Well, we don't call it the Data Continuity Mission for nothing. The whole reason for launching LDCM is to continue the collection of global land observations on a seasonal basis so that we can continue to study changes in land cover and land use over time. We're not just taking pretty pictures, we're collecting data, where we measure how much energy is reflected or emitted at these different wavelengths, quantitatively. We do that in order to insure that we understand change when it occurs and what we're looking at and that we're making consistent measurements. The greatest improvement we've made in the LDCM satellite is that the sensors are what's called push-broom sensors and not what was called whisk-broom sensors. Push-broom sensors have thousands of detectors that just image the Earth as the satellite passes over the surface of the Earth. The older Landsat satellites, Landsat 7, Landsat 5, use a whisk-broom technology which is many fewer detectors, scanning back and forth with a mechanical scanner. This data from four Landsat satellites shows the traditional rectangular patchwork of agricultural fields in the Texas panhandle being overtaken by the signature polka dotted pattern. of center-pivot irrigation. The bright red colors show healthy vegetation due to irrigation in this false-color composite. The data shows reflected light in the near-infrared red, and green regions of the electromagnetic spectrum. Green and white colors are bare soil, fallow fields, and sparse grassland. The 'X' shows roads into the town of Dalhart. The final image is a natural-color view of Dalhart today. In these images, the vegetation - the healthy vegetation is dark green, that's the sign of tall, healthy forest. And what you can see after the fire is the very obvious fire scars, the dark reddish brown color. As you chart through time, what you're going to see is the recovery on the old fire scar as first grasses, then shrubs and finally some saplings and short trees come up. But what's also interesting is that after twenty some odd years after the fire we still don't see it back to it's full potential