USGS EROS Archive - Landsat Archives - Landsat 7 ETM+ Level-2 Data Products - Surface Reflectance Active

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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. 

Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) offers on-demand production of Landsat 7 Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus (ETM+) 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. Specific details about Landsat 7 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 7 ETM+: July 1999 to December 31, 2022

Most Landsat 7 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.
• Due to missing auxiliary input data and/or necessary thermal data, Landsat 7 ETM+ scenes processed May 30 through June 12, 2016, cannot be processed to Surface Reflectance. The order status will be updated with this action and the remaining scenes will continue processing.
• Landsat 7 ETM+ inputs are not gap-filled in the surface reflectance production. Users can refer to the quality assurance (QA) layers for pixel-level condition and validity flags.
• 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

Landsat Collection 1 no longer available.

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

Landsat 7 ETM+ Surface Reflectance Digital Object Identifier (DOI) number: /10.5066/F7Q52MNK