USGS EROS Archive - Landsat Archives - Landsat 4-5 TM Level-2 Data Products - Surface Reflectance Active

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Sources/Usage: Public Domain.

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) offers on-demand production of Landsat 4-5 Thematic Mapper (TM) Surface Reflectance data through EarthExplorer. Surface Reflectance products provide an estimate of the surface spectral reflectance as it would be measured at ground level in the absence of atmospheric scattering or absorption. The Surface Reflectance products are generated at the Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center at a 30-meter spatial resolution. The EROS Science Processing Architecture (ESPA) on-demand interface corrects satellite images for atmospheric effects to create Level-2 data products. Landsat Ecosystem Disturbance Adaptive Processing System (LEDAPS), a specialized software originally developed through a National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Making Earth System Data Records for Use in Research Environments (MEaSUREs) grant by NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) and the University of Maryland (Masek et al., 2006), applies radiometric calibration and atmospheric correction algorithms to Level-1 Landsat data products. Details about Landsat 4-5 Surface Reflectance can be found in the Landsat 4-7 Surface Reflectance Product Guide.

The following date ranges apply to the availability of the Landsat archive for Surface Reflectance processing:

• Landsat 4 TM: July 1982 to December 1993
• Landsat 5 TM: March 1984 to May 2012

Most Landsat 4-5 Collection 1 Level-1 scenes in the USGS archive can be processed to Surface Reflectance. Please note the following caveats:

• Surface Reflectance is not run for a scene with a solar zenith angle greater than 76°.
• Users are cautioned against processing data acquired over high latitudes (> 65º) to Surface Reflectance.
• Landsat 4-5 TM scenes processed through the National Landsat Archive Processing System (NLAPS) cannot be processed to Surface Reflectance. Information about NLAPS, and a listing of NLAPS-processed scenes, can be found on LPGS and NLAPS Processing Systems Comparison.
• Efficacy of Surface Reflectance correction will be likely reduced in areas where atmospheric correction is affected by adverse conditions:
  • Hyper-arid or snow-covered regions
  • Low sun angle conditions
  • Coastal regions where land area is small relative to adjacent water
  • Areas with extensive cloud contamination

Order submission and completion emails provide details about data processing status and download instructions. Surface Reflectance products requested through EarthExplorer are delivered in GeoTIFF format. The original Landsat scene mapping grid, Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM) or Polar Stereographic (PS), is retained for the Surface Reflectance product. Additional Level-2 data products and format options are available when accessing ESPA directly.

Additional Information

• Landsat Surface Reflectance Data Fact Sheet 
• Landsat 4-7 Surface Reflectance Product Guide 
• Landsat Surface Reflectance Level-2 Data Products
• Landsat Spectral Characteristics Viewer
• Landsat Band Designations
• CEOS Missions, Instruments, and Measurements (MIM) Database Record
• EROS Science Processing Architecture (ESPA) 
• Landsat Collections 

Algorithm Citation

• Landsat Ecosystem Disturbance Adaptive Processing System (LEDAPS) Journal Article

Access Data

All Landsat Collection 1 data and science products in the USGS archives will become unavailable at the end of December 2022. The ability to submit ESPA orders for Landsat Collection 1-based products will end on Friday, December 16, 2022, to allow orders in the system to complete before the end of the year. Please visit this webpage for more details about the removal of Landsat Collection 1 data and products from the USGS archives

Landsat 4-5 TM Surface Reflectance products are orderable through EarthExplorer. The Level-2 data set is located under the Landsat/Landsat Collection 1 Level-2 (On-demand) menu as “L4-5 TM C1 Level-2”

Ordering Instructions

Select scenes in EarthExplorer using the Order Scene icon in the Results tab. Go to the Item Basket (top toolbar) or View Item Basket (below result list) to review the on-demand order. Click on L4-5 TM C1 level-2 to expand the list to view the selected scenes and verify the product type. Select Proceed to Checkout then Submit Order to initiate the processing for Surface Reflectance products through ESPA.

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

Landsat 4-5 TM Surface Reflectance Digital Object Identifier (DOI) number: /10.5066/F7KD1VZ9