The Users, Uses, and Value of Landsat and Other 

Moderate-Resolution Satellite Imagery in the 

United States—Executive Report

By Holly M. Miller, Natalie R. Sexton, Lynne Koontz, John Loomis, Stephen R. Koontz, and 

Caroline Hermans 

Open-File Report 2011–1031

U.S. Department of the Interior

U.S. Geological Survey
ii

U.S. Department of the Interior

KEN SALAZAR, Secretary

U.S. Geological Survey

Marcia K. McNutt, Director

U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, Virginia 2011

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Suggested citation:

Miller, H.M., Sexton, N.R., Koontz, Lynne, Loomis, John, Koontz, S.R., and Hermans, Caroline, 2011, 

The users, uses, and value of Landsat and other moderate-resolution satellite imagery in the United 

States—Executive report: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2011–1031, 43 p.

Any use of trade, product, or firm names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply 

endorsement by the U.S. Government.

Although this report is in the public domain, permission must be secured from the individual 

copyright owners to reproduce any copyrighted material contained within this report.

Cover images courtesy of USGS Earth Resources and Observation Science (EROS) Center.
iii

Contents

Introduction.................................................................................................................................................... 1

User Identification.......................................................................................................................................... 2

User Survey................................................................................................................................................... 3

Results........................................................................................................................................................... 4

Analyses .................................................................................................................................................... 4

Statistical Significance and Interpretation .................................................................................................. 4

Response Rate .......................................................................................................................................... 5

Diversity of the Sample .............................................................................................................................. 5

User Types................................................................................................................................................. 6

Demographics............................................................................................................................................ 6

Use of Landsat Imagery............................................................................................................................. 6

Types of Imagery.................................................................................................................................... 6

Scales and Locations of Projects ........................................................................................................... 7

Application Areas ................................................................................................................................... 9

How Imagery is Used ........................................................................................................................... 13

Level of Landsat Use in Work............................................................................................................... 13

“Local Users”........................................................................................................................................ 13

Discussion: Use of Landsat Imagery .................................................................................................... 14

Changes in Use of Landsat Imagery over Time ....................................................................................... 15

Discussion: Change in Use of Landsat Over Time ............................................................................... 18

Impacts of No Cost Data Policy ............................................................................................................... 19

Discussion: Impacts of No Cost Data Policy......................................................................................... 20

Value of Landsat Imagery ........................................................................................................................ 21

Importance and Satisfaction................................................................................................................. 21

Benefits of Landsat............................................................................................................................... 24

If Landsat Imagery Was No Longer Available...................................................................................... 25

Willingness to Pay for Landsat Imagery ............................................................................................... 28

Discussion: Value of Landsat Imagery ................................................................................................. 31

Conclusion................................................................................................................................................... 31

Acknowledgments ....................................................................................................................................... 32

References .................................................................................................................................................. 33

Appendixes.................................................................................................................................................. 36

Appendix 1............................................................................................................................................... 36

Snowball Sampling............................................................................................................................... 36

Snowball Sampling Process ............................................................................................................. 36

Methodological Biases...................................................................................................................... 37

Appendix 2............................................................................................................................................... 38

Users of Other Types of Satellite Imagery............................................................................................ 38

Current Users of Other Types of MRI ............................................................................................... 38

Past Landsat Imagery Users ............................................................................................................ 38

Non-MRI Users................................................................................................................................. 39

Discussion............................................................................................................................................ 39
iv

Appendix 3 ........................................................................................................................................... 41

Double-Bounded Willingness-To-Pay Analysis .................................................................................... 41

Single-Bounded vs. Double-Bounded WTP Analyses ...................................................................... 42

Figures

1. Respondents by type of satellite imagery used.......................................................................................7

2. Sectors of current Landsat users............................................................................................................8

3. Locations of projects using Landsat imagery in year previous to survey ................................................9

4. Scales of projects using Landsat imagery in year previous to survey................................................... 10

5. Applications of Landsat imagery in projects conducted in year previous to survey............................... 12

6. General use of moderate-resolution imagery among current Landsat users ........................................ 14

7. Level of use of Landsat imagery among current Landsat users(as measured by the percentage of 

respondents’ work that used Landsat imagery in year previous to survey).................................................. 15

8. Actual and predicted changes in use of Landsat imagery in past 10 years and next 5 years among 

current Landsat users.................................................................................................................................. 16

9. Predicted future use of Landsat and other moderate-resolution imagery among past Landsat 

users............................................................................................................................................................ 17

10. Reactions to Landsat 7 imagery with SLC-off among current Landsat users who indicated their 

Landsat use had decreased over the past 10 years .................................................................................... 18

11. Sources used by current Landsat users to obtain Landsat imagery before and after the imagery 

became available at no cost from USGS EROS (2008 versus 2009) .......................................................... 19

12. Current Landsat users’ patterns of acquisitions of Landsat imagery from USGS EROS before 

and after it became available at no cost (2008 versus 2009)....................................................................... 20

13. Importance of Landsat imagery to the work of current Landsat users ................................................ 22

14. Mean importance of and mean satisfaction with certain attributes of Landsat imagery among 

current Landsat users.................................................................................................................................. 23

15. Preferred imagery versus imagery most likely to be acquired within budget constraints among 

current Landsat users who would substitute for Landsat imagery if it was no longer available.................... 26

16. Preferred imagery versus imagery most likely to be acquired within budget constraints among 

current Landsat users who would substitute different imagery based on budget constraints if Landsat 

imagery was no longer available ................................................................................................................. 27

17. Single-bounded demand curve of willingness to pay for imagery to replace Landsat imagery 

among current Landsat users ...................................................................................................................... 29

18. Single-bounded logit model results for willingness to pay for imagery to replace Landsat imagery 

among current Landsat users ...................................................................................................................... 30

19. Single- and double-bounded demand curves of willingness to pay for imagery to replace 

Landsat........................................................................................................................................................ 42
v

Tables

1. Mean percentage of imagery used in the year previous to the survey among current Landsat 

users who used a mix of moderate-resolution imagery..................................................................................8

2. Applications of Landsat imagery among current Landsat users .......................................................... 11

3. Acquisitions of Landsat imagery before and after it became available at no cost (2008 versus 

2009) by current Landsat users ................................................................................................................... 21

4. Percentages of current Landsat users who would take each of three actions if Landsat imagery 

was no longer available ............................................................................................................................... 25

5. Percentages of current Landsat users who would use each of three types of information as 

substitutes for Landsat imagery if it was no longer available ....................................................................... 26
1

The Users, Uses, and Value of Landsat and Other 

Moderate-Resolution Satellite Imagery in the United 

States—Executive Report

By Holly M. Miller,1 Natalie R. Sexton,

1 Lynne Koontz,1 John Loomis,2 Stephen R. Koontz,2 and 

Caroline Hermans3

Introduction

A variety of satellites provide remotely sensed images of the earth at different pixel 

resolutions, generally categorized as high, moderate, or low resolution. According to the 2007 

Future of Land Imaging Interagency Working Group report (FLIIWG, 2007), moderateresolution imagery (MRI) is defined as imagery that:

• covers relatively large geographic areas per scene (>60 km2),

• has a spatial resolution between 5 and 120 meters per image pixel,

• is characterized by repetitive coverage, and

• includes measurements from several portions of the electromagnetic spectrum.

MRI is provided by an assortment of satellites operated by governments and private businesses 

around the world. A main source of MRI is the Landsat satellites operated by the U.S. 

Geological Survey (USGS), which receives, processes, distributes, and archives Landsat imagery

at the Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center. Currently, the Landsat 5 and 

Landsat 7 satellites are collecting imagery while in earth orbit. They provide imagery that is 

unique among the variety of MRI available today for three main reasons. First, the archive of 

imagery extends back to 1972, allowing for broad-area analyses over several decades. Second, 

the imagery is and has been collected globally on a regular basis, providing repeat coverage of 

remote areas that other satellites do not offer. Third, the imagery is currently available at no cost 

and with no user restrictions to those requesting images from EROS.

In the past decade, many changes have occurred both with the Landsat satellites

themselves and with the provision of the imagery. In 1999, Landsat 7 was launched and provided 

four years of high-quality data before it sustained a critical technical malfunction in May 2003. 

The imaging instrument’s scan-line corrector failed and this limitation (commonly referred to as 

SLC-off) has since reduced the quality and usability of Landsat 7 imagery. The Landsat Data 

Continuity Mission (LDCM or Landsat 8) is scheduled to be launched in December 2012 and 

will become the primary source of Landsat imagery once operational. While there are indications 

that both Landsat 5 and 7 will continue to operate beyond 2012, either could cease to operate 

before the launch of LDCM, creating a gap in the provision of imagery. Additionally, the entire 

 1

Policy Analysis and Science Assistance Branch, U.S. Geological Survey, Fort Collins, Colo.

2

Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colo. 3 The City University of New York, New York, N.Y.
2

archive of Landsat imagery, including all new acquisitions, became available at no cost at the 

beginning of 2009, causing more than a 50-fold annual increase in the number of scenes 

downloaded from EROS with more than four million scenes downloaded by users before the end 

of 2010.

Moderate-resolution imagery, such as Landsat, provides unique spatial information for 

use by many people both within and outside of the United States (U.S.). However, exactly who 

these users are, how they use the imagery, and the value and benefits derived from the 

information are, to a large extent, unknown. The last comprehensive evaluations were completed

more than 35 years ago and attempted to project the conceivable economic benefits of a 

continued Landsat program (ECON, Inc., 1974; EarthSat, 1974). Much has changed since that 

time—not only with the characteristics of remotely sensed data but the applications of the 

imagery. More recently, a small number of studies have surveyed limited groups of users of MRI

(for example, American Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing, 2006; EROS, 2007; 

National States Geographic Information Council, 2006; Stoney, Fletcher, and Lowe, 2001). 

While these surveys have added to the body of knowledge regarding opinions on the attributes of 

various sensors, they have not been comprehensive in nature. Our objectives for this study were 

to: 1) identify and classify U.S.-based users of this imagery; 2) better understand how and why 

MRI, and specifically Landsat, is being used; and 3) qualitatively and quantitatively measure the 

value and societal benefits of MRI (focusing on Landsat specifically). To reach these objectives, 

we conducted a study of U.S.-based MRI users from 2008 through 2010 in two parts: 1) a user 

identification and 2) a user survey.

User Identification

We defined users for this study as those who use MRI in any capacity in their work, as 

opposed to people who use MRI for personal purposes (for example, many Google Earth users).

Studying these users is challenging because the extent of the population is unknown and thus, a 

representative sample cannot be obtained from the entire population. The membership lists of 

various remote sensing and geographic information systems (GIS) professional organizations 

could be used, but not every user can be assumed to be a member of such organizations. The lists 

of users from imagery providers, such as USGS EROS, which distributes Landsat, also would 

not include all the users in the U.S. One reason for this is that data procured by one user is often 

re-distributed to other users, particularly when licensing or distribution restrictions do not exist, 

as is the case with Landsat. Taking a random sample of the entire population of U.S. residents 

would not produce usable results, given that the percentage of people in the U.S. who may be 

classified as users of MRI is most likely quite low, making this a rare population as well. 

Because traditional random sample selection methods were not adequate or appropriate for this 

unknown population, we used a purposive sampling procedure, explained below.

For this survey, the sample was identified in a two-step process. First, an extensive web 

search was performed in the summer of 2008 to identify potential users of MRI in the U.S. The 

search was conducted by state and was based on an extensive list of keywords, including remote 

sensing, moderate-resolution satellite imagery, and Landsat, along with a variety of application 

areas and sectors where use may occur. This search yielded the email addresses of more than 

20,000 potential users from across the U.S. Subsequently, snowball sampling was used to

confirm the use of MRI and find additional users. Snowball sampling is a purposive (nonprobability) sampling method based on the existence of social networks (see Appendix 1 for a 

more comprehensive overview of snowball sampling). In any population, it can be assumed there 
3

are connections between the members, particularly when that population is specialized in any 

way, as is the population of MRI users. Using satellite imagery requires a certain level of 

technical knowledge and there are numerous organizations and communities that exist to 

facilitate the use of satellite imagery. To take advantage of these social networks, each potential

user identified during the initial web search was contacted via email, asked to (1) participate in 

the study, (2) confirm his/her use of MRI and (3) provide the contact information for up to three 

other users. These newly identified potential users were contacted and asked to provide the same 

information. This process repeated until less than 100 new users were identified in a “wave.” 

Snowball sampling is intended to increase the size of a sample with each wave of new 

participants, though well-known people within a population tend to be recommended multiple 

times. 

By the conclusion of the snowball sampling, more than 4,000 more email addresses had 

been added to the list of potential users from the web search, totaling approximately 25,400 

unique email addresses, of which more than 3,500 were undeliverable. Of the almost 22,000 

individuals remaining, 5,229 responded to our request and 4,753 agreed to participate in the 

survey. It is unknown whether those who did not respond were actually users of MRI, since they 

did not confirm their use. Of those who responded, about 80 percent were MRI users, 16 percent

were not users, and 4 percent were not sure if they were users. The definition of MRI was 

included in the snowball sampling email, so the parameters of the imagery were clear. Examples 

of missions that collect MRI and products based on MRI were given to further illustrate the 

definition. 

User Survey

We launched the survey in September of 2009 to all the people who had agreed to 

participate. We developed the survey in conjunction with experts at EROS to ensure that the 

technical details were accurate and that the instrument would gather information that would 

inform the USGS Land Remote Sensing (LRS) Program’s distribution of imagery and future 

program requirements. One of the first decisions we made in this study was to conduct the 

survey online. An online survey is not appropriate for all populations because members cannot 

be assumed to have access to a computer, access to the Internet, an email account, or the 

technological skills necessary to complete a survey online. In this case, the population consisted 

of imagery users who must have access to a computer and the Internet to use the imagery, who 

have an email account for work purposes, and who must be at least somewhat technologically 

adept to use the imagery. Providing the survey online allowed an opportunity to ask only the 

questions relevant to each respondent through the use of automated logic patterns in the survey. 

Because the sample included both MRI users and non-users, we constructed a survey with 

questions tailored to four different types of users: 

1) current Landsat users (who had used Landsat in the year previous to the survey), 

2) current users of other types of MRI (who had used the imagery in the year previous to the 

survey), 

3) past users of MRI (who had used the imagery at some point but not in the year previous 

to the survey), and 

4) users of high- or low-resolution satellite imagery (who had used high- or low-resolution

imagery at any time but who had never used MRI). 

The set of questions for each of these users was considered a “survey path.” The answers to 

certain questions directed respondents to the appropriate survey paths, reducing the burden on 
4

respondents and collecting the most relevant information from each respondent. The last two 

groups were included because we were interested in understanding why users were using 

imagery other than MRI. 

Results

Analyses

We analyzed the data in several different ways, including examining frequency data, chisquare analyses, t-tests, and contingent valuation analyses. Frequencies are reported for many 

results and chi-squares (χ

2

) are reported where appropriate (for example, for comparisons 

between categorical variables). While many comparisons were made between various groups in 

the sample, differences between sectors (for example, academic institution, government, private 

business) were the most prevalent and significant; many of those differences are reported in this 

section. Chi squares are reported for each sector individually to illustrate differences between 

users in one sector versus users in all other sectors. T-tests are reported to compare means

computed from scale variables. The contingent valuation analyses are described in detail in the 

Willingness to Pay for Landsat Imagery section.

Statistical Significance and Interpretation

Since the sample of MRI users in this study is not associated with a known population of 

MRI users, it is not possible to generalize the results for this sample to the population as a whole

(as is typical when a random sample from a known population is drawn). For example, the 

majority of the sample was composed of users of Landsat imagery; however, that does not mean 

that the majority of all MRI users based in the U.S. use Landsat. However, the sample we 

obtained for this study is robust in terms of its size and diversity, such that comparisons among 

groups within the sample are appropriate. These comparisons are helpful to illustrate the 

diversity of users within the sample. 

Because of the large sample size, the statistical power of this sample is very high, which 

may lead to results that are statistically significant but not meaningfully different (in other words,

practically significant). Because of this, we report statistically significant results at the p < 0.001 

level, rather than the more typical p < 0.05 level found in most behavioral and psychological 

research. Additionally, meaningful differences are estimated through measures of association, 

commonly called effect sizes. Effect size is a measurement of the amount of impact an 

independent variable has on a dependent variable (Murphy and Myors, 1998, p. 12). The effect 

sizes reported most frequently in this report are phi (Φ) and Cramer’s V for chi-square analyses. 

Cohen (1988, p. 25–27, 79–80) provides the following guidelines for interpreting these effect 

sizes:

• a small effect = 0.1 (for example, difference in mean height between 15- and 16-yearold girls),

• a medium effect = 0.3 (for example , difference in mean height between 14- and 18-

year-old girls), and

• a large effect = 0.5 (for example , difference in mean height between 13- and 18-yearold girls).

Following Cohen’s recommendations on the interpretation of effect size for behavioral and 

psychological studies (1988, p. 25), we consider a statistically significant measure with an effect 
5

size of 0.1 or greater to indicate a meaningful difference for this study. All statistical results are 

located in the footnotes. 

Response Rate

Over 2,500 people responded to the survey for a response rate of 53 percent (n = 2,523). 

This response rate is higher than average response rates for online surveys that have been found 

to be between 30–35 percent in several meta-analyses (for example, Lozar Manfreda and others, 

2008; Sheehan, 2001; Shih and Fan, 2008). The high response rate may have been due to the 

initial contact during the snowball sampling, because pre-recruitment may have a positive impact 

on the response rates of online surveys (Lozar Manfreda and others, 2008). The high levels of 

interest and engagement respondents had regarding the topic may have contributed as well. 

A non-response survey was conducted among those who did not respond to the initial 

survey to ascertain if those who did not respond were different than those who did. This short 

survey contained three questions: two related to user type (current Landsat users, current users of 

other MRI, etc.) and one to identify sector (government, private sector, academia, etc.). A total of 

363 individuals responded to the non-response survey. These results were compared to those of 

the full respondent sample to determine differences. There were no practical differences between 

the distribution of user types among respondents and non-respondents. However, there were 

some differences in the distribution of the sectors among non-respondents and respondents. 

There were 14 percent fewer non-respondents in the academic sector, 10 percent more in the 

local government sector, and 6 percent more in the private sector. Because the sample was not 

random and the results are not being generalized to a population, the data were not weighted to 

account for these differences.

Diversity of the Sample

Determining the diversity of users within the sample is important in order to begin to 

understand what the larger user community might look like. These data cannot be generalized to 

the population at large, but the minimum amount of variety in the users and uses within the 

population can be gathered from these results. For example, users in the sample applied MRI in

more than 35 application areas, but users in the population could be applying the imagery in even 

more application areas. In other words, while recognizing that this sample may not be 

representative of the population as a whole, we believe that the diversity of our sample provides 

a much needed baseline of types of users, uses, and valuations that can be expanded with further 

research.

One of the goals of the study was to reach users outside of the known community and the 

results indicate that goal was met. Almost half of the respondents currently using Landsat were 

not members of any type of remote sensing or GIS organization and, during the snowball 

sampling, almost 35 percent indicated they did not know any other users of MRI. Additionally,

45 percent of the current Landsat users did not obtain Landsat imagery from EROS in 2008 or 

2009. These results indicate that many of the users in the sample were not part of the known 

groups within the population, such as professional organizations or users who procure imagery 

from EROS. Aside from reaching beyond the known user community, the sample was diverse in 

other ways. Users worked in seven different sectors and used the imagery in more than 35 

different application areas. They conducted projects at scales from local to global in locations 

around the world. All of these data indicate that the sample was composed of a very diverse 

group of U.S.-based users.
6

User Types

Current Landsat users (respondents who had used Landsat in the year prior to the survey) 

comprised more than half of the sample (fig. 1). Past MRI users comprised 15 percent of the 

respondents, users of high- or low-resolution imagery comprised 9 percent , and current other 

MRI users represented the smallest portion of the group with just under 7 percent. About 14

percent had never used any type of satellite imagery or did not know if they use MRI in their 

work. The latter two groups were not asked further questions in this survey because their lack of 

familiarity with the imagery would have made it difficult for them to answer the majority of the 

questions. About 24 percent of the respondents had used Landsat in the past; this group was 

made up of both current and past MRI users. The survey was structured to enable comparisons 

between current Landsat users and current users of other MRI. However, many other MRI users 

were unaware of the type of imagery (for example, Landsat, ASTER, SPOT) they used and other 

information from the survey (for instance, from open-ended questions) indicated that many of 

these “other” MRI users may actually have been using Landsat. Because of this and because the 

sample was predominantly made up of current Landsat users, the results in the remainder of the 

report refer to current Landsat users only, except where noted (see Appendix 2 for a summary of 

results for other user groups).

Demographics

The average current Landsat user in the sample was male, white, 47 years old, and highly 

educated. Three-quarters of the users were male, more than 90 percent were white, more than 80

percent were between 30 and 59 years old, and two-thirds had masters degrees or above. The 

predominant sector was academic institutions (33 percent), followed by private business (18

percent), and then federal (17 percent), state (16 percent), and local government (10 percent)

(fig. 2). Only 4 percent of the users worked for non-profit organizations and less than 1 percent

worked for tribes or nations. Anecdotally, we are aware of many tribes who are using the 

imagery and there were many tribal members identified in the initial web search, but very few 

responded to the survey. The small number prevented us from comparing respondents in the 

tribal sector with those in other sectors. 

Use of Landsat Imagery

The first section of the survey established how the current Landsat users in the sample

use the imagery, including types of imagery used, the scales and locations of projects, 

application areas, generally how the imagery is used, and the level of use in their work. Each 

question asked respondents to consider their use of Landsat in their work over the year previous 

to the survey.

Types of Imagery

About 40 percent of respondents indicated they had used only Landsat imagery in the 

past year. The remaining 60 percent of Landsat users indicated they used a mix of imagery, with 
7

1392

167

383

229 241

211

445

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

Type of user

Current Landsat user

Current other MRI user

Past MRI user

High/low user

Not a user

Don’t know

Past Landsat user

Percentage of respondents

Figure 1. Respondents by type of satellite imagery used.

about half coming from Landsat, followed by 11 percent from Terra (ASTER), 8 percent from 

SPOT (HRVIR, HRG, HRS), and 3 percent from Resourcesat (LISS, AWiFS) (table 1). One 

percent or less came from ALOS (AVNIR–2) or CBERS (CCD) on average.

4 About 6 percent of 

the imagery came from other satellites and about 16 percent of the imagery was from unknown

satellite sources. 

There are interesting differences among sectors in the imagery used for those using a mix 

of MRI (table 1). Respondents in the local government sector used the least amount of Landsat 

imagery on average (31 percent) and used the most imagery from unknown satellite sources (43

percent). Academic users using a mix of MRI, on the other hand, obtained 65 percent of their 

imagery from Landsat satellites and only 5 percent from unknown satellite sources. 

Scales and Locations of Projects

Respondents’ projects that relied on Landsat ranged from local to global scales in 

locations around the world. Two-thirds of respondents (66 percent) worked only on projects 

 4 ASTER – Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer, SPOT – Satellite Pour 

l’Observation de la Terre, HRVIR – High-Resolution Visible and Infrared, HRG – High-Resolution Geometrical, 

HRS – High-Resolution Stereo, LISS – Linear Imaging Self Scanner, AWiFS – Advanced Wide Field Sensor, 

ALOS – Advanced Land Observing Satellite, AVNIR-2 – Advanced Visible and Near Infrared RadiometerType 2, CBERS – China-Brazil Earth Resources Satellite, CCD – Charge Coupled Device
8

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

Current Landsat user

Academic institution

Federal gov

State gov

Local gov

Private business

Non-profit org

Tribe or nation

Other*

*Other sector is composed of respondents who wrote in more than one sector.

Percentage of respondents

Figure 2. Sectors of current Landsat users.

Table 1. Mean percentage of imagery used in the year previous to the survey among current Landsat 

users who used a mix of moderate-resolution imagery.

Imagery All 

sectors

Academic 

institution

Federal 

government

State 

government

Local 

government Private Non-profit organization

Landsat 54% 65% 57% 49% 31% 48% 57%

Terra 11% 15% 12% 7% 5% 10% 11%

SPOT 8% 7% 8% 9% 8% 7% 9%

Resourcesat 3% 2% 7% 2% 2% 3% 4%

ALOS 1% <1% 1% 1% <1% 2% 2%

CBERS <1% <1% 1% <1% <1% 1% 1%

Other 6% 5% 6% 5% 10% 8% 3%

Unknown 16% 5% 8% 26% 43% 21% 13%

Total 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100%
9

located in the U.S., while 28 percent have worked on projects in both the U.S. and internationally 

(fig. 3). Far fewer users (6 percent) worked only on projects located internationally. Respondents 

in the state5 and local6 government sectors were more likely to have worked only in the U.S. than 

users in other sectors, while academic respondents were more likely to have worked in both the 

U.S. and internationally.

7

Respondents predominantly worked at the regional (for example, multi-state or province) 

scale or lower (fig. 4). Respondents in local government were more likely to have worked at a 

local scale than other users8 and those in state government were more likely to have worked at 

the state scale.

9

Application Areas

A list of 37 application areas was developed by examining previous surveys of satellite 

imagery users, as well as through consultations with experts at EROS. Respondents were asked 

to select their primary application of Landsat from the list, which included an “other” category

Figure 3. Locations of projects using Landsat imagery in year previous to survey.

 5 χ

2 = 74.98, Cramer’s V = 0.233 6 χ

2 = 55.11, Cramer’s V = 0.200 7 χ

2 = 127.88, Cramer’s V = 0.304 8 χ

2 = 30.18, Φ = 0.148 9 χ

2 = 42.26, Φ = 0.175

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

United States only International only Both US and international

All sectors

Academic institution

Federal government

State government

Local government

Private business

Non-profit organization

Percentage of respondents
10

Figure 4. Scales of projects using Landsat imagery in year previous to survey.

where they could write in an application area (table 2). They were then asked to select as many 

secondary applications as they wished from the same list. The 37 applications were collapsed 

into nine larger categories for the purposes of analysis (table 2). Environmental science and 

management applications were the most commonly selected with more than 40 percent of 

respondents choosing one (fig. 5). Land use/land cover (17 percent) was the second most 

common application, followed by planning and development (11 percent), education (8 percent), 

and agriculture (8 percent). Land use/land cover is different than the rest of the applications since 

users can be working in environmental science, planning and development, or any number of 

other application areas where land use/land cover analyses could be conducted. Of those who 

chose land use/land cover as their primary application, the most common secondary applications 

were environmental sciences, followed by planning and development applications, such as 

urbanization and rural and urban planning and development.

There were clear differences among sectors in these primary applications (fig. 5). 

Respondents in the academic sector were more likely to apply Landsat imagery in the area of 

education10, whereas those in the Federal government were more likely to have applied Landsat 

in agriculture11 and environmental sciences.

12 Those in local government were more likely to 

 10 χ

2 = 162.70, Φ = 0.343 11 χ

2 = 28.70, Φ = 0.144 12 χ

2 = 19.98, Φ = 0.120

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100% All sectors

Academic institution

Federal government

State government

Local government

Private business

Non-profit organization

Percentage of respondents
11

Table 2. Applications of Landsat imagery among current Landsat users.

Collapsed applications for analysis Individual applications

Agriculture Agricultural forecasting

Agricultural management/production/conservation

Environmental sciences and management Biodiversity conservation

Climate science/change

Coastal science/monitoring/management

Ecological/ecosystem science/management

Fish and wildlife science/management

Fire science/management

Forest science/management

Geology/glaciology

Range/grassland science/management

Recreation science/management

Water resources (for example, watershed management, water 

rights, hydrology)

Land use/land cover Land use/land cover

Planning and development Assessments and taxation 

Engineering/construction/surveying

Rural planning and development

Urban planning and development

Urbanization

Commercial Cultural resource management (for example, archaeology, 

anthropology)

Real estate/property management

Software development

Telecommunications

Transportation

Utilities

Education Education: K–12

Education: university/college

Technical training (for example, workshops, short courses)

Human needs Emergency/disaster management

Hazard insurance (for example, crop, flood, fire)

Humanitarian aid

Public health

Legal/security Defense/national security

Environmental regulation

Law enforcement

Oil/gas/minerals Oil and gas/mineral exploration/extraction
12

Figure 5. Applications of Landsat imagery in projects conducted in year previous to survey.

have used Landsat for planning and development.

13 Those in the private sector were also more 

likely to apply Landsat in planning and development14, as well as in commercial applications15

and oil/gas/minerals exploration and extraction.

16

In addition to these current application areas, there may be new and unique uses in the 

future. We asked respondents to write in uses they foresee in the next five years. Common 

responses included change detection using time series analyses, integration with other imagery or 

products, and climate change monitoring and awareness. For example, one respondent believed 

that new uses will “mostly come from the power of comparing the long catalog with new 

observations, especially associated with urbanization and global warming induced changes.” 

There were also several comments that emphasized the potential for new uses, rather than 

specifying any. For instance, one respondent stated, “The more that these (now free) data get 

into the hands of previously unengaged users, the greater the potential for discovery of new 

uses.”

 13 χ

2 = 98.69, Φ = 0.267 14 χ

2 = 14.89, Φ = 0.104 15 χ

2 = 17.43, Φ = 0.112 16 χ

2 = 96.47, Φ = 0.264

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70% All sectors

Academic institution

Federal government

State government

Local government

Private business

Non-profit organization

Percentage of respondents
13

How Imagery is Used

To get a sense of how respondents are using MRI in general, we asked them to describe 

their overall work with the imagery (fig. 6). The majority of respondents (91 percent) used the 

imagery to answer questions and (or) solve problems, processed imagery for themselves or 

others (62 percent), and made decisions based on the imagery (57 percent). Only 19 percent

developed algorithms, 12 percent provided or sold imagery or value-added products, and 2

percent developed commercial software. By sector, those in academia were more likely to 

process imagery17 and develop algorithms18, whereas those in local19 and state20 government 

were less likely to use the imagery in these ways. Those respondents in the private sector were 

more likely to provide or sell imagery21 and develop commercial software.

22

Level of Landsat Use in Work

While all the current Landsat users in the sample used Landsat, whether exclusively or in 

conjunction with other imagery, the percentage of their work that relied on Landsat over the past 

year varied. In order to effectively describe level of use, we categorized respondents as heavy, 

medium, or light users. Light users relied on Landsat for 30 percent or less of their work, 

medium users relied on it for 31–70 percent of their work, and heavy users relied on it for 71

percent or more of their work. Overall, almost two-thirds (63 percent) of respondents were

classified as light users, 18 percent as medium users and 15 percent as heavy users (fig. 7). There 

were some differences between these use levels among sectors. Respondents in the academic 

sector were more likely to be heavy users23 than respondents in other sectors, while those in

local

24 and state25 government were more likely to be light users. For example, only 1 percent of 

respondents in local government were classified as heavy users, compared to 10–21 percent of 

users in other sectors. In contrast, 81 percent of local government users were classified as light 

users, which is 7–30 percent higher than in any other sector.

While this categorization is helpful in understanding level of use, it does not indicate 

dependence on Landsat. A light user could rely on Landsat for a critical operational use that 

accounts for less than 30 percent of their work, but which would be compromised if Landsat 

imagery was not available. We did not explicitly ask about dependence in this survey, though 

there are some proxies for dependence that will be discussed further in the Value of Landsat 

Imagery section. 

“Local Users”

After examining the results outlined above, it became clear there was a group of users 

who were different from the others. We found a group of users characterized by sector, project 

scale, and project location, dubbed “local users,” who represented about 25 percent of the current 

Landsat users in the sample. They worked for local or state governments applying imagery in 

 17 χ

2 = 17.78, Φ = 0.113 18 χ

2 = 62.33, Φ = 0.212

19 Process imagery - χ2 = 22.13, Φ = -0.127; Develop algorithms - χ2 = 19.50, Φ = -0.119 20 Process imagery - χ

2 = 17.00, Φ = -0.111; Develop algorithms - χ2 = 32.19, Φ = -0.153 21 χ

2 = 47.80, Φ = 0.186 22 χ

2 = 40.47, Φ = 0.171 23 χ

2 = 51.67, Cramer’s V = 0.193 24 χ

2 = 32.22, Cramer’s V = 0.153 25 χ

2 = 16.77, Cramer’s V = 0.110
14

Figure 6. General use of moderate-resolution imagery among current Landsat users.

local-scale projects located in the U.S. There are several indications that this group may be a less 

technical user group than other users in the sample. They were less likely to process imagery or 

develop algorithms, more likely to be a light Landsat user, and less likely to know the satellite 

source of all the imagery they use. They also appeared to be less involved in the professional 

user community, as they were less likely to be a member of a remote sensing or GIS-related 

organization.

Discussion: Use of Landsat Imagery

Overall, Landsat imagery was the primary MRI used by these respondents, but the uses of 

the imagery varied greatly among these respondents. In the year previous to the survey, 

respondents worked on projects at all different scales in locations around the world. Each of the 

37 application areas on the list was selected by a minimum of two respondents as their primary 

application. The general uses of MRI indicate that there was a mix of technical abilities among 

the respondents in the sample, with some respondents processing the imagery or developing 

algorithms or software, and others using it in less technical ways to answer questions or make 

decisions. There were also respondents using Landsat at all levels in their work, with some using 

Landsat in all their work and some using it in very little of their work. Taken together, these 

results reveal a diverse sample of users whose responses provide a baseline for exploring the 

uses in the population as a whole.

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

Use imagery

to answer

questions

Process

imagery

Make

decisions

based on

imagery

Develop

algorithms

Provide or sell

imagery

Develop

commercial

software

All sectors

Academic institution

Federal government

State government

Local government

Private business

Non-profit organization

Percentage of respondents
15

Figure 7. Level of use of Landsat imagery among current Landsat users(as measured by the percentage 

of respondents’ work that used Landsat imagery in year previous to survey).

Comparing the results by sector demonstrated that there are significant differences among 

the sectors in this sample when it comes to the uses of Landsat imagery. For instance, the 

existence of the group of “local users” demonstrates that many respondents in state and local 

governments were dissimilar from respondents in other sectors. The results indicate that the 

different roles and goals of each sector guide the uses of Landsat imagery by respondents in 

those sectors. 

Changes in Use of Landsat Imagery over Time

Many events over the recent history of the Landsat mission may have impacted people’s 

use of the imagery. To track how these events may impact use, respondents were asked how their 

use of Landsat changed over the past 10 years and how they envisioned it would change over the 

next 5 years. 

About 80 percent of respondents said their use increased or stayed the same in the past 10 

years and will increase or stay the same in the next 5 years (fig. 8). Of the users who stated their 

use increased or would increase, the majority (66–80 percent) chose both changes in work and 

cost as reasons. Respondents cited many other reasons as well, some under the control of data 

providers (for example, availability, accessibility), but most outside of the control of data 

providers (for example, fixed attributes of the sensor like spatial resolution, new Percent of respondents

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

Light use Medium use Heavy use

All sectors

Academic institution

Federal government

State government

Local government

Private business

Non-profit organization

Percentage of respondents
16

Figure 8. Actual and predicted changes in use of Landsat imagery in past 10 years and next 5 years 

among current Landsat users.

applications/uses, more demand for imagery from clients, improvements in hardware used to 

process imagery, more training or more knowledgeable staff). Some respondents based their 

future use entirely on the successful launch of LDCM and the provision of new usable imagery.

By sector, respondents in academia were more likely to cite more affordable imagery as a reason 

for increasing use in both the past26 and the future,

27 whereas those in local government were 

less likely to cite more affordable imagery in both the past28 and the future.

29

Given the recent USGS implementation of the no-cost data policy for Landsat imagery 

and the anticipated launch of LDCM, we hypothesized that respondents who ceased using 

Landsat in the past may begin using it again in the future. Two-thirds of those who had used 

Landsat in the past said they foresee using it in the future (fig. 9). However, when asked what 

would make them more likely to use MRI in the future, the most common reasons given were 

changes in work (71 percent of respondents), improved spatial resolution (52 percent), and lower 

 26 χ

2 = 40.44, Φ = 0.216 27 χ

2 = 24.06, Φ = 0.198 28 χ

2 = 12.35, Φ = -0.119

29 χ2 = 13.08, Φ = -0.146

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

Increase use Use stays the

same

Decrease use Cannot

characterize use

Past 10 years

Next 5 years

Percentage of respondents
17

Figure 9. Predicted future use of Landsat and other moderate-resolution imagery among past Landsat 

users.

cost (33 percent). This indicates that cost may not be the driving factor if past users decide to use 

Landsat imagery again.

Less than 13 percent of respondents said their use of Landsat imagery had decreased or 

would decrease (fig. 8). Of the respondents who said their use decreased over the past 10 years, 

most cited spatial resolution, the attractiveness of other imagery, and changes in work as reasons. 

Those who indicated their future use will decrease also cited the attractiveness of other imagery

and spatial resolution, but they were furthermore concerned with data quality and temporal 

resolution. Almost all respondents (96 percent) who said they will decrease use in the future 

cited reasons outside of the control of USGS, including other imagery being more attractive, 

attributes of the sensor, changes in work and new Landsat data not being available in the case of 

a data gap. Less than 20 percent cited reasons within the control of USGS, including availability, 

accessibility, and licensing/distribution restrictions. Interestingly, SLC-off on Landsat 7 appears 

to have had a minimal impact on respondents who said they had decreased use in the past 10 

years—only 69 users cited it as a reason. In response to SLC-off, about two-thirds of these 

respondents replaced Landsat 7 imagery with Landsat 5 imagery (fig. 10). More than half

replaced Landsat 7 imagery with other MRI, just under a third used gap-filled or SLC-off 

Landsat 7, and less than a fifth used some other kind of data as a replacement.

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

None Landsat only Landsat & other MRI Other MRI only

Past Landsat user

Percent of respondents Percentage of respondents
18

Figure 10. Reactions to Landsat 7 imagery with SLC-off among current Landsat users who indicated their 

Landsat use had decreased over the past 10 years.

Discussion: Change in Use of Landsat Over Time

Regardless of whether respondents’ use increased or decreased in the past or will change 

in the future, the majority of reasons given are outside of the control of USGS, except for more 

affordable imagery, which was cited only for increasing use. This indicates that most of the 

current Landsat users in this sample are satisfied with the provision of imagery by USGS, even if 

they may want to see changes to the imagery itself or to the sensors that capture the images.

More affordable imagery was cited by the majority of respondents as a reason for increasing use, 

except among respondents in the local government sector. Given that local governments are 

often faced with restricted budgets, this is a surprising result. However, it is possible that users in 

this sector have not traditionally paid for any of the data they use, thus making cost a non-issue.

There is also the possibility that they are not aware that Landsat is available at no cost now (there 

were several comments in the survey to that effect) and so do not know that Landsat has become 

more affordable. Among respondents who decreased use in the past 10 years, the SLC-off on 

Landsat 7 was not a major factor. Given that the majority of these users replaced Landsat 7 

imagery with Landsat 5 imagery, this indicates that the loss of Landsat 5 before the launch of 

LDCM may impact some users more than others.

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

Replaced L7

imagery with L5

imagery

Replaced L7

imagery with

other MRI

Use gap-filled L7

imagery

Replaced L7

imagery with

other kinds of

data

Still use some

SLC-off L7

imagery

All sectors

Academic institution

Federal government

State government

Private business

Percentage of respondents
19

Impacts of No Cost Data Policy

The entire archive of Landsat imagery became available at no cost at the beginning of 

2009. To determine the impacts of this policy change, we asked respondents about their imagery 

acquisitions before and after the policy change (calendar year 2008 and calendar year 2009, 

respectively). Respondents did not have to personally download the data, but did have to use it in 

their projects. First we asked where respondents had acquired imagery in 2008 and 2009 and 

provided a list of possible sources. USGS EROS was the most common source of the data in

both years with more than 45 percent of respondents obtaining data there, followed by the 

Internet in general (more than 20 percent of users) (fig. 11). A quarter of the respondents did not 

know where their imagery came from in both years, indicating that perhaps they were not 

personally acquiring the imagery. We were particularly interested in whether respondents who 

did not acquire imagery from EROS in 2008 had done so in 2009 in response to the change in 

policy. However, less than 10 percent of the respondents behaved in that manner and an almost 

equal amount acquired imagery from EROS in 2008 but not in 2009 (fig. 12).

Figure 11. Sources used by current Landsat users to obtain Landsat imagery before and after the imagery 

became available at no cost from USGS EROS (2008 versus 2009).

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

40%

45%

50% 2008

2009

Percentage of respondents
20

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

40%

45%

50%

Obtained imagery

from EROS in 2008 &

2009

Obtained imagery

from EROS in 2008

only

Obtained imagery

from EROS in 2009

only

Obtained imagery

from EROS in neither

2008 or 2009

Current Landsat

user

Percent of respondents Percentage of respondents

Figure 12. Current Landsat users’ patterns of acquisitions of Landsat imagery from USGS EROS before 

and after it became available at no cost (2008 versus 2009).

Though there were few differences in where respondents acquired imagery in 2008 and 

2009, there were significant changes in the number of scenes acquired, the percentage of those 

scenes acquired from EROS, and the dollar amount spent on scenes between the two years (table 

3). A paired samples t-test was conducted on those three variables for which data from both 2008 

and 2009 were available for any given respondent. Between 900 and 1,000 respondents provided 

information for both years for each of the three variables. Statistically significant results were 

found for each variable. In 2009, the average number of scenes acquired increased by 45 percent

and the percentage of those scenes acquired from EROS increased by 6 percent. The average 

amount spent on Landsat imagery in 2009 was one-fifth of what was spent in 2008.

Discussion: Impacts of No Cost Data Policy

Even though there were few changes overall in where respondents acquired their Landsat 

imagery before and after the no cost policy went into effect, there were significant changes in 

how many scenes were acquired and how much was spent on those scenes in 2008 versus 2009. 

Interestingly, the effect sizes (Cohen’s d for within-subjects analyses in this case) were very 
21

Table 3. Acquisitions of Landsat imagery before and after it became available at no cost (2008 versus 

2009) by current Landsat users.

Acquisition variable 2008 mean 2009 mean t p

Number of scenes acquired 95 138 -3.95 <0.001

Percentage of scenes acquired from EROS 41% 47% -4.93 <0.001

Dollars spent on imagery $5,117 $1,163 5.28 <0.001

small for each comparison (Cohen’s d < 0.2). 30 This means that, for instance, the number of 

scenes acquired in 2008 accounts for very little of the variation in the number of scenes acquired 

in 2009. In this case, the lack of connection between the variables over the two years indicates 

that other factors, such as the availability of the imagery at no cost or changes in work, had a 

substantial impact on the acquisitions of the respondents in 2009. 

Value of Landsat Imagery

In economic terms, the value of information is equal to what individuals would pay for 

that information (Macauley, 2006). The value depends on the uncertainty of the situation in 

which the information will be used, the importance of the outcome of the situation, the cost of 

using the information, and the cost of an appropriate substitute. Macauley (2005, 2006) notes 

that there are several ways the economic value of information has been examined, including 

output or productivity measures, hedonic price studies, contingent valuation studies, and 

measurement of societal benefits. However, societal benefits can be difficult to measure 

economically, especially when the realized value is in relation to a nebulous, but important,

concept like quality of life. Additionally, the comprehensive value of Landsat may always be 

elusive, given the widespread use of the imagery in applications like Google Earth and the 

difficulty in finding all direct and indirect users of the imagery. All of these factors emphasize 

the importance of measuring the value of information provided by Landsat imagery in multiple 

ways.

We used four approaches to estimate the value of Landsat to this sample of Landsat users. 

First, we explored the importance of Landsat imagery to respondents, as well as their satisfaction 

with the imagery. Second, we asked about the environmental and societal benefits, including 

impacts on decisionmaking, from projects that used Landsat. Third, we asked what respondents 

would do if Landsat imagery was no longer available and how it would impact their work. 

Lastly, we utilized a method called contingent valuation to determine respondents’ willingness to 

pay for imagery equivalent to Landsat in the event that there is a gap in imagery provision.

Importance and Satisfaction

Exploring the importance of Landsat imagery to users is one way to approach value. 

More than 80 percent of the respondents said the imagery is somewhat or very important to their 

work (fig. 13). Once again, there are differences by sector. Respondents in academia were more 

 30 Cohen (1988, p. 25–26) provides the following guidelines for interpreting Cohen’s d: a small effect = 0.2, a 

medium effect = 0.5, and a large effect = 0.8.
22

Figure 13. Importance of Landsat imagery to the work of current Landsat users.

likely to think the imagery is very important to their work31 while those in the state32 and local33

government sectors were less likely to say Landsat is very important.

We also asked respondents to rate how important certain attributes of MRI are in 

determining which type of MRI to use and how satisfied they are with those same attributes as 

they occur in Landsat imagery. This is a common approach in marketing research to assess how 

well a product is meeting the needs of customers (Martilla and James, 1977). From this data, we 

created an importance-performance framework that maps satisfaction on the X axis by 

importance on the Y-axis (fig. 14). It allows us to look at where things are going well and where 

room for improvement exists. All of the Landsat attributes we asked about fall in the “keep up 

the good work” quadrant; in other words, on average, users think all of the attributes measured 

are important and they are satisfied with the provision of those attributes. The highest ratings 

were for availability, accessibility, and cost, which indicate that users are satisfied with how the 

imagery is being provided. There were no significant differences in these ratings by sector, 

 31 χ

2 = 55.71, Cramer’s V = 0.207 32 χ

2 = 27.06, Cramer’s V = 0.144 33 χ

2 = 42.35, Cramer’s V = 0.181

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

Very

unimportant

Somewhat

unimportant

Neither

important nor

unimportant

Somewhat

important

Very important

All sectors

Academic institution

Federal government

State government

Local government

Private business

Non-profit organization

Percentage of respondents
23

Figure 14. Mean importance of and mean satisfaction with certain attributes of Landsat imagery among 

current Landsat users.

1

2

3

4

5

1 2 3 4 5

Importance

Satisfaction

Accessibility Archive/continuity

Area/footprint of individual scene Availability

Cost Data quality assessments

Delivery time Ease of use

Global coverage Licensing/distribution restrictions

Spatial resolution Spectral resolution

Temporal resolution/frequency of coverage

“Concentrate Here”

“Keep Up the Good Work”

“Low Priority” “Too Much Effort Here”

Very 

Important

Very

Unimportant

Very 

Dissatisfied

Very 

Satisfied
24

application area, or any other variables, except for global coverage. Global coverage is different 

from the rest of the attributes because it was rated as having only average or neutral importance. 

We believe this is driven by the large portion of the sample that is doing work only in the U.S. 

without a need for international coverage. This is supported by the fact that global coverage is 

more important for people working internationally: only 23 percent of people working in just the 

U.S. think it is important, whereas 63 percent of people working internationally think it is 

important.

34

Benefits of Landsat

The benefits of Landsat are not well documented in a systematic way. In an effort to 

gather more information about the benefits of Landsat, we asked a series of open-ended 

questions where respondents could write in their responses. Open-ended questions were chosen 

because no comprehensive list of benefits has been developed and we wanted to give 

respondents the opportunity to provide their own ideas about benefits. The responses were 

examined for repeating themes and then categorized into those themes. When asked how projects 

using Landsat had affected decisionmaking, many respondents mentioned impacts on policy. 

One respondent noted, “We have been able to come up with evidence to change small town 

policy and challenge politics. Good science is hard to beat.” Another mentioned, “One of my 

papers was presented before members of Congress and used to influence legislation.” Others 

noted that the use of Landsat made the results of their project easier to understand for 

decisionmakers. One respondent said, “I can display the results of my work against the imagery 

background, which makes it easier for people to understand.” Another stated, “Landsat has 

helped others visualize spatial relations much more clearly.”

A second question inquired about the environmental and (or) societal benefits that have 

come about as a result of projects that used Landsat. Protecting or conserving the environment,

including improving environmental conditions, reducing impacts on the environment and 

assessing environmental impacts and change over time, was the most common benefit noted by 

respondents. One respondent noted that the “...preservation of trees and greenspace, especially 

forested areas, has measurably improved water and air quality, reduced stormwater runoff, and 

improved quality of life within the communities I have worked with.” Another stated that

“perhaps Landsat['s] greatest utility is the long timeframe that can be accessed.” Increasing 

human safety was also a common theme among the responses. One respondent stated that “the 

benefit to society I would think is priceless. I say this because if map details come together to 

help save a life in an emergency (and they have, many times), how much would that life be 

worth if it wasn’t saved?” Another respondent said that projects using Landsat imagery had 

resulted in a “safer transportation system” and the “ability to quickly assess detour routes in case 

of emergency.” A third benefit frequently mentioned was improved decisionmaking, whether it 

was more effective, more informed, or more inclusive. One respondent noted, “The greatest 

benefit I have perceived is that providing stakeholders with spatial data gives them a sense of 

empowerment to make decisions. The unexpected benefit is that map data act to build consensus 

among groups with competing interests. Seeing actual data tends to dissolve apparent symbolic 

differences and helps different groups work together on issues of environmental management.”

 34 χ

2 = 276.58, Cramer’s V = 0.427
25

If Landsat Imagery Was No Longer Available...

Another way to examine the value of a good is to explore the impacts that would occur if 

it ceased to exist. We asked users what would happen to their work if both new and archived 

Landsat imagery was no longer available. We assumed users could:

• discontinue some or all of their work; 

• continue their work without substituting other imagery or information; and (or) 

• use other imagery or information as a substitute in their work. 

About half of the users would discontinue at least some of their work (table 4). Half 

would continue at least some of their work without substituting other imagery or information. 

Just over 75 percent of the users would substitute either other imagery, other data sets, or field 

work for at least some of their work. 

Of those who would discontinue some of their work (n = 693), 45 percent would 

discontinue a small percentage of their work (30 percent or less), 32 percent would discontinue a 

medium percentage (31–70 percent), and 23 percent would discontinue a high percentage (71

percent or more). In fact, 11 percent would discontinue more than 90 percent of their work if 

Landsat was no longer available, which indicates a strong dependence on the imagery. There 

were some differences by sector on this variable. Academic users were more likely to 

discontinue a medium to high percentage of their work than users in other sectors35. 

Table 4. Percentages of current Landsat users who would take each of three actions if Landsat imagery 

was no longer available.

Action taken if Landsat was no longer available Would take 

action

Would not take 

action

Don’t 

know

Substitute other imagery or information in work 76% 4% 20%

Discontinue work 51% 28% 21%

Continue work without substituting other imagery or 

information 46% 30% 24%

Of those who would substitute (n = 1,067), almost 90 percent would use other imagery, 

about two-thirds would use other data sets, and slightly fewer would use fieldwork (table 5). 

Given that fieldwork tends to be more expensive and time consuming than using imagery or 

other data, this seems to indicate that fieldwork might be the only viable substitute to provide 

certain types of data. This may be because other similar appropriate imagery does not exist or is 

not affordable or attainable. If users indicated they would use substitute imagery, they were 

asked what imagery they would prefer regardless of budget constraints. Then they were asked

what imagery they would most likely acquire given their current budget constraints. More than 

half would choose the same imagery regardless of budget constraints—the most common choice 

was Terra (ASTER), followed by SPOT (HRVIR, HRG, HRS), and then Resourcesat (LISS, 

AWiFS) (fig. 15). However, 40 percent would choose different imagery based on whether they 

were constrained by budget. For those respondents, SPOT (HRVIR, HRG, HRS) was the 

preferred imagery without budget constraints, but Terra (ASTER) was the imagery that the 

majority would be most likely to acquire with budget constraints (fig. 16).

 35 χ

2 = 49.98, Cramer’s V = 0.216
26

Table 5. Percentages of current Landsat users who would use each of three types of information as 

substitutes for Landsat imagery if it was no longer available.

Type of substitute information Would use Would not use Don’t know

Other imagery 89% 1% 10%

Other data sets 69% 15% 16%

Fieldwork 63% 25% 12%

Figure 15. Preferred imagery versus imagery most likely to be acquired within budget constraints among 

current Landsat users who would substitute for Landsat imagery if it was no longer available.

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

40%

45%

50%

Preferred imagery

(no budget

constraints)

Imagery most likely

acquired (within

budget constraints)

Percentage of respondents
27

Figure 16. Preferred imagery versus imagery most likely to be acquired within budget constraints among 

current Landsat users who would substitute different imagery based on budget constraints if Landsat 

imagery was no longer available.

Another way to explore value is to examine what would happen to costs and 

revenues/funding if Landsat were no longer available. Increases in costs could occur, for 

instance, if users have to pay for other imagery, data, or field work to replace the information 

provided by Landsat imagery. Revenues could possibly decrease because a product based on 

Landsat can no longer be produced or the product must be created from a more expensive type of 

data. Typically, these sorts of budgetary questions can only be answered by certain individuals in

an organization who have access to that information. We knew that not everyone in this sample 

would be able to respond to these questions; therefore, we only asked for information regarding 

the projects in which the respondents were involved. Respondents also had the option to indicate 

they did not know. 

When asked to estimate the percentage increase in costs for their Landsat-related 

projects, almost half of the respondents felt their costs would increase by at least 1 percent, 41 

percent didn’t know if their costs would increase, and 11 percent felt their costs would not 

increase. Of those who believed their costs would increase (n = 668), the average total 

percentage increase in costs was 30 percent, which translated to about $27,000 on average

among those who were able to provide the current costs of all their projects which rely on 

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

Preferred imagery Imagery most likely to acquire

SPOT (HRVIR, HRG, HRS)

Terra (ASTER)

Resourcesat (LISS, AWiFS)

High res

ALOS (AVNIR-2)

Other MRI

CBERS (CCD)

Other

Don't know

Low res

Free/cheapest

None

Percent of respondents Percentage of respondents
28

Landsat imagery (n = 519). When asked about certain types of cost increases, more than half of 

the respondents said it is somewhat or very likely that total, processing, and 

administration/overhead costs would increase and that more time would be spent on projects.

However, most believed it is unlikely they would purchase additional equipment/software or hire 

more staff.

Regarding changes in revenues/funding, 43 percent of users did not know what impact 

the loss of Landsat would have. A third felt there would be no impact and one-fifth thought their 

revenues/funding would decrease.

Willingness to Pay for Landsat Imagery

Economic benefits, whether of a market or non-market good, are measured by the 

maximum amount the users would pay for another unit of it. For market goods, price measures 

the willingness to pay (WTP) for one more unit (for example, a pound of apples, a gallon of gas). 

Estimating the user benefits for non-market and publicly provided goods can be challenging 

because there is either no price (Landsat imagery is currently available at no cost) or only an 

administrative price (as was the case when Landsat imagery was provided for a fee). The 

administrative price often does not reflect market forces or an equilibrium price and quantity, 

and sometimes will substantially under or overstate what a user would pay. (A single 

administrative price will reveal a single point on the user’s demand for the good.) Using WTP 

for both market and non-market goods ensures commensurability between dollar benefit 

estimates of these two types of goods. 

WTP is the standard measure of benefits in benefit cost analysis (Sassone and Schaffer, 

1978) and economists use a variety of techniques to estimate the WTP for non-market goods. 

Champ and others (2003) provide an accessible review of each of the commonly used methods. 

When there is no price, or there is little data available on what users will pay, a stated preference 

or intended behavior technique known as the Contingent Valuation Method (CVM) is commonly 

used. This method uses a simulated or hypothetical market to determine the maximum amount a 

user would pay for another unit of the good rather than use a more expensive substitute or do 

completely without. The method is recommended for use by federal agencies performing benefit 

cost analyses (Office of Management and Budget, 1992; U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 

2000; U.S. Water Resources Council, 1983). As suggested by the National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) panel on contingent valuation (Arrow and others, 1993), 

we asked a dichotomous choice format question. In this case, the user was asked to decide only 

whether the Landsat scene is worth more than the cost specified in the question. The specific 

question asked: 

“If Landsat 5 and 7 become inoperable before the next Landsat satellite is 

operational (scheduled to launch in 2012), you may have to obtain imagery 

elsewhere during the interim. Assume that you are restricted to your current 

project or agency budget level and that the money to pay this cost would 

have to come out of your existing budget. If such a break in continuity did 

occur and you had to pay for imagery that was equivalent to the Landsat 

standard product now available, would you pay $XXX for one scene 

covering the area equivalent to a Landsat scene?” 

The “$XXX” was randomly filled in with one of 21 different dollar amounts. The dollar 

amounts ranged from a low of $5 to a high of $5,000. To measure an individual’s maximum 

WTP based on Yes/No responses to a single dollar amount, it is important to provide a dollar 
29

amount low enough that nearly all Landsat users would answer Yes, and a dollar amount high 

enough that nearly all Landsat users would answer No. The remaining dollar amounts were $10, 

$20, $30, $40, $50, $60, $70, $80, $100, $150, $200, $250, $300, $400, $500, $700, $1,200, 

1,500, and $2,500. The response to this question provides the data necessary to calculate what is 

referred to as a “single-bounded WTP.” The response to this question also allows the estimation 

and development of a demand function for the nonmarket good—as opposed to the single point 

on the demand function from administrative pricing. The demand function or curve is one of the 

outputs of CVM and is the combination of quantities consumed at different price amounts. This 

WTP question includes an explicit budget constraint (“Assume you are restricted to your current 

project or agency budget level...”) and a reminder that the funds to pay the higher cost would 

have to come out of this fixed budget. This follows the recommendation of the NOAA panel 

(Arrow and others, 1993) that budget reminders are to be included in WTP questions. 

Recognition of budget constraints is important to be consistent with consumer behavior and 

demand theory. 

The demand curve derived from the responses to the WTP question is shown in figure 17. 

This demand curve can be used to determine the median and mean WTP for this sample of users. 

The median is $218 per scene. This is not the value of the scene to the user but the value where a 

majority (>50 percent) of the sampled users would purchase a scene equivalent to a Landsat 

scene. The mean value of a scene involves integrating the area under the curve in figure 17. The 

curve in figure 17 is unbounded, meaning it does not have an upper limit. The value of Landsat 

imagery to some users is substantial and this pulls the average well above the median. The

Figure 17. Single-bounded demand curve of willingness to pay for imagery to replace Landsat imagery 

among current Landsat users.

$0

$500

$1,000

$1,500

$2,000

$2,500

$3,000

$3,500

$4,000

$4,500

$5,000

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Per Scene Willingness-to-Pay Amounts

Percentage of "Yes" Answers

Single-Bounded 

Curve

Lower Confidence 

Interval

Upper Confidence 

Interval
30

standard practice when faced with an unbounded average is to use one of the high bids in the 

sample for the upper bound. To be conservative, we chose the second highest bid ($2,500) and 

calculated a mean WTP of $760 per scene. The calculated mean WTP with an unbounded 

average is sensitive to the bid amount selected, choosing the highest bid ($5,000) would increase 

the mean and choosing the third highest bid ($1,500) would decrease it. Significant differences in 

mean WTP can be seen among sectors (fig. 18). Federal government users are willing to pay the 

most at more than $1,000, followed by academic users at more than $800, and private users at 

about $700. Again, because the sample is not random, the reported WTP values should not be 

generalized to the population as a whole or any segments of the population. 

The precision of the WTP estimate can be increased by asking respondents a follow-up 

dichotomous choice question based on the answer to the first question, thus collecting the data 

necessary for a double-bounded estimate of WTP (described in Appendix 3). In concept, the 

double-bounded analysis is intuitively appealing as statistical theory and past studies have shown 

that asking the second WTP question improves the statistical efficiency of WTP estimates. 

However, like other studies (for example, Cameron and Quiggin, 1994; Whitehead, 2002), we 

also found that the respondents’ behavioral response to the second bid amount was somewhat 

different than the response to the first bid amount. Given this difference, we report the standard 

single-bounded CVM results described above because the method is best in terms of statistical 

significance of independent variables and goodness of fit (the percentage of correct predictions is 

about 70 percent) and is a well-accepted industry standard.

Figure 18. Single-bounded logit model results for willingness to pay for imagery to replace Landsat 

imagery among current Landsat users.

$0

$200

$400

$600

$800

$1,000

$1,200

Willingness-to-Pay

Median

Mean
31

Discussion: Value of Landsat Imagery

The value of Landsat imagery was high overall for these respondents, and those in certain 

sectors, such as academia, found it even more valuable than respondents in other sectors. In 

general, Landsat imagery was important to respondents for their work and they were very 

satisfied with the attributes provided by Landsat. They found it beneficial for improving 

decisionmaking and preventing harm to the environment and humans, among many other 

benefits. These benefits will likely increase as the no-cost policy change becomes widely known, 

LDCM is launched, and emerging issues facing the nation, such as climate change, become more 

pronounced and require increasing amounts of global, reliable data. The value of Landsat 

imagery to these respondents is also demonstrated by the substantial amount of work that would 

be discontinued or require a substitute source of data. Finally, the value is demonstrated by 

respondents’ willingness to pay for the good. On average, respondents were willing to pay $760 

per scene, which is greater than the previous administratively set price. 

Conclusion

The results of the survey revealed that respondents from multiple sectors use Landsat

imagery in many different ways, as demonstrated by the breadth of project locations and scales, 

as well as application areas. The current level of use will likely increase among these 

respondents, particularly as it becomes better known that the imagery is available at no cost and 

as new uses are identified. The changes in acquisition patterns, including the increase in the 

number of scenes acquired and the decreasing amount spent after the imagery became available 

at no cost also point toward increases in future use.

The value of Landsat imagery to these users was demonstrated by the high importance 

placed on the imagery, the numerous benefits received from projects using Landsat imagery, the

negative impacts if Landsat imagery was no longer available, and the substantial willingness to 

pay for replacement imagery in the event of a data gap. These results represent only a minimum 

value of Landsat within the Landsat user community; further research would help to determine 

what the value of the imagery is to a greater segment of the population.

Throughout the analyses, differences between sectors occurred on almost all variables. 

The identification of the “local users” group helped to explain some of these differences, but 

respondents in the academic and federal government sectors also tended to differ from the rest of 

the respondents. They tended to be more technical users, used the imagery more heavily, and 

were willing to pay more for replacement imagery. These differences between sectors merit 

further exploration in future studies to see whether they exist within the other segments of the 

population as well.

The survey collected information from users who are both part of and apart from the 

known user community. The diversity of the sample delivered results that provide a baseline of 

knowledge about the users, uses, and value of Landsat imagery. While the results supply a 

wealth of information on their own, they can also be built upon through further research to 

generate a more complete picture of the population of Landsat users as a whole. Surveying other 

segments of the Landsat user population, such as those who procure imagery from EROS and 

international users, and conducting case studies on the value of Landsat imagery in specific 

applications would provide additional useful information.
32

Acknowledgments

This study was funded by the U.S. Geological Survey’s (USGS) Land Remote Sensing 

Program and is part of a larger study being conducted in conjunction with the USGS Western 

Geographic Science Center (WGSC) in Menlo Park, Calif. We would like to thank: Catherine 

Lundy from Eagle River Water and Sanitation District (Vail, Colo.) for her initial analysis of 

qualitative data from the survey while a student at Colorado State University; Eric Wood, Tom 

Loveland, and John Dwyer from the USGS Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) 

Center in Sioux Falls, S. Dak., for their invaluable help in constructing, reviewing and testing the 

survey instrument; Katie Walters (USGS Fort Collins Science Center), Makiko Hong and 

Tamara Wilson (WGSC) for their work during the sampling phase of the project; survey pre-test 

participants from EROS and South Dakota State University; and the numerous people who 

reviewed the survey and provided constructive feedback, including Richard Bernkopf (WGSC), 

Molly Macauley (Resources for the Future), participants in our session at the 17th William T. 

Pecora Memorial Remote Sensing Symposium, and members of the Landsat Science Team.
33

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Appendixes

Appendix 1

Snowball Sampling

When the population under study is unknown or hidden, traditional sampling 

methodologies cannot be applied. Because this type of population is difficult to locate and 

access, a random selection of the population (probability sampling) cannot occur (Heckathorn, 

2002). Instead, more purposive methodologies such as snowball sampling must be employed to 

make use of the social networks that exist between known members of the population (Coleman, 

1958; Goodman, 1961; Spreen, 1992). Snowball sampling has long been used for reaching 

populations that are hidden and vulnerable, such as drug users, prostitutes, criminals, the 

mentally ill and the homeless (for example, Avico and others, 1988; Bachman and Schutt, 2007; 

Eland-Goossenson and others, 1997; Faugier and Sargeant, 1997; Fisher and others, 1994; 

Griffiths and others, 1993; Kaplan and others, 1987; Sudman and Freeman, 1988; Waters and 

Biernacki, 1989). Typically, hidden and vulnerable populations can only be accessed once the 

individual enters an institutional setting such as a prison, drug rehabilitation center, or homeless 

shelter. However, these individuals are a captive population and do not necessarily represent the 

entire population (Waters and Biernacki, 1989). More recently, snowball sampling has also been 

used to research populations that are not hidden, but may be difficult to reach through traditional 

sampling methods, such as nurses (Sheu and others, 2009) and musicians and artists (Roberts, 

2007). There is no comprehensive list of members of these types of populations to sample from 

and, though they occur as part of the general population, they are often too rare to be reached via 

a survey of the general public. A primary advantage of snowball sampling is that it is very 

successful at accessing individuals in hidden and (or) hard-to-reach populations. Results can be 

produced quickly and cost-effectively. It has been noted that web-based snowball sampling can 

achieve results up to twenty times faster than traditional methods such as face-to-face interviews 

and mail-based referrals (Wejnert and Heckathorn, 2008). Another advantage is that snowballing 

allows researchers to trace the networks in the target population, leading to a better 

understanding of how social networks and communication operate in the population. 

Snowball Sampling Process

The snowball sampling process is relatively simple. The links that exist between 

individuals in the target population allow “a series of referrals to be made within a circle of 

acquaintances” (Berg, 1988). The initial step involves identifying a group of individuals who are 

known members of the population to create a seed (Vogt, 1999). For hidden populations, this 

may involve contacting people who interact with population members on a regular basis. For 

instance, contacting the staff at an AIDS clinic or a drug rehabilitation center would be one way 

to reach people with AIDS or drug addictions. For less sensitive populations, initial contacts may 

be conducted through professional organizations or other known groups. With some populations, 

a web search based on appropriate keywords for potential members of the populations can be 

effective. After the seed is established, those individuals are contacted to elicit the names of 

other individuals in the target population. This produces the first wave of individuals, who, in 

turn, are contacted, thus providing the second wave. The outcome from contacting the second 

wave produces the third wave which contributes to the fourth wave and so on. There are a 

number of variables to consider when designing snowball sampling. First, the number of wave 
37

iterations may or may not be determined a priori. Often, the process ends when the waves cease 

to produce a predetermined number of new contacts. In small populations, it may take only a few 

waves before almost no new contacts are obtained in a wave. Second, the number of contacts a 

participant is requested to provide can vary. Typically, the number of contacts asked for is three, 

partly to minimize the burden on the respondent but also to ensure that the recommended people 

are truly part of the population under study. In certain cases, such as particularly stigmatized or 

rare populations, participants are asked for an exhaustive list of contacts. Third, the criteria for 

including a participant in the sample can also vary. Usually, the number of times a person is 

identified by others as a member of a certain population is used. For some populations, it is 

appropriate to include a participant after only one mention, while for others, it may require two 

or three mentions.

Methodological Biases

There are several methodological biases in snowball sampling (Heckathorn, 2002). The 

initial sample or seed may introduce immediate bias because the people who comprise the seed 

are typically selected via a convenience sample. Volunteerism bias also frequently exists, both 

in the seed and also in subsequent waves. Masking is also common, particularly among sensitive 

populations. People may not want to reveal that their friends and acquaintances are members of 

the population. Another bias, typically referred to as homophily bias, also often exists in 

snowball samples. Because the social network of an individual tends to include people who are 

similar in many respects, such as age, education, and race and ethnicity, the people they refer 

will reflect those similarities. However, this may not be the case in populations where members 

are not linked personally, but by the work they do, for instance. Finally, the number of people an 

individual knows, which can range from single digits into the hundreds, influences the chances a 

person will be included in the sample. Members of the population with the largest personal 

networks and highest ‘social visibility’ are more likely to be referred (Biernacki and Waldorf,

1981; Henslin, 1972). Conversely, those with small networks, or isolated individuals, can be 

omitted from the sample (Van Meter, 1990).

These biases limit the generalizability of data gathered from a snowball sample and make 

it very difficult to determine the size of the population and the statistical accuracy of samples.

There are some statistical methods specific to unknown population sizes that can be used for 

population estimates, but typically results from a snowball sample are not considered to be 

generalizable to the population at large (Atkinson and Flint, 2001; Tsvetovat and Sharabati, 

2006). 

Many of these biases may be mitigated by taking a few extra steps. Though snowball 

sampling results in a non-random sample, the sample approaches randomness as more and more 

individuals in the population are contacted, thus reducing biases (Atkinson and Flint, 2001; 

Tsvetovat & Sharabati, 2006). Additionally, by relying on a variety of indirect sources, such as a 

web search, to develop a seed from an unknown population, researchers minimize the potential

for bias (Faugier and Sargeant, 1997; Blanken and others, 1992). Sometimes, for populations

about which little is known, snowball sampling can provide an important means to obtain 

information about members of a population that might not otherwise be available.
38

Appendix 2

Users of Other Types of Satellite Imagery

As part of the U.S. Geological Survey’s effort to survey Landsat users, users of other types of 

satellite imagery were also contacted. In addition to Landsat users, there were three main groups 

of users who were also surveyed:

1. Current users of other types of MRI (not Landsat)

2. Past users of Landsat imagery

3. Non-MRI users (for example, users of high or low-resolution imagery)

The main objective in asking questions of these groups was to discover why they were not 

currently using Landsat, as well as to discover any differences between these groups and the 

current Landsat users.

Current Users of Other Types of MRI

The survey was constructed to allow direct comparisons between current Landsat users 

(n = 1,392) and current users of other MRI (n = 167). However, the results suggest that at least 

some of those who indicated they were not currently using Landsat were, in fact, using it but did 

not know. Because respondents in this group could very well have answered the questions in 

reference to Landsat imagery without realizing it, the responses from this group may not be an 

accurate reflection of their use of MRI other than Landsat. Given the uncertain nature of the 

users in this group, as well as the relatively small number of respondents in the group, results 

from this group are not reported.

Past Landsat Imagery Users

This group consisted of respondents who had used Landsat at some point in the past but 

had not used it in the year previous to the survey (n = 445). Of those users, 20 percent were 

currently using other types of MRI and 80 percent were not. When asked why they were not 

using Landsat, almost 70 percent of respondents stated that their work did not require the 

imagery. Many respondents also cited spatial resolution not meeting needs (43 percent), other 

sources of imagery being more attractive (33 percent), and insufficient data quality (22 percent) 

as main reasons. When asked if they would use Landsat imagery again in the future, 60 percent

of the past Landsat users in our sample said they would. People who were not currently using 

MRI of any kind (n = 356) were also asked what would make them more likely to use MRI in the 

future. Just over 70 percent selected changes in their work, 53 percent cited improved spatial 

resolution, and 34 percent chose decreases in cost. Many respondents also cited better 

accessibility (29 percent), improved temporal resolution (29 percent), improved spectral 

resolution (26 percent) and better availability (26 percent). 

For the most part, the past Landsat users in the sample were very similar demographically 

to the current Landsat users. About 75 percent of each group was male, more than 90 percent

were white, the average age was in the late forties, and well over half held a master’s or doctoral 

degree. However, there were some differences in education and sector between past and current 

Landsat users. Though both groups were highly educated, only 17 percent of past Landsat users 

had a Ph.D., compared to 32 percent of current Landsat users. Additionally, almost 24 percent of 

past Landsat users had a bachelor’s degree compared to 17 percent of current Landsat users. 

These dissimilarities may be the result of differences in the sector distribution among each 

group. The primary sectors among past Landsat users were local government (25 percent), 
39

private business (20 percent), and state government (19 percent). This differs from the sector 

breakdown among current Landsat users in the sample, which was dominated by academia (33

percent), followed by private business (18 percent), and federal government (17 percent).

Non-MRI Users

This group consisted of respondents who had never used MRI, but who had used high- or 

low-resolution imagery at some point for their work (n = 229). Of these users, about 64 percent

had used only high-resolution imagery, just over 31 percent had used only low-resolution 

imagery, and 4 percent had used both types of imagery. The main reasons for not using MRI 

were similar to those of past Landsat users. Almost 61 percent of the non-MRI users in the 

sample said their work has not required the imagery, 38 percent stated the spatial resolution had 

not met their needs, and 31 percent cited insufficient data quality. More than half of the 

respondents in this group said they did not foresee using MRI in the future. When asked what 

would make them more likely to use MRI, the most common responses were changes in work 

(57 percent of respondents), improved spatial resolution (31 percent), better accessibility (26

percent), decrease in cost (25 percent), and better availability (25 percent). Almost 12 percent of 

respondents said nothing would make them more likely to use MRI in the future.

For the most part, the non-MRI users in the sample were very similar demographically to 

both the current and past Landsat users. About 75 percent or more of each group was male, more 

than 90 percent were white, and the average age was in the late forties. However, there were 

some differences between current Landsat users and non-MRI users. As was the case with past 

Landsat users, both groups were highly educated, but only 11 percent of non-MRI users had a 

Ph.D., compared to 32 percent of current Landsat users. Additionally, far more non-MRI users 

held bachelor’s degrees (33 percent) than either current (17 percent) or past (24 percent) Landsat 

users. Again, these dissimilarities may be the result of differences in the sector distribution 

among each group. The primary sectors among non-MRI users were local government (30

percent), private business (28 percent), and state government (17 percent). This is similar to the 

distribution of sectors among past Landsat users, but differs from the sector breakdown among 

current Landsat users in the sample, which was dominated by academia (33 percent), followed 

by private business (18 percent) and federal government (17 percent).

Discussion

The results from past Landsat users and non-MRI users in this sample indicate that the 

use of MRI, and specifically Landsat, depended greatly on the work respondents were doing. 

However, the spatial resolution of MRI was also an impediment, as was insufficient data quality. 

Because respondents’ work is out of the control of data providers and the spatial resolution of 

most MRI, including Landsat, is unlikely to change in the near future, these barriers to using 

MRI are not likely to be removed. However, there were some respondents in each group who 

believed that better accessibility, better availability, and lower cost of MRI would make them 

more likely to use it. These types of barriers could be addressed by data providers if desired, as 

was done by providing Landsat at no cost. Future research could investigate whether no cost 

Landsat imagery has resulted in non-Landsat users either returning to, or using Landsat for the 

first time.

These past Landsat users and non-MRI users were demographically similar to current 

Landsat users in regards to gender, race and ethnicity, and age. However, the results indicate that 

Landsat users might have different educational backgrounds and work in different sectors than 
40

users of other types of satellite imagery. Because the sample taken for this study is not random, 

more research is needed to determine if these differences are also present at the population level 

or exist within just this sample of users.
41

Appendix 3

Double-Bounded Willingness-To-Pay Analysis

The statistical efficiency of the WTP estimate can be increased by asking respondents a 

second dichotomous choice question, thus collecting the data necessary for a double-bounded 

estimate of WTP. With the first WTP response, we know that the respondent’s WTP is higher or 

lower than the dollar amount asked to pay. If those who answer Yes to the first question are 

asked if they would pay a higher amount, we can obtain additional information about their WTP: 

(a) if they state YES to the second, higher dollar amount, we know their WTP is even higher than 

the first bid amount and in fact is higher than the increased bid amount (the second dollar amount 

is twice the first in this case); (b) if they state they would not pay this second higher dollar 

amount we know their WTP is bounded between the first and second dollar amount, thus 

bracketing their maximum WTP between the first and second dollar amount. The same pattern 

holds for those answering NO to the first dollar amount. If a respondent answers YES to the 

second dollar amount (half the first dollar amount in this case), we can potentially bracket their 

WTP between the first and second dollar amount. This second question can substantially 

improve the efficiency of estimating the WTP but risks offending the respondent with a moving 

price target.

After the first and second WTP questions, respondents were asked how certain they are 

that they would (or would not) pay that price on a scale of 0 to 100 percent. This provides further 

information about the actual WTP of each respondent and allows for examination of the quality 

of each respondent’s answers. For example, if a respondent says YES to the first WTP amount 

and YES to the second higher amount, economic logic suggests they should be less certain (or 

the same) about paying the higher amount.

In concept, the double-bounded analysis is intuitively appealing. However, like other 

studies have found (for example, Cameron and Quiggin, 1994; Whitehead, 2002), we also found 

that the respondents’ behavioral response to the second bid amount is somewhat different than 

the response to the first bid amount. For example, one respondent said No to $150 with a 

certainty of 40 percent, but then said No to $75 with a certainty of 60 percent. In practice, it 

appears that respondents do not like the follow-up question with the different bid amount. The 

information gathered from the second question may not be as good as the information from the 

first question. For both the first and second questions, the probability of saying Yes goes down as 

the bid amount increases, but at somewhat different rates in response to each question. There are 

several reasons this may be the case, including strategic behavior on the part of respondents, 

uncooperative behavior, or changed preferences. At this time, we hypothesize that the behavioral 

shift between first and second responses may be due to the large magnitude of the increase 

between the first and second bids. Especially at high first dollar amounts ($1,500, $2,500, and 

$5,000), the very large absolute magnitude of the increase in the second dollar amount ($3,000, 

$5,000 and $10,000) may have reduced the credibility of the second WTP question to the 

respondent. It is possible that the response to this second question was more of a signal about the 

question itself rather than a second “snapshot” of their WTP. 

The demand curve of the double-bounded analysis does behave as expected when 

compared to the curve of the single-bounded analysis (fig. 19). The double-bounded curve shifts 

to the left and has much tighter confidence intervals than the single-bounded curve. But there are 

no significant differences found between sectors in the double-bounded analysis. The reasonable 

differences in WTP across groups of respondents disappear with the information from the second 
42

Figure 19. Single- and double-bounded demand curves of willingness to pay for imagery to replace 

Landsat.

question. The standard errors on the sector variables were larger than the parameter estimates so 

the variables can reasonably be removed from the double-bounded model.

Single-Bounded vs. Double-Bounded WTP Analyses

The double-bounded analysis improves efficiency but the second question does not have 

as much value as the first question due to the behavioral shift between questions. This behavior 

was not expected among Landsat users, since they have experience with the imagery and know 

the good being valued quite well in most cases. Given the results, we chose to report the standard 

single-bounded dichotomous choice CVM results because they are the best in terms of the 

statistical significance of independent variables, goodness of fit (the percentage of correct 

predictions is about 70 percent), and the method is a well-accepted industry standard.

Several things might be tried for a future WTP for Landsat imagery question to reduce 

the behavioral difference between the first and second questions. The magnitude of the change 

between the first and second bid could be reduced from twice and half to 1.25 and 0.75. The 

number of initial high bid amounts could be increased since these higher amounts are essential to 

accurate and precise estimates of mean WTP, which involves integration across the entire 

demand function. More information about respondents' WTP at these high bids would allow 

better estimation of the complete demand function. Other statistical modeling techniques such as 

ordered logit models that allow for one category for each of the four combinations of responses 

(Yes-Yes, Yes-No, No-Yes, and No-No) could also be tried.

$0

$500

$1,000

$1,500

$2,000

$2,500

$3,000

$3,500

$4,000

$4,500

$5,000

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Per Scene Willingness-to-Pay Amounts

Percentage of "Yes" Answers

Single-Bounded 

Curve

Lower CI

Upper CI

Double-Bounded 

Curve

Lower CI
43

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