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Landsat SR-Derived Spectral Indices Pixel Quality Band

Return to Landsat Surface Reflectance-Derived Spectral Indices Overview

 

A Pixel Quality Assurance (pixel_qa) band is provided with all Landsat Surface Reflectance-derived Spectral Indices.

Each pixel_qa band is provided for Landsat 4-5, Landsat 7 and Landsat 8 data. The band is in unsigned 16-bit format, whose values are bit-packed and provide information pertaining to a pixel condition of fill, clear, water, cloud shadow, snow, cloud (yes/no), cloud confidence and cirrus cloud confidence (Landsat 8 only.)  

The tables below display the bits, values, and interpretations for the Pixel Quality Assurance band for Landsat Surface Reflectance-Derived Spectral Indices. 

Landsat Surface Reflectance-Derived Spectral Indices Pixel Quality Band: Landsat 4-5, Landsat 7

Bit Value Cumulative Sum Interpretation 
0 1 1 Fill
1 2 3 Clear
2 4 7 Water
3 8 15 Cloud Shadow
4 16 31 Snow
5 32 63 Cloud
6 64 127 Cloud Confidence
00= None
01= Low
10 = Medium
11 = High
7 128 255
8 256 511 Unused
9 512 1023 Unused
10 1024 2047 Unused
11 2048 4095 Unused
12 4096 8191 Unused
13 8192 16383 Unused
14 16384 32767 Unused
15 32786 65553 Unused

Landsat Surface Reflectance-Derived Spectral Indices Pixel Quality Band: Landsat 8

Bit Value Cumulative Sum Interpretation
0 1 1 Fill
1 2 3 Clear
2 4 7 Water
3 8 15 Cloud Shadow
4 16 31 Snow
5 32 63 Cloud
6 64 127 Cloud Confidence
00= None
01= Low
10 = Medium
11 = High
7 128 255
8 256 511 Cirrus Confidence
00= Not set
01= Low  from OLI Band 9 Reflectance
10 = Medium from OLI Band 9 Reflectance
11 = High from OLI Band 9 Reflectance
9 512 1023
10 1024 2047 Unused
11 2048 4095 Unused
12 4096 8191 Unused
13 8192 16383 Unused
14 16384 32767 Unused
15 32786 65553 Unused

 

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