127 and counting

Yesterday the USGS celebrated its 127th birthday. Established just a few hours before the last day of the 45th Congress today the USGS stands as the sole science agency for the Deaprtment of the Interior. For the average citizen it provides information on the latest earthquakes, and water quality assesments. Most impressively the USGS heads up the Landsat Project including Landsat 5 which was launched in March of 1984 and has been sending data about the earths's surface back to scientists for 22 years. The Landsat Project itself has provided insight about how the environment and people have changed over three decades by sending back sateliite imagery. Among the images one group shows the extenet the Great Salt Lake can fluctuate over a thrity year period, another the growth of the Dallas-Ft. Worth area. Happy Birthday USGS!