Unknown (2025) Natural land disturbances are worsening but humans are not off the hook

Identification

• Journal: Nature Geoscience
• Year: 2025
• Date: 2025-10-02
• Authors: Unknown
• DOI: 10.1038/s41561-025-01793-2

Research Groups

The research was conducted by Shi Qiu, Zhe Zhu, and Ramakrishna R. Nemani. Specific institutional affiliations are not provided in this briefing.

Short Summary

High-resolution satellite maps of the contiguous USA over 35 years reveal a fundamental shift in land disturbances, showing a decrease in human-directed disturbances while 'wild' disturbances (e.g., fire, vegetation stress, wind, geohazards) are surging, alongside evolving patterns in their frequency, size, and severity.

Objective

• To analyze the fundamental shift in land disturbances across the contiguous USA over a 35-year period, specifically examining the changing trends between human-directed and 'wild' disturbances and their evolving patterns in frequency, size, and severity.

Study Configuration

• Spatial Scale: Contiguous USA
• Temporal Scale: 35 years

Methodology and Data

• Models used: Land disturbance monitoring algorithm based on Landsat data time series; Landsat image compositing algorithm.
• Data sources: High-resolution satellite maps, specifically Landsat imagery.

Main Results

• The area affected by human-directed land disturbances is decreasing.
• The area damaged by 'wild' disturbances (such as fire, vegetation stress, wind, and geohazards) is surging.
• The study uncovered evolving patterns in the frequency, size, and severity of both types of disturbances.

Contributions

• Provides the first high-resolution, long-term satellite-based evidence of a fundamental shift in land disturbance regimes across the contiguous USA.
• Quantifies the contrasting trends of decreasing human-directed disturbances and surging 'wild' disturbances over a 35-year period.
• Uncovers evolving patterns in the frequency, size, and severity of disturbances, offering a comprehensive understanding of land change dynamics.

Funding

Funding information is not provided in this research briefing.

Citation

@article{Unknown2025Natural,
  author = {},
  title = {Natural land disturbances are worsening but humans are not off the hook},
  journal = {Nature Geoscience},
  year = {2025},
  doi = {10.1038/s41561-025-01793-2},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1038/s41561-025-01793-2}
}