DOE OSTI · 3015559
LandCast Mosaic: Reconstructing Global Population Distributions, 1975-2025
Abstract
LandCast Mosaic (LCM) provides a global, high-resolution gridded population dataset spanning 1975–2025, representing annual, scenario-consistent estimates of daytime, nighttime, and ambient population distributions. LCM builds on the 2025 LandScan Mosaic (LSM) population data by backcasting to earlier years using historical changes in built-surface area derived from the Global Human Settlement Layer (GHSL) and authoritative population counts from international datasets. The workflow scales 2025 building-informed gridded population estimates according to observed changes in built surface, applies linear interpolation for intermediate years, and normalizes estimates to match administrative- and country-level totals. The resulting dataset offers consistent, globally gridded population estimates over fifty years, suitable for temporal analyses of population dynamics, disaster risk modeling, and urban planning applications.
Explore related subjects
Keep this discovery
Explore connections, maps & timelines
Zimmer, Andrew [Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)] (ORCID:0000000176838713), Adams, Daniel [Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)] (ORCID:0000000196950577), Urban, Marie [Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)] (ORCID:000000019571832X). 2026-01-01. LandCast Mosaic: Reconstructing Global Population Distributions, 1975-2025. https://doi.org/10.2172/3015559
Cite the original work for its findings. Save a collection to share your selection of sources.