Nighttime Lights of North America - Human Settlements, 1994-1995

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Abstract/Contents

Abstract: This map shows the four types of light sources as observed in North America during 1994-1995. The Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) Operational Linescan System (OLS) has a unique low-light imaging capability. developed for the detection of clouds using moonlight. In addition to moonlit clouds, the OLS also detects lights from human settlements, fires, gas flares, heavily lit fishing boats, lightning and the aurora. By analyzing the location, frequency, and appearance of lights observed in an image times series, it is possible to distinguish four primary types of lights present at the earth's surface: human settlements, fires, gas flares, and fishing boats. This layer is part of the Nighttime Lights of the World dataset, a satellite-based global inventory of human settlements, derived from nighttime data from the DMSP.
Purpose: This dataset is intended for researchers, students, and policy makers, and the general public for reference and mapping purposes, and may be used for basic applications such as viewing, querying, and map output production, or to provide a basemap to support graphical overlays and analysis with other spatial data.

Type of resource	cartographic, software, multimedia
Form	GeoTIFF
Place	Boulder, CO, US
Publisher	National Geophysical and Solar-Terrestrial Data Center
Publication date	2009
Language	English
Digital origin	born digital
Map data	Scale not given. ; Custom projection W 179°59ʹ48ʺ--W 51°4ʹ7ʺ/N 83°41ʹ31ʺ--N 17°52ʹ10ʺ, Scale not given ; EPSG::4326

Creator	National Geophysical and Solar-Terrestrial Data Center

WGS84 Cartographics	This layer is presented in the WGS84 coordinate system for web display purposes. Downloadable data are provided in native coordinate system or projection.
Location	https://purl.stanford.edu/vn581rh3345

Use and reproduction: This item is in the public domain. There are no restrictions on use.
Copyright: This work is in the Public Domain, meaning that it is not subject to copyright.

Preferred citation: National Geophysical and Solar-Terrestrial Data Center. (2003). Nighttime Lights of North America - Human Settlements, 1994-1995. National Geophysical and Solar-Terrestrial Data Center. Available at: http://purl.stanford.edu/vn581rh3345.

The Nighttime Lights of the World

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