Hubbard, who first joined the USGS as a postdoc, is part of the agency’s Earth Mapping Resource Initiative (Earth MRI).

A sprawling expanse of solar panels in China's Kubuqi Desert as viewed by a U.S. Geological Survey Landsat satellite. Credit: USGS / NASA The sun's energy is plentiful. And China is capitalizing.

The largest fires started on January 7 and devastated swathes of L.A., including Pacific Palisades and Altadena. The fires ...