Eyes on Earth Episode 134 – Data Accuracy: The Calibration and Validation of Landsat
Researchers and other satellite programs rely on the scientifically correct data from Landsat—every pixel and every spectral band that is measured.
Summary: Landsat is the longest-running, continuously operating record of Earth observations, and it’s the gold standard reference point that other civil and commercial satellite programs trust. If a researcher is studying multiple Landsat images of the same spot on Earth, and there is something in those images that suggests a change, that researcher needs to have the confidence that that change is a real change on the landscape and not because of something that changed or degraded in the sensor. Think of it this way. We are using a system to quantify changes on the Earth—we need to make sure the system itself is not changing.
Guest: Cody Anderson, USGS EROS
Host: Tom Adamson (contractor for USGS EROS)
Producer: Tom Adamson (contractor for USGS EROS)
Release date: Monday, May 5, 2025
More about Calibration and Validation
Related Episodes
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Eyes on Earth Episode 94 – EROS 50th: Collaborations with SDSU
South Dakota State University opened its Remote Sensing Institute even before the launch of Landsat 1 and the selection of South Dakota as the location for EROS. In this episode of Eyes on Earth, we talk about some of the collaborations that SDSU and EROS have both benefited from, including research projects centered on Landsat and other data sources, instrument calibration and validation, and...
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Eyes on Earth Episode 74 – A Satellite Cross Calibration Mission
When the first Landsat satellite launched 50 years ago, it was the only game in town in terms of civilian land remote sensing. In the years that followed, a host of satellites have launched to serve similar purposes. But that data doesn't always play well together. Subtle differences between the measurements taken by satellites make it difficult to do apples-to-apples comparisons of land change...
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Eyes on Earth Episode 32 - Lunar Calibration
Calibration teams at the USGS EROS Center use a variety of methods to make sure the data collected by Landsat satellites are an accurate representation of the Earth’s surface. They’re constantly comparing new imagery to old, tweaking algorithms to correct issues that might emerge, and using unchanging Earth surface sites and on-the-ground readings to check for consistency. Since the launch of...
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Researchers and other satellite programs rely on the scientifically correct data from Landsat—every pixel and every spectral band that is measured.
Summary: Landsat is the longest-running, continuously operating record of Earth observations, and it’s the gold standard reference point that other civil and commercial satellite programs trust. If a researcher is studying multiple Landsat images of the same spot on Earth, and there is something in those images that suggests a change, that researcher needs to have the confidence that that change is a real change on the landscape and not because of something that changed or degraded in the sensor. Think of it this way. We are using a system to quantify changes on the Earth—we need to make sure the system itself is not changing.
Guest: Cody Anderson, USGS EROS
Host: Tom Adamson (contractor for USGS EROS)
Producer: Tom Adamson (contractor for USGS EROS)
Release date: Monday, May 5, 2025
More about Calibration and Validation
Related Episodes
-
-
Eyes on Earth Episode 94 – EROS 50th: Collaborations with SDSU
South Dakota State University opened its Remote Sensing Institute even before the launch of Landsat 1 and the selection of South Dakota as the location for EROS. In this episode of Eyes on Earth, we talk about some of the collaborations that SDSU and EROS have both benefited from, including research projects centered on Landsat and other data sources, instrument calibration and validation, and...
-
Eyes on Earth Episode 74 – A Satellite Cross Calibration Mission
When the first Landsat satellite launched 50 years ago, it was the only game in town in terms of civilian land remote sensing. In the years that followed, a host of satellites have launched to serve similar purposes. But that data doesn't always play well together. Subtle differences between the measurements taken by satellites make it difficult to do apples-to-apples comparisons of land change...
-
Eyes on Earth Episode 32 - Lunar Calibration
Calibration teams at the USGS EROS Center use a variety of methods to make sure the data collected by Landsat satellites are an accurate representation of the Earth’s surface. They’re constantly comparing new imagery to old, tweaking algorithms to correct issues that might emerge, and using unchanging Earth surface sites and on-the-ground readings to check for consistency. Since the launch of...
-