Landsat 7 acquires thermal data in two bands from one detector in both high (Band 6H) and low (Band 6L) gain. The difference in gain settings is important to different types of studies (i.e., clouds vs. deserts). Aside from the resolution differences and saturation on the high and low ends, the two bands provide the same Digital Numbers (DN) for every pixel.
FILE_NAME_BAND_6_VCID_1 (band 61 or 6L) provides an expanded dynamic range and lower radiometric resolution (sensitivity), with less saturation at high Digital Number (DN) values.
FILE_NAME_BAND_6_VCID_2 (band 62 or 6H) has higher radiometric resolution (sensitivity), although it has a more restricted dynamic range, and is more likely to saturate over hot targets.
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Related Content
Does the Landsat 7 Scan Line Corrector (SLC)-off artifact affect Landsat Collections tier designation?
The Landsat 7 SLC-off artifact does not change how the data are placed into Landsat Collection tiers, as tier classifications are determined by the radiometric and geometric accuracy of each scene. Learn more: Landsat Collections Landsat Data Access
What are Landsat 7 SLC-off Gap Mask files?
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What is Landsat 7 ETM+ SLC-off data?
Landsat 7 ETM+ SLC-off data refers to all Landsat 7 images collected after May 31, 2003, when the Scan Line Corrector (SLC) failed. These products have data gaps, but are still useful and maintain the same radiometric and geometric corrections as data collected prior to the SLC failure. See the Landsat 7 website for information about the SLC-off data products.
What are the _VER.jpg and _VER.txt files that are included with the Landsat MSS and TM data?
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How is the percentage of cloud cover calculated in a Landsat scene?
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What are Landsat Bias Parameter Files?
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What are Landsat Calibration Parameter Files?
Landsat Calibration Parameter Files (CPFs) provide radiometric and geometric coefficients needed for processing of raw, uncorrected Landsat image data into Level-1 data products. Over 15,000 coefficients are issued to span distinct timeframes and are updated with improved calibration coefficients. CPFs are often updated with improved coefficients. Learn more (and search CPF files): Landsat...
How do I search for and download ascending (nighttime) Landsat scenes?
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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...
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Tracking change over time: River flooding
Tracking change over time
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- FAQ
Does the Landsat 7 Scan Line Corrector (SLC)-off artifact affect Landsat Collections tier designation?
The Landsat 7 SLC-off artifact does not change how the data are placed into Landsat Collection tiers, as tier classifications are determined by the radiometric and geometric accuracy of each scene. Learn more: Landsat Collections Landsat Data Access
What are Landsat 7 SLC-off Gap Mask files?
Band-specific gap mask files are included with every Landsat 7 Scan Line Corrector (SLC)-off Level-1 data product. These ancillary data identify the location of all pixels affected by the original data gaps in the primary SLC-off scene. The gap mask is provided as a series of individual band files, in compressed (GZIP) GeoTIFF format. Gap Mask Legend Values: green = primary scene blue = fill scene...
What is Landsat 7 ETM+ SLC-off data?
Landsat 7 ETM+ SLC-off data refers to all Landsat 7 images collected after May 31, 2003, when the Scan Line Corrector (SLC) failed. These products have data gaps, but are still useful and maintain the same radiometric and geometric corrections as data collected prior to the SLC failure. See the Landsat 7 website for information about the SLC-off data products.
What are the _VER.jpg and _VER.txt files that are included with the Landsat MSS and TM data?
The Verify Image (_VER.jpg) and Geometric Verify Report (_VER.txt) files are included with Landsat Multispectral Scanner (MSS) and Thematic Mapper (TM) Collection 1 Level-1 scenes that have processed into Tier 1. The Verify Image File displays a colored grid of verification points to represent the accuracy of geometric correction, using cross-correlation techniques to compare the product to the...
How is the percentage of cloud cover calculated in a Landsat scene?
The C Function of Mask (CFMask) algorithm is used in Landsat Collection 1 Level-1 data processing. This algorithm provides a full-image “Scene Cloud Cover” estimation of the percentage of cloud cover calculated over an entire Landsat scene. Land Cloud Cover, which is also included, is determined by calculating the percentage of clouds over land-only pixels in a scene using a mask that...
What are Landsat Bias Parameter Files?
Landsat Bias Parameter Files (BPFs) supply radiometric correction parameters that are applied during Level-1 processing of Landsat data.Learn more (and search for BPF files): Landsat Bias Parameter
What are Landsat Calibration Parameter Files?
Landsat Calibration Parameter Files (CPFs) provide radiometric and geometric coefficients needed for processing of raw, uncorrected Landsat image data into Level-1 data products. Over 15,000 coefficients are issued to span distinct timeframes and are updated with improved calibration coefficients. CPFs are often updated with improved coefficients. Learn more (and search CPF files): Landsat...
How do I search for and download ascending (nighttime) Landsat scenes?
Ascending (nighttime) WRS-2 Path/Row numbers are different from descending (daytime) Path/Rows. Cloud cover values for Landsat night scenes will always be zero. If you know the daytime path/row or coordinates and want to know the nighttime path/row, use the WRS-2 Path/Row to Latitude/Longitude Converter. Use EarthExplorer to search using path/row or coordinates: Access EarthExplorer. On the Search...
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...
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Landsat benefiting society for fifty years
Since 1972, data acquired by the Landsat series of satellites have become integral to land management for both government and the private sector, providing scientists and decision makers with key information about agricultural productivity, ice sheet dynamics, urban growth, forest monitoring, natural resource management, water quality, and supporting disaster response. Landsat 9 continues the missU.S. Landsat Analysis Ready Data
U.S. Landsat Analysis Ready Data (ARD) are a revolutionary new U.S. Geological Survey science product that allows the Landsat archive to be more accessible and easier to analyze and reduces the amount of time users spend on data processing for monitoring and assessing landscape change. U.S. Landsat ARD are Level-2 products derived from Landsat Collections Level-1 precision and terrain-corrected scLandsat Collections
In 2016, the U.S. Geological Survey reorganized the Landsat archive into a tiered collection structure, which ensures that Landsat Level-1 products provide a consistent archive of known data quality to support time-series analyses and data “stacking” while controlling continuous improvement of the archive and access to all data as they are acquired. Landsat Collection 1 required the reprocessing oLandsat—Earth observation satellites
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Landsat satellites have been capturing images of Earth from space since 1972. These images provide a long-term record of natural and human-induced changes on the global landscape. Comparing images from multiple years reveals slow and subtle changes as well as rapid and devastating ones. Landsat images are available from the Internet at no charge. Using the free software MultiSpec, students can traTracking change over time
Landsat satellites capture images of Earth from space-and have since 1972! These images provide a long-term record of natural and human-induced changes on the global landscape. Comparing images from multiple years reveals slow and subtle changes as well as rapid and devastating ones. Landsat images are available over the Internet at no charge. Using the free software MultiSpec, students can track - News