This image of the Van Diemen Gulf was acquired by the Operational Land Imager (OLI) onboard the Landsat 8 satellite on November 18, 2023.
How is the Landsat 8 and Landsat 9 Coastal/Aerosol Band 1 used?
The Operational Land Imager Band 1 (0.433-0.453 µm) on Landsat 8 and Landsat 9 is useful for imaging shallow water and tracking fine atmospheric particles like dust and smoke.
Band 1 reflects blues and violets, where light is scattered by dust, smoke, and water particles in the air. Collecting data with enough sensitivity at this spectrum is difficult. Since water absorbs and scatters light, oceans and lakes tend to look dark or lack detail on satellite images. This is especially true in the sediment-laden waters near coastlines, where subtle differences in the color of intensity can indicate what is mixed in the water. Scientists have used the coastal band to monitor chlorophyll concentrations and suspended sediments in the water, as well as phytoplankton and algae blooms.
Learn more:

Related
How is the Landsat 8 and Landsat 9 Cirrus Band 9 used?
What are the best Landsat spectral bands for use in my research?
Are there any restrictions on the use or redistribution of Landsat data?
What are the band designations for the Landsat satellites?
Does Landsat Level-1 data processing include atmospheric correction?
How is the percentage of cloud cover calculated in a Landsat scene?
What Landsat products are available?
This image of the Van Diemen Gulf was acquired by the Operational Land Imager (OLI) onboard the Landsat 8 satellite on November 18, 2023.

This natural color Landsat 8 image of the Sacramento Valley area shows the impacts of the relentless rains that impacted the area during the end of December and into the New Year. Turbid river water, saturated fields, and rising reservoirs can be seen near Stockton and Sacramento.
This natural color Landsat 8 image of the Sacramento Valley area shows the impacts of the relentless rains that impacted the area during the end of December and into the New Year. Turbid river water, saturated fields, and rising reservoirs can be seen near Stockton and Sacramento.

Karymsky volcano, one of the most active volcanoes of Kamchatka's eastern volcanic zone, erupted on April 20, 2022. This pan-sharpened Landsat 8 image captured the event. Overlaying the infrared data over the natural color image highlights the heat signature of the active flows.
Landsat ID: LC08_L1TP_098022_20220420_20220420_02_RT
Karymsky volcano, one of the most active volcanoes of Kamchatka's eastern volcanic zone, erupted on April 20, 2022. This pan-sharpened Landsat 8 image captured the event. Overlaying the infrared data over the natural color image highlights the heat signature of the active flows.
Landsat ID: LC08_L1TP_098022_20220420_20220420_02_RT
Landsat captured the tug of war between winter and spring on the heart-shaped Lake St. Clair along the U.S./Canadian border near Detroit.
This Landsat 8 image was acquired on March 6, 2021 and is shown as a natural color composite.
Learn more about the Landsat program at www.usgs.gov/landsat
Landsat captured the tug of war between winter and spring on the heart-shaped Lake St. Clair along the U.S./Canadian border near Detroit.
This Landsat 8 image was acquired on March 6, 2021 and is shown as a natural color composite.
Learn more about the Landsat program at www.usgs.gov/landsat
This Landsat 8 image "Ice Vortex" is one of many beautiful images in the Earth as Art collections.
Visit https://eros.usgs.gov/media-gallery/earth-as-art to see more.
This Landsat 8 image "Ice Vortex" is one of many beautiful images in the Earth as Art collections.
Visit https://eros.usgs.gov/media-gallery/earth-as-art to see more.

USGS Hydrologist Molly Maupin and USGS Research Physical Scientist Gabriel Senay discuss how Landsat imagery has been used by the National Water Census and in studying water use trends.
USGS Hydrologist Molly Maupin and USGS Research Physical Scientist Gabriel Senay discuss how Landsat imagery has been used by the National Water Census and in studying water use trends.

Leif Olmanson from the University of Minnesota talks about the value of Landsat data in monitoring the thousands of lakes in Minnesota.
Leif Olmanson from the University of Minnesota talks about the value of Landsat data in monitoring the thousands of lakes in Minnesota.
Landsat Collections: Providing a Stable Environmental Record for Time Series Analysis
Landsat Collections: Providing a Stable Environmental Record for Time Series Analysis
This is the third video in a series describing the new U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Landsat Collection 1 inventory structure. Collection 1 required the reprocessing of all archived Landsat data to achieve radiometric and geometric consistency of Level-1 products through time and across all Landsat sensors.
This is the third video in a series describing the new U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Landsat Collection 1 inventory structure. Collection 1 required the reprocessing of all archived Landsat data to achieve radiometric and geometric consistency of Level-1 products through time and across all Landsat sensors.

In early September 2017, Landsat 8 captured this image of what looked like an oil spill off the coast of Brazil, near Sao Paulo. The "oil" turned out to be a vast algal bloom that covered more than 100 km. This bloom was the result of a species of tiny dinoflagellate that multiplied quickly to produce astronomical numbers -- enough to color the ocean water.
In early September 2017, Landsat 8 captured this image of what looked like an oil spill off the coast of Brazil, near Sao Paulo. The "oil" turned out to be a vast algal bloom that covered more than 100 km. This bloom was the result of a species of tiny dinoflagellate that multiplied quickly to produce astronomical numbers -- enough to color the ocean water.
The Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center has created a video animation describing how Landsat 8 orbits the Earth. The video explains the 16-day cycle for capturing imagery of the entire world.
The Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center has created a video animation describing how Landsat 8 orbits the Earth. The video explains the 16-day cycle for capturing imagery of the entire world.
Landsat 8’s first image captured the area where the Great Plains and Rocky Mountains meet in Colorado in March 2013. The natural-color image shows the coniferous forest of the mountains coming down to the dormant plains. Boulder, Colorado, sits in the middle of the image.
Landsat 8’s first image captured the area where the Great Plains and Rocky Mountains meet in Colorado in March 2013. The natural-color image shows the coniferous forest of the mountains coming down to the dormant plains. Boulder, Colorado, sits in the middle of the image.
Launch of Landsat 8 on Feb. 11, 2013.
Launch of Landsat 8 on Feb. 11, 2013.
Landsat 9
U.S. Landsat Analysis Ready Data
Landsat Collections
Landsat benefiting society for fifty years
Related
How is the Landsat 8 and Landsat 9 Cirrus Band 9 used?
What are the best Landsat spectral bands for use in my research?
Are there any restrictions on the use or redistribution of Landsat data?
What are the band designations for the Landsat satellites?
Does Landsat Level-1 data processing include atmospheric correction?
How is the percentage of cloud cover calculated in a Landsat scene?
What Landsat products are available?
This image of the Van Diemen Gulf was acquired by the Operational Land Imager (OLI) onboard the Landsat 8 satellite on November 18, 2023.
This image of the Van Diemen Gulf was acquired by the Operational Land Imager (OLI) onboard the Landsat 8 satellite on November 18, 2023.

This natural color Landsat 8 image of the Sacramento Valley area shows the impacts of the relentless rains that impacted the area during the end of December and into the New Year. Turbid river water, saturated fields, and rising reservoirs can be seen near Stockton and Sacramento.
This natural color Landsat 8 image of the Sacramento Valley area shows the impacts of the relentless rains that impacted the area during the end of December and into the New Year. Turbid river water, saturated fields, and rising reservoirs can be seen near Stockton and Sacramento.

Karymsky volcano, one of the most active volcanoes of Kamchatka's eastern volcanic zone, erupted on April 20, 2022. This pan-sharpened Landsat 8 image captured the event. Overlaying the infrared data over the natural color image highlights the heat signature of the active flows.
Landsat ID: LC08_L1TP_098022_20220420_20220420_02_RT
Karymsky volcano, one of the most active volcanoes of Kamchatka's eastern volcanic zone, erupted on April 20, 2022. This pan-sharpened Landsat 8 image captured the event. Overlaying the infrared data over the natural color image highlights the heat signature of the active flows.
Landsat ID: LC08_L1TP_098022_20220420_20220420_02_RT
Landsat captured the tug of war between winter and spring on the heart-shaped Lake St. Clair along the U.S./Canadian border near Detroit.
This Landsat 8 image was acquired on March 6, 2021 and is shown as a natural color composite.
Learn more about the Landsat program at www.usgs.gov/landsat
Landsat captured the tug of war between winter and spring on the heart-shaped Lake St. Clair along the U.S./Canadian border near Detroit.
This Landsat 8 image was acquired on March 6, 2021 and is shown as a natural color composite.
Learn more about the Landsat program at www.usgs.gov/landsat
This Landsat 8 image "Ice Vortex" is one of many beautiful images in the Earth as Art collections.
Visit https://eros.usgs.gov/media-gallery/earth-as-art to see more.
This Landsat 8 image "Ice Vortex" is one of many beautiful images in the Earth as Art collections.
Visit https://eros.usgs.gov/media-gallery/earth-as-art to see more.

USGS Hydrologist Molly Maupin and USGS Research Physical Scientist Gabriel Senay discuss how Landsat imagery has been used by the National Water Census and in studying water use trends.
USGS Hydrologist Molly Maupin and USGS Research Physical Scientist Gabriel Senay discuss how Landsat imagery has been used by the National Water Census and in studying water use trends.

Leif Olmanson from the University of Minnesota talks about the value of Landsat data in monitoring the thousands of lakes in Minnesota.
Leif Olmanson from the University of Minnesota talks about the value of Landsat data in monitoring the thousands of lakes in Minnesota.
Landsat Collections: Providing a Stable Environmental Record for Time Series Analysis
Landsat Collections: Providing a Stable Environmental Record for Time Series Analysis
This is the third video in a series describing the new U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Landsat Collection 1 inventory structure. Collection 1 required the reprocessing of all archived Landsat data to achieve radiometric and geometric consistency of Level-1 products through time and across all Landsat sensors.
This is the third video in a series describing the new U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Landsat Collection 1 inventory structure. Collection 1 required the reprocessing of all archived Landsat data to achieve radiometric and geometric consistency of Level-1 products through time and across all Landsat sensors.

In early September 2017, Landsat 8 captured this image of what looked like an oil spill off the coast of Brazil, near Sao Paulo. The "oil" turned out to be a vast algal bloom that covered more than 100 km. This bloom was the result of a species of tiny dinoflagellate that multiplied quickly to produce astronomical numbers -- enough to color the ocean water.
In early September 2017, Landsat 8 captured this image of what looked like an oil spill off the coast of Brazil, near Sao Paulo. The "oil" turned out to be a vast algal bloom that covered more than 100 km. This bloom was the result of a species of tiny dinoflagellate that multiplied quickly to produce astronomical numbers -- enough to color the ocean water.
The Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center has created a video animation describing how Landsat 8 orbits the Earth. The video explains the 16-day cycle for capturing imagery of the entire world.
The Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center has created a video animation describing how Landsat 8 orbits the Earth. The video explains the 16-day cycle for capturing imagery of the entire world.
Landsat 8’s first image captured the area where the Great Plains and Rocky Mountains meet in Colorado in March 2013. The natural-color image shows the coniferous forest of the mountains coming down to the dormant plains. Boulder, Colorado, sits in the middle of the image.
Landsat 8’s first image captured the area where the Great Plains and Rocky Mountains meet in Colorado in March 2013. The natural-color image shows the coniferous forest of the mountains coming down to the dormant plains. Boulder, Colorado, sits in the middle of the image.
Launch of Landsat 8 on Feb. 11, 2013.
Launch of Landsat 8 on Feb. 11, 2013.