USGS EROS Archive - Landsat Archives - Landsat Collection 2 U.S Analysis Ready Data (ARD) Product
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.
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 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.
Digital Products
Each product is available for download through EarthExplorer for the data held in the USGS archive. Products available for download (.tar) are;
- Top of Atmosphere (TOA) reflectance
- TOA Brightness Temperature (BT)
- Surface reflectance (SR)
- Surface Temperature (ST)
- Quality assessment (QA)
- FGDC Metadata
- Top of atmosphere full-resolution browse
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
- Landsat Collection 2 U.S. Analysis Ready Data product page
- Landsat Collection 2 U.S. Analysis Ready Data Data Format Control Book (DFCB)
- Landsat Cloud Optimized GeoTIFF (COG) Data Format Control Book
- CEOS Missions, Instruments, and Measurements (MIM) Database Record (OLI)
- CEOS Missions, Instruments, and Measurements (MIM) Database Record (TIRS)
- CEOS Missions, Instruments, and Measurements (MIM) Database Record
- Landsat Collection 2 Geometric and Radiometric Information
- Landsat Spectral Characteristics Viewer
- Landsat Band Designations
- Landsat Collections
Algorithm Citation
- Landsat Ecosystem Disturbance Adaptive Processing System (LEDAPS) Journal Article
- Land Surface Reflectance Code (LaSRC) Journal Article
- Single-Channel Surface Temperature Code Journal Article
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.
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 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.
Digital Products
Each product is available for download through EarthExplorer for the data held in the USGS archive. Products available for download (.tar) are;
- Top of Atmosphere (TOA) reflectance
- TOA Brightness Temperature (BT)
- Surface reflectance (SR)
- Surface Temperature (ST)
- Quality assessment (QA)
- FGDC Metadata
- Top of atmosphere full-resolution browse
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
- Landsat Collection 2 U.S. Analysis Ready Data product page
- Landsat Collection 2 U.S. Analysis Ready Data Data Format Control Book (DFCB)
- Landsat Cloud Optimized GeoTIFF (COG) Data Format Control Book
- CEOS Missions, Instruments, and Measurements (MIM) Database Record (OLI)
- CEOS Missions, Instruments, and Measurements (MIM) Database Record (TIRS)
- CEOS Missions, Instruments, and Measurements (MIM) Database Record
- Landsat Collection 2 Geometric and Radiometric Information
- Landsat Spectral Characteristics Viewer
- Landsat Band Designations
- Landsat Collections
Algorithm Citation
- Landsat Ecosystem Disturbance Adaptive Processing System (LEDAPS) Journal Article
- Land Surface Reflectance Code (LaSRC) Journal Article
- Single-Channel Surface Temperature Code Journal Article
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