Science and Art: Nebraska from Space
Floor puzzles of remote sensing imagery are available for educational and outreach activities. Fully assembled puzzles measure 8 feet by 8 feet and have 64 pieces. They are made of strong, but lightweight PVC plastic. Please Note: Floor puzzles are currently available only to School of Natural Resources faculty and staff.
Requests to reserve one or both puzzles can be made here:
Examples of events where floor puzzles have been used.
Nebraska Mosaic Floor Puzzle
This puzzle shows a natural color image mosaic of Nebraska with four magnified areas depicting important land cover types. Elements of visual interpretation, such as tone/color, shape, texture, pattern, and association are important for understanding satellite imagery.
Top Panel - Image mosaic of Nebraska derived from Landsat 8 imagery and the National Elevation Dataset. Images were taken between July 2013 and August 2019.
Middle-Left Panel - Pine Ridge, Nebraska. Landsat 5 satellite image from June 30, 2010.
Middle-Right Panel - Omaha, Nebraska. High-resolution U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Agriculture Imagery Program (NAIP) aerial image from August 2, 2022.
Bottom-Left Panel - Center pivot irrigation near O'Neill, Nebraska. Natural color Sentinel-2 satellite image from July 28, 2025.
Bottom-Right Panel - Lake McConaughy, Nebraska’s largest reservoir. Natural color Sentinel-2 satellite image from July 15, 2025.
Western Nebraska Four Panel Floor Puzzle
This puzzle presents the same satellite image (Landsat 8/9 from July 2-3, 2025) four times, but with different wavelength band combinations. The image covers a portion of Western Nebraska. Lake McConaughy and the Platte River are visible along the southern part of the image. Halsey National Forest is visible on the east edge of the image. The Sandhills Lakes can be seen from the center to the northwest area of the image.
Certain wavelength band combinations allow different land surface features to become more prominent. For example, a burn scar from the Dismal River Ranch Fire from February 25, 2025 is difficult to see in the natural color image panel (Top-Left), but is much more visible in the false-color infrared image in the bottom-right panel. In the top-right panel, areas of dense, healthy vegetation appear bright blue and contrast with the more sparse vegetation of rangelands and pasture that have shades of yellow.
Questions and Contact
If you have any questions about the floor puzzles or would like to inquire about potential partnerships on additional puzzles, please contact Ian Ratcliffe, (email: iratcliffe2@unl.edu).
Educational Information and Materials
- NebrsaskaView. Nebraska's state node for AmericaView; a nationwide, university-based, and state-implemented network that advances Earth observation education through remote sensing science, applied research, workforce development, technology transfer, and community outreach.
- Earth Observation Data Basics. NASA resource that provides a basic understanding of the principles and elements of remote sensing.
- US Landsat Puzzles. Digital format puzzles for every US state.
- Earth Image Puzzles. Digital format puzzles from IndianaView, a member of AmericaView.
- USGS Remote Sensing Classroom. Educational lessons that allow students to look at satellite imagery and perform analysis.
- My NASA Data. An educational program and interactive platform that brings authentic NASA Earth-observing satellite data into the classroom.
- Tour of the Electromagnetic Spectrum. A NASA educational resource that teaches and informs about the electromagnetic spectrum.
- NASA Learning Resources. NASA’s Science Activation (SciAct) program offers a range of resources and opportunities that invite people of all ages and backgrounds to participate in authentic science!
