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USGS EROS Archive - Landsat Archives - Landsat Collection 2 U.S Analysis Ready Data (ARD) Product

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By Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center July 20, 2021

The Landsat Collection 2 U.S. Analysis Ready Data (ARD) product contains Top of Atmosphere (TOA) reflectance, TOA Brightness Temperature (BT), Surface Reflectance (SR), Surface Temperature (ST), and Quality Assessment (QA) data.

 

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Dataset Citation

Please cite this dataset in the following manner: 

Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center. (2021). Landsat 4-9 U.S. Analysis Ready Data, Collection 2 [dataset]. U.S. Geological Survey. https://doi.org/10.5066/P960F8OC 

Landsat Analysis Ready Data (ARD) Tiles
Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details
U.S. Landsat Analysis Ready Data (ARD) Tile Landsat 8 OLI/TIRS Surface Reflectance January 30, 2016, Tile ID CONUS Horizontal 018, Vertical 014
CEOS ARD Compliance Stamp Logo
Sources/Usage: Some content may have restrictions. View Media Details
Committee on Earth Observation Satellites (CEOS) Analysis Ready Data for Land (CARD4L) compliance stamp logo. This internationally-recognized certification recognizes satellite data that have been processed to a minimum set of requirements and organized into a structure that allows for immediate analysis with minimum user effort and interoperability both through time and with other datasets. Image used with permission by CEOS.

Landsat Collection 2 U.S. ARD are consistently processed to the highest scientific standards and level of processing required for direct use in monitoring and assessing landscape change. A fundamental goal for U.S. ARD is to significantly reduce the magnitude of data processing for application scientists, who currently have to download and prepare large amounts of Landsat scene-based data for time-series investigative analysis.

U.S. ARD consists of Top of Atmosphere (TOA) reflectance, TOA Brightness Temperature, Surface Reflectance , Surface Temperature  and Quality Assessment  data that are consistently processed using per pixel solar zenith angle corrections, gridded to a common cartographic projection, and accompanied by appropriate metadata to enable further processing while retaining data provenance.

U.S. ARD products are available for the conterminous United States (CONUS), Alaska, and Hawaii. The data are generated in the Albers Equal Area Conic (AEA) map projection for the CONUS and Hawaii. Alaska is generated in the Alaska Albers map projection. Landsat Collection 2 Level-1 data that are processed into Albers-projected Level-2 Surface Reflectance and Surface Temperature products serve as inputs for generating Landsat Collection 2 U.S. ARD.

Tile Grid System

U.S. ARD are processed to a common tiling scheme of uniform dimensions bounded by static corner points in a defined grid system.

Each tile contains 5,000 x 5,000 30-meter pixels and includes all the pixels acquired in a given day within its extents. The ARD tile pixel dimension (number of columns and rows) is smaller than the dimensions of individual Landsat acquisitions (Landsat 8-9: ~6300 x ~6000 pixels; Landsat 7: ~6,166 x ~5,666 pixels).

The maps below display the tile grids used for Collection 2 U.S. ARD.  Note: The CONUS and Hawaii tile grids are the same for both Collection 1 and Collection 2 U.S. ARD; the Alaska tile grid schema has been modified for Collection 2 to include the complete Aleutian Islands chain.

Conterminous U.S. Landsat Analysis Ready Data (ARD) Tiles
Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details
Map illustrating  Landsat Collection 2 U.S. Analysis Ready Data (ARD) tiling grid schema of the conterminous United States. This tiling grid is used for both Landsat Collection 1 and Landsat Collection 2 U.S. ARD. (Public domain)
Alaska Landsat Collection 2 Analysis Ready Data Tile Grid
Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details
This image displays the Landsat Collection 2 (C2) U.S. Analysis Ready Data (ARD) Alaska tile grid. The Alaska tile grid has been modified for C2 U.S. ARD to include the Aleutian Islands. (The CONUS and Hawaii tile grids remain the same in Collection 2 as they are in Collection 1.)  Visit Landsat Collection 2 ARD for more information.(Public domain)
Hawaii Landsat Analysis Ready Data (ARD) Tiles
Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details
Map illustrating the Landsat Collection 2 U.S. Analysis Ready Data (ARD) tiling grid schema for  Hawaii. This tiling grid is used for both Landsat Collection 1 and Landsat Collection 2 U.S. ARD. Visit Landsat Collection 2 U.S. ARD for more information. (Public domain)

Digital Products

Each product is available for download through EarthExplorer for the data held in the USGS archive. Products available for download (.tar) are;

The U.S. ARD products include Cloud Optimized GeoTIFF formatted images, the associated pixel quality attributes, Metadata in XML format, and full-resolution browse.

Shapefiles of Landsat Collection 2 U.S. ARD tile grids are available to download: 

Additional Information

 

Algorithm Citation

Access Data

EarthExplorer can be used to search, preview, and download Landsat Collection 2 U.S. ARD Tile Data. The product is located under the Landsat category, Landsat C2 U.S. Analysis Ready Data (ARD) sub-category, and listed as U.S. Landsat 4-9 ARD C2.

The Landsat Data Access summary table provides information about all Landsat Collection 2 data access options.

Data Citation History

The preferred citation for this dataset was revised in 2024 to improve accuracy and alignment with USGS Fundamental Science Practices. The dataset digital object identifier (DOI) and version did not change. 

Please cite this dataset in the following manner: 

Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center. (2021). Landsat 4-9 U.S. Analysis Ready Data, Collection 2 [dataset]. U.S. Geological Survey. https://doi.org/10.5066/P960F8OC

The previously used citation shown below is provided here for historical reference only:  
Earth Resources Observation And Science (EROS) Center. (2021). Collection-2 U.S. Landsat Analysis Ready Data (ARD) Level-2 Tiles Albers Equal Area Projection [dataset]. U.S. Geological Survey. https://doi.org/10.5066/P960F8OC

The Landsat Collection 2 U.S. Analysis Ready Data (ARD) product contains Top of Atmosphere (TOA) reflectance, TOA Brightness Temperature (BT), Surface Reflectance (SR), Surface Temperature (ST), and Quality Assessment (QA) data.

 

Return to Product Overview

Dataset Citation

Please cite this dataset in the following manner: 

Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center. (2021). Landsat 4-9 U.S. Analysis Ready Data, Collection 2 [dataset]. U.S. Geological Survey. https://doi.org/10.5066/P960F8OC 

Landsat Analysis Ready Data (ARD) Tiles
Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details
U.S. Landsat Analysis Ready Data (ARD) Tile Landsat 8 OLI/TIRS Surface Reflectance January 30, 2016, Tile ID CONUS Horizontal 018, Vertical 014
CEOS ARD Compliance Stamp Logo
Sources/Usage: Some content may have restrictions. View Media Details
Committee on Earth Observation Satellites (CEOS) Analysis Ready Data for Land (CARD4L) compliance stamp logo. This internationally-recognized certification recognizes satellite data that have been processed to a minimum set of requirements and organized into a structure that allows for immediate analysis with minimum user effort and interoperability both through time and with other datasets. Image used with permission by CEOS.

Landsat Collection 2 U.S. ARD are consistently processed to the highest scientific standards and level of processing required for direct use in monitoring and assessing landscape change. A fundamental goal for U.S. ARD is to significantly reduce the magnitude of data processing for application scientists, who currently have to download and prepare large amounts of Landsat scene-based data for time-series investigative analysis.

U.S. ARD consists of Top of Atmosphere (TOA) reflectance, TOA Brightness Temperature, Surface Reflectance , Surface Temperature  and Quality Assessment  data that are consistently processed using per pixel solar zenith angle corrections, gridded to a common cartographic projection, and accompanied by appropriate metadata to enable further processing while retaining data provenance.

U.S. ARD products are available for the conterminous United States (CONUS), Alaska, and Hawaii. The data are generated in the Albers Equal Area Conic (AEA) map projection for the CONUS and Hawaii. Alaska is generated in the Alaska Albers map projection. Landsat Collection 2 Level-1 data that are processed into Albers-projected Level-2 Surface Reflectance and Surface Temperature products serve as inputs for generating Landsat Collection 2 U.S. ARD.

Tile Grid System

U.S. ARD are processed to a common tiling scheme of uniform dimensions bounded by static corner points in a defined grid system.

Each tile contains 5,000 x 5,000 30-meter pixels and includes all the pixels acquired in a given day within its extents. The ARD tile pixel dimension (number of columns and rows) is smaller than the dimensions of individual Landsat acquisitions (Landsat 8-9: ~6300 x ~6000 pixels; Landsat 7: ~6,166 x ~5,666 pixels).

The maps below display the tile grids used for Collection 2 U.S. ARD.  Note: The CONUS and Hawaii tile grids are the same for both Collection 1 and Collection 2 U.S. ARD; the Alaska tile grid schema has been modified for Collection 2 to include the complete Aleutian Islands chain.

Conterminous U.S. Landsat Analysis Ready Data (ARD) Tiles
Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details
Map illustrating  Landsat Collection 2 U.S. Analysis Ready Data (ARD) tiling grid schema of the conterminous United States. This tiling grid is used for both Landsat Collection 1 and Landsat Collection 2 U.S. ARD. (Public domain)
Alaska Landsat Collection 2 Analysis Ready Data Tile Grid
Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details
This image displays the Landsat Collection 2 (C2) U.S. Analysis Ready Data (ARD) Alaska tile grid. The Alaska tile grid has been modified for C2 U.S. ARD to include the Aleutian Islands. (The CONUS and Hawaii tile grids remain the same in Collection 2 as they are in Collection 1.)  Visit Landsat Collection 2 ARD for more information.(Public domain)
Hawaii Landsat Analysis Ready Data (ARD) Tiles
Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details
Map illustrating the Landsat Collection 2 U.S. Analysis Ready Data (ARD) tiling grid schema for  Hawaii. This tiling grid is used for both Landsat Collection 1 and Landsat Collection 2 U.S. ARD. Visit Landsat Collection 2 U.S. ARD for more information. (Public domain)

Digital Products

Each product is available for download through EarthExplorer for the data held in the USGS archive. Products available for download (.tar) are;

The U.S. ARD products include Cloud Optimized GeoTIFF formatted images, the associated pixel quality attributes, Metadata in XML format, and full-resolution browse.

Shapefiles of Landsat Collection 2 U.S. ARD tile grids are available to download: 

Additional Information

 

Algorithm Citation

Access Data

EarthExplorer can be used to search, preview, and download Landsat Collection 2 U.S. ARD Tile Data. The product is located under the Landsat category, Landsat C2 U.S. Analysis Ready Data (ARD) sub-category, and listed as U.S. Landsat 4-9 ARD C2.

The Landsat Data Access summary table provides information about all Landsat Collection 2 data access options.

Data Citation History

The preferred citation for this dataset was revised in 2024 to improve accuracy and alignment with USGS Fundamental Science Practices. The dataset digital object identifier (DOI) and version did not change. 

Please cite this dataset in the following manner: 

Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center. (2021). Landsat 4-9 U.S. Analysis Ready Data, Collection 2 [dataset]. U.S. Geological Survey. https://doi.org/10.5066/P960F8OC

The previously used citation shown below is provided here for historical reference only:  
Earth Resources Observation And Science (EROS) Center. (2021). Collection-2 U.S. Landsat Analysis Ready Data (ARD) Level-2 Tiles Albers Equal Area Projection [dataset]. U.S. Geological Survey. https://doi.org/10.5066/P960F8OC

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