A Shift in What’s Shaping U.S. Landscapes
Recent research indicates a shift in the factors shaping U.S. landscapes, with wild disturbances increasing while human-directed changes are declining. A NASA-funded study analyzed nearly 35 years of Landsat satellite data, revealing that disasters like wildfires and hurricanes are becoming more frequent and intense. This understanding is crucial for policymakers to plan for resilience against these natural disturbances.
- ▪The study found that human-directed disturbances have decreased over the past four decades.
- ▪Wild disturbances, such as wildfires and hurricanes, have risen in frequency and intensity.
- ▪Between 1988 and 2022, 18 percent of the continental U.S. land area was disturbed at least once.
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Earth ObservatoryScienceEarth ObservatoryA Shift in What’s Shaping...EarthEarth ObservatoryImage of the DayEO ExplorerTopicsAll TopicsAtmosphereLandHeat & RadiationLife on EarthHuman DimensionsNatural EventsOceansRemote Sensing TechnologySnow & IceWaterMore ContentCollectionsGlobal MapsWorld of ChangeArticlesNotes from the Field BlogEarth Matters BlogBlue Marble: Next GenerationEO KidsMission: BiomesAboutAbout UsSubscribe🛜 RSSContact UsSearch 5 min readA Shift in What’s Shaping U.S. LandscapesImage of the Day for May 28, 2026Wild disturbances are on the rise, while land disturbed by human activity has been decreasing.
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