USGS EROS Archive - Landsat Archives - Landsat 8 OLI/TIRS Level-2 Data Products - Surface Reflectance
Surface Reflectance Level-2 Data Products at a 30-meter spatial resolution can be ordered for Landsat 8 OLI/TIRS Collection 1 scenes. (2013-December 31, 2022).
NOTE: Landsat Collection 1 data and products are no longer available to download from the USGS as of December 30, 2022. Landsat Collection 2 remains available. Please access the Landsat Collection 2 webpage below for information about Collection 2 data and science products.
NOTE: Landsat Collection 1 data and products are no longer available to download from the USGS as of December 30, 2022. The information on this webpage is for reference only.
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) offers on-demand production of Landsat 8 Operational Land Imager/Thermal Infrared Sensor (OLI/TIRS) 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 8 Surface Reflectance data are generated from the Land Surface Reflectance Code (LaSRC). LaSRC makes use of the coastal aerosol band to perform aerosol inversion tests, uses auxiliary climate data from MODIS and uses a unique radiative transfer model. Additionally, LaSRC hardcodes the view zenith angle to “0”, and the solar zenith and view zenith angles are used for calculations as part of the atmospheric correction. Details about LaSRC and Landsat 8 Surface Reflectance data products can be found in the Land Surface Reflectance Product Guide.
The following date ranges apply to the availability of the Landsat archive for Surface Reflectance processing:
- Landsat 8 OLI/TIRS: April 2013 to December 31, 2022
Most Landsat 8 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.
- 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
- Land 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 (OLI)
- CEOS Missions, Instruments, and Measurements (MIM) Database Record (TIRS)
- EROS Science Processing Architecture (ESPA)
- Landsat Collections
Algorithm Citation
Access Data
Landsat Collection 1 no longer available.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
Landsat 8 OLI/TIRS Surface Reflectance Digital Object Identifier (DOI) number: /10.5066/F78S4MZJ
Below are other science projects associated with this product.
USGS EROS Archive - Landsat Archives - Landsat 4-8 Collection 1 Level-2 U.S. Albers Scene Bundles
USGS EROS Archive - Landsat Archives - Landsat 4-5 TM Level-2 Data Products - Surface Reflectance
USGS EROS Archive - Landsat Archives - Landsat 7 ETM+ Level-2 Data Products - Surface Reflectance
USGS EROS Archive - Landsat Archives - U.S. Landsat Analysis Ready Data (ARD) Level-2 Data Product
Surface Reflectance Level-2 Data Products at a 30-meter spatial resolution can be ordered for Landsat 8 OLI/TIRS Collection 1 scenes. (2013-December 31, 2022).
NOTE: Landsat Collection 1 data and products are no longer available to download from the USGS as of December 30, 2022. Landsat Collection 2 remains available. Please access the Landsat Collection 2 webpage below for information about Collection 2 data and science products.
NOTE: Landsat Collection 1 data and products are no longer available to download from the USGS as of December 30, 2022. The information on this webpage is for reference only.
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) offers on-demand production of Landsat 8 Operational Land Imager/Thermal Infrared Sensor (OLI/TIRS) 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 8 Surface Reflectance data are generated from the Land Surface Reflectance Code (LaSRC). LaSRC makes use of the coastal aerosol band to perform aerosol inversion tests, uses auxiliary climate data from MODIS and uses a unique radiative transfer model. Additionally, LaSRC hardcodes the view zenith angle to “0”, and the solar zenith and view zenith angles are used for calculations as part of the atmospheric correction. Details about LaSRC and Landsat 8 Surface Reflectance data products can be found in the Land Surface Reflectance Product Guide.
The following date ranges apply to the availability of the Landsat archive for Surface Reflectance processing:
- Landsat 8 OLI/TIRS: April 2013 to December 31, 2022
Most Landsat 8 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.
- 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
- Land 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 (OLI)
- CEOS Missions, Instruments, and Measurements (MIM) Database Record (TIRS)
- EROS Science Processing Architecture (ESPA)
- Landsat Collections
Algorithm Citation
Access Data
Landsat Collection 1 no longer available.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
Landsat 8 OLI/TIRS Surface Reflectance Digital Object Identifier (DOI) number: /10.5066/F78S4MZJ
Below are other science projects associated with this product.