What are the best Landsat spectral bands for use in my research?
The Spectral Characteristics Viewer is an interactive tool that can be used to visualize how the bands--or channels--of different satellite sensors measure the intensity of the many wavelengths (colors) of light. This is also known as the relative spectral response (RSR). By overlaying the spectral curves from different features (spectra), one can determine which bands of the selected sensor will work for the application.
Learn more: Landsat 7 / Landsat 5 and Landsat 8 Common Band Combinations
| Band | Wavelength | Useful for mapping |
|---|---|---|
| Band 1 - coastal aerosol | 0.43-0.45 | Coastal and aerosol studies |
| Band 2 - blue | 0.45-0.51 | Bathymetric mapping, distinguishing soil from vegetation and deciduous from coniferous vegetation |
| Band 3 - green | 0.53-0.59 | Emphasizes peak vegetation, which is useful for assessing plant vigor |
| Band 4 - red | 0.64-0.67 | Discriminates vegetation slopes |
| Band 5 - Near Infrared (NIR) | 0.85-0.88 | Emphasizes biomass content and shorelines |
| Band 6 - Short-wave Infrared (SWIR) 1 | 1.57-1.65 | Discriminates moisture content of soil and vegetation; penetrates thin clouds |
| Band 7 - Short-wave Infrared (SWIR) 2 | 2.11-2.29 | Improved moisture content of soil and vegetation; penetrates thin clouds |
| Band 8 - Panchromatic | 0.50-0.68 | 15 meter resolution, sharper image definition |
| Band 9 - Cirrus | 1.36-1.38 | Improved detection of cirrus cloud contamination |
| Band 10 - TIRS 1 | 10.60-11.19 | 100 meter resolution, thermal mapping and estimated soil moisture |
| Band 11 - TIRS 2 | 11.50-12.51 | 100 meter resolution, improved thermal mapping and estimated soil moisture |
| Band | Wavelength | Useful for mapping |
|---|---|---|
| Band 1 - blue | 0.45-0.52 | Bathymetric mapping, distinguishing soil from vegetation and deciduous from coniferous vegetation |
| Band 2 - green | 0.52-0.60 | Emphasizes peak vegetation, which is useful for assessing plant vigor |
| Band 3 - red | 0.63-0.69 | Discriminates vegetation slopes |
| Band 4 - Near Infrared | 0.77-0.90 | Emphasizes biomass content and shorelines |
| Band 5 - Short-wave Infrared | 1.55-1.75 | Discriminates moisture content of soil and vegetation; penetrates thin clouds |
| Band 6 - Thermal Infrared | 10.40-12.50 | Thermal mapping and estimated soil moisture |
| Band 7 - Short-wave Infrared | 2.09-2.35 | Hydrothermally altered rocks associated with mineral deposits |
| Band 8 - Panchromatic (Landsat 7 only) | 0.52-0.90 | 15 meter resolution, sharper image definition |
| Landsat MSS 1, 2, 3 Spectral Bands | Landsat MSS 4, 5 Spectral Bands | Wavelength | Useful for mapping |
|---|---|---|---|
| Band 4 - green | Band 1 - green | 0.5-0.6 | Sediment-laden water, delineates areas of shallow water |
| Band 5 - red | Band 2 - red | 0.6-0.7 | Cultural features |
| Band 6 - Near Infrared | Band 3 - Near Infrared | 0.7-0.8 | Vegetation boundary between land and water, and landforms |
| Band 7 - Near Infrared | Band 4 - Near Infrared | 0.8-1.1 | Penetrates atmospheric haze best, emphasizes vegetation, boundary between land and water, and landforms |
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