsville along the north shore of Lake Erie in southern Ontario. The surrounding land is divided into rectangular farm fields that appear in shades of green and brown. Light gray and blue greenhouse roofs, many more than in 2025, cover some of the land, filling in much of the area between the two towns and extending north from Leamington.

January 6, 2026

Reaching the Precipice in Angola


The Huíla plateau, bounded by dramatic cliffs and chasms, stands above the arid coastal plains in the country’s southwest.
This satellite image centers on the serrated edge of the Huila plateau in Angola. The sheer cliff wall forms a rough C shape and is highlighted by dark shadows and a band of green vegetation. The lowlands to the left are tan-colored arid coastal plains, and the more-temperate plateau on the right side is greener.

January 2, 2026

Lake Eyre Blushes


Rounding out a remarkable year, the outback lake displayed distinct green and reddish water in its two main bays.
A satellite image centers on Lake Eyre in the Australian outback. Two large lobes in the southern part of the lake contain water. The one to the left appears green, and the one on the right is a rusty red. The lakebed to the north is bright and appears dry. The surrounding desert appears in shades of orange and tan.
 
 

Landsat at Work: Transforming Data into Solutions
This image is an example of evapotranspiration mapping, centered on Modesto, California, which contains the Gallo Winery headquarters. The area's fields are known for growing a wide variety of crops, including almonds, walnuts, tomatoes and hay. This particular image of 2020 annual actual evapotranspiration (ETa) is provided by the Landsat-based SSEBop (Operational Simplified Surface Energy Balance) ET model, which is one of the models used in the OpenET ensemble.

Landsat's five-decades-long data record supports a wide range of sectors from managing wildfire risk and optimizing water use to protecting habitats and supporting infrastructure.



The collection of USGS Landsat at Work stories highlights how Landsat data are put into practice to inform decisions that help safeguard lives, property, and natural resources.


+ Explore how Landsat helps
 

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