MUSA Brown Bag Lunch: Oak Ridge National Laboratory presents LandScan

Eddie Bright, project leader and co-developer of ORNL’s LandScan Population Distribution Program, discussed this application. Using an innovative approach with Geographic Information Systems and Remote Sensing, ORNL’s LandScan is the community standard for global population distribution. At approximately 1 km resolution (30” X 30”), LandScan is the finest resolution global population distribution data available and represents an ambient population (average over 24 hours). The LandScan algorithm, an R&D 100 Award Winner, uses spatial data and imagery analysis technologies and a multi-variable dasymetric modeling approach to disaggregate census counts within an administrative boundary. Since no single population distribution model can account for the differences in spatial data availability, quality, scale, and accuracy as well as the differences in cultural settlement practices, LandScan population distribution models are tailored to match the data conditions and geographical nature of each individual country and region.

The event was free and open to the Penn community.