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SATELLITE DATA MANAGEMENT AND DISSEMINATION AT THE 
U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY EROS DATA CENTER 
Lyndon R. Oleson and Thomas M. Holm 
U.S. Geological Survey 
EROS Data Center 
Sioux Falls, SD 57198 
Darla J. Werner 
Hughes STX Corporation 
EROS Data Center 
Sioux Falls, SD 57198 
ABSTRACT 
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Earth Resources Observation Systems (EROS) Data Center has been 
collecting regional, continental, and global Earth observations data acquired by satellites, aircraft, and other 
information-gathering systems for more than 20 years. Currently, the Center holds more than 10 million satellite 
images and aerial photographs in both photographic and digital formats. In its role as the National Satellite Land 
Remote Sensing Data Archive, the Center is continually investigating and exploiting new technologies to ensure the 
long-term availability of these data. For example, the Center is converting its Landsat Multispectral Scanner (MSS) 
and Thematic Mapper (TM) satellite data from high-density instrumentation tapes to new, more stable archive media. 
In conjunction with the media conversion effort, the Center has successfully recovered more than 15,000 Landsat 
scenes from nearly 700 archive tapes affected by a condition called hydrolysis. The Center is also investigating new 
techniques to improve the accessibility of products and services from the archive. For example, the Landsat media 
conversion effort is providing the opportunity to collect digital browse images for user viewing through state-of-the-art 
information systems, such as the USGS Global Land Information System. Also, the Center is developing a capability 
for users to select, through an interactive graphical user interface, geographic or reduced-resolution subsets of very 
large digital satellite data sets. Such a capability will improve the effectiveness of their delivery by way of 
conventional wide-area networks. 
KEY WORDS: Archive, Hydrolysis, Information System, Landsat, Media Conversion, Transcription 
1. INTRODUCTION 
The Earth Resources Observation Systems (EROS) 
Data Center is a data management, systems 
development, and research field center of the U.S. 
Geological Survey (USGS). The Center was 
established in the early 1970's to receive, process, and 
distribute data from National Aeronautics and Space 
Administration (NASA) Landsat satellites. The Center 
has been collecting regional, continental, and global 
Earth observations data acquired by satellites, aircraft, 
and other information-gathering systems for more than 
20 years. The Center holds the world's largest 
collection of satellite- and aircraft-acquired images of 
the Earth's land surface. These holdings include more 
than 3 million satellite images and more than 7 million 
aerial photographs. The Center is also a major source 
for information about the holdings of foreign Landsat 
ground reception stations and data acquired by other 
countries' Earth-observing satellites. 
The Centers management of global Earth observations 
  
data includes developing and operating advanced 
systems for receiving, processing, distributing, and 
applying land-related earth science, mapping, and other 
geographic data. More than 60,000 inquiries and orders 
are received annually, resulting in the distribution of 
more than 250,000 products to users around the world. 
Center activities include operating the National Satellite 
Land Remote Sensing Data Archive, a legislatively 
mandated responsibility, and the Federal Land Remote 
Sensing Research Program. The archive is responsible 
for maintaining a high quality data base of space 
acquired images of the Earth suitable for use in the 
study of global change and related scientific programs. 
The Federal Land Remote Sensing Research Program 
allows Federal agencies, universities, and other 
organizations to assign scientists and researchers to the 
Center on a full-time basis with complete access to its 
analytical equipment, data, and research facilities. 
As a major participant in the U.S. Global Change 
Research Program, the Center provides data to 
scientists from around the world to improve 
Any use of trade, product, or firm names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. 
Government. 
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