USGS EROS Archive - Landsat - Atmospheric Auxiliary Data

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These data are available for users wanting to generate custom Level-2 products using the Collection 2 surface reflectance and surface temperature algorithms. It is not necessary for users to download the atmospheric auxiliary data for use with Collection 2 Level-2 products. 

Landsat 4-5 TM and Landsat 7 ETM+ Surface Reflectance products are generated using the Landsat Ecosystem Disturbance Adaptive Processing System (LEDAPS) algorithm 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).

Landsat 8 OLI Surface Reflectance product is generated using the Land Surface Reflectance Code (LaSRC), which makes use of the coastal aerosol band to perform aerosol inversion tests, uses auxiliary climate data from MODIS, and uses a radiative transfer model.  (Vermote et al., 2016).

The Landsat 4-8 Surface Temperature product is generated from Landsat Collection 2 Level-1 thermal infrared bands, Top of Atmosphere (TOA) reflectance, TOA Brightness Temperature, Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) Global Emissivity Database (GED) data, ASTER Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) data, and atmospheric profiles of geopotential height, specific humidity, and air temperature extracted from Goddard Earth Observing System (GEOS) Model , Version 5, Forward Processing Instrument Teams (FP-IT) (for acquisitions from 2000 to present) or Modern Era Retrospective analysis for Research and Applications Version 2 (MERRA-2) (for acquisitions from 1982 to 1999).

Collection 2 Atmospheric Auxiliary Data Input Data Available via EarthExplorer

Collection 2 Surface Reflectance Atmospheric Auxiliary Data Inputs

• MODIS Fused C2 - MODIS Fused C2 is a fused product of water vapor and ozone data used to process Landsat Collection 2 Level-2 products. This product contains four MODIS data sets:  MODIS Aerosol Optical Thickness Daily Climate Modeling Grid (MOD09CMA and MYD09CMA) and MODIS SR Daily Climate Modeling Grid (MOD09CMG and MYD09CMG). Digital Object Identifier (DOI) number: doi:10.5066/P9ISIQC9
   

• NCEP/NCAR Reanalysis C2 Subset - The National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP)/National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR)  Reanalysis 1 (NCEP/NCAR Reanalysis C2 Subset) products are annual Network Common Data Form (netCDF) files, which contain the daily values for each surface pressure, precipitable water, and air temperature. NCEP data are used in the surface reflectance algorithm for Landsat 4-7 data. Digital Object Identifier number (DOI): /10.5066/P9Y9CG3P
   
• TOMS C2 Subset - Ozone data products are available for the Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer (TOMS) instruments and for the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI), and are used in the surface reflectance algorithm for Landsat 4-7 data.  Different sources are used for different date ranges. Digital Object Identifier number (DOI): /10.5066/P9KAACSP

Collection 2 Surface Temperature Atmospheric Auxiliary Data Inputs

• ASTER GED C2 Subset  - Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) Emissivity Data (ASTER) is an instrument on the Terra satellite. ASTER Global Emissivity Dataset (GED) is a global, 90-meter spatial resolution emissivity map of the Earth’s non-frozen land surfaces at different wavelengths in the thermal infrared spectrum. ASTER GED bands 13, 14, and Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) are used in the surface temperature algorithm for Landsat 4-8 data.  Digital Object Identifier number (DOI): /10.5066/P9ZQJ30Q
   
• GEOS-5 FP-IT C2 Subset- Data from Goddard Earth Observing System Model, Version 5, Forward Processing (GEOS-5 FP-IT) are used in the surface temperature algorithm for Landsat 7 data starting in 2000 as well as Landsat 8-9 data for Global products. The files are one file per 3-hour period containing one-time observation (8 files per day).  Digital Object Identifier number (DOI): /10.5066/P9NP30Z1
   

• MERRA-2 C2 Subset - Modern Era Retrospective analysis for Research and Applications Version 2 (MERRA-2) is a NASA atmospheric reanalysis that provides data beginning in 1980. MERRA-2 is the first long-term global reanalysis to assimilate space-based observations of aerosols and represent their interactions with other geophysical processes in the climate system.  Digital Object Identifier number(DOI): /10.5066/P9HI8JTZ

Collection 2 Surface Reflectance Atmospheric Auxiliary Data Input Data Available via Landsat Atmospheric Auxiliary Webpage

• Climate Modeling Grid Digital Elevation Model (CMGDEM) - CMGDEM is a global elevation model used in the surface reflectance algorithms for Landsat 4-8 data. It is stored in Hierarchical Data Format Version 4 (HDF4) format. This file is static and is not updated, and available from Landsat Collection 2 Atmospheric Auxiliary Home Page
   
• Landsat 8-9 Ratio Map  - This file of band ratio averages is used by the LaSRC algorithm for aerosol retrieval calculation in Landsat 8 surface reflectance processing.  It is derived from Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) data and gives an estimate of Normalized Difference Water Index (NDWI). This file is static and not updated, and available from Landsat Collection 2 Atmospheric Auxiliary Home Page
   
• Landsat Data Continuity Mission Look Up Tables (LDCMLUT) - The four look up tables contained in this file are used by the LaSRC algorithm in Landsat 8 surface reflectance processing. These files are static and not updated, and available from Landsat Collection 2 Atmospheric Auxiliary Home Page

Additional Information

• Landsat Collection 2 Atmospheric Auxiliary Home Page
• Landsat Atmospheric Auxiliary Data - Data Format Control Book (DFCB) 

Access Data

Use EarthExplorer to search and download Atmospheric Auxiliary Product. The data are located under the Landsat category, Atmospheric Auxiliary Data.