First launched in 1972, Landsat data provides a repository of raster data imaging of the world, in approximately 16 day intervals. The dataset provided by the passive Remote Sensing can be crucial to geographic analysis focussed on comparing Land use.

Analysis of repeat photography can be a powerful geomorphic tool, allowing one to calculate the rate and distribution of surface processes. An example where Landsat data would be useful for geographic analysis is to assess the impact of artisanal mining on deforestation in the Peruvian Amazon rainforest; where it would allow the comparison of aerial photography each year to assess the rate of deforestation.