Landsat Data Access

By Landsat Missions

In 2008, the Landsat products stored in the USGS EROS archive became available for download at no cost to users. The applications described below allow access to the Landsat products from the USGS archive. Each application provides unique capabilities that may be useful to user preferences, as either single file or large quantity (bulk) downloads.

USGS EarthExplorer

EarthExplorer's graphical interface lets you define areas of interest by using the map to create points or polygon selections, entering an address, zip code or place name, set a date range, and search multiple datasets simultaneously. More than 120 datasets from a wide range of satellite, aerial, land cover, and elevation sources are available to search.

Access EarthExplorer

Landsat in the Cloud

Besides downloads from traditional data portals, Landsat Collection 2 operational products can be accessed from the Amazon Web Services (AWS) cloud platform. Leveraging the data storage and processing capabilities that cloud services provide offers new ways to explore the growing record of Landsat observations.

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USGS ESPA

Multi-temporal Landsat NDVI (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index) product overlaid on aerial photographs

The EROS Science Processing Architecture (ESPA) On-Demand Interface enables users to request spectral indices like NDVI, SAVI, and more. Users can also request provisional higher-level products, such as Aquatic Reflectance and Actual Evapotranspiration. ESPA provides access to Bulk API and Downloader applications for streamlined data retrieval.

Access ESPA

Please refer to each application's Help or User Guide for optimal use and best practices.

USGS EarthExplorer

https://earthexplorer.usgs.gov

EarthExplorer (EE) is a graphical interface that can be used to define areas of interest by selecting an area on the map, or entering an address, zip code, or by place name. The system currently offers more than 120 datasets from a wide range of satellite, aerial, land cover, and elevation sources.

Searches can be applied to multiple datasets simultaneously, and a footprint or browse image of each result can be displayed on the map. Landsat Level-1 browse images can be viewed in a variety of band combinations to help determine which scene would be the best in the research being conducted.

The following Landsat products can be searched and downloaded from EE:

Landsat Collection 2 Level-1 scene based products (Landsat 1-9, worldwide)
Landsat Collection 2 Level-2 scene based surface reflectance and surface temperature products (Landsat 4-9, worldwide)
Landsat Collection 2 U.S. Analysis Ready Data (ARD) tiled products (Landsat 4-9, Conterminous U.S., Alaska, Hawaii)
Landsat Collection 2 Level-3 tiled science products (Landsat 4-9, Conterminous U.S., Alaska, Hawaii)
- Burned Area, Dynamic Surface Water Extent, Fractional Snow Covered Area, Fractional Snow Covered Area Statistics
Landsat Collection 2 Digital Elevation Model (DEM) products (Landsat 1-9, worldwide)

Details about the Landsat products listed here can be found by accessing the Landsat Product Information webpage.

Landsat Commercial Cloud Data Access

All Landsat Collection 2 operational data can be accessed from the Amazon Web Services (AWS) cloud platform. Leveraging the data storage and processing capabilities that cloud services provide offers new ways to explore the growing record of Landsat observations.

USGS ESPA

The EROS Science Processing Architecture (ESPA) on Demand Interface accepts processing requests for Landsat Provisional Aquatic Reflectance and Actual Evapotranspiration higher level products, as well as Landsat Spectral Indices. Customization services are also available from ESPA.

USGS GloVis

The Global Visualization Viewer (GloVis) provides access to Landsat Collection 2 Level-1 scene-based products held in the USGS EROS archive.

USGS LandsatLook

LandsatLook allows you to rapidly view and access Landsat Collection 2 Level-2 scene based surface reflectance and surface temperature products.

NASA AρρEEARS

The Application for Extracting and Exploring Analysis Ready Samples (AρρEEARS) lets you access and transform geospatial data from a variety of federal data archives, including Landsat U.S. Analysis Ready Data (ARD) tiled products.

USGS Bulk Download Web Application

The Bulk Download Web Application (BDWA) Uses a file system access API directly within Chrome or Edge browsers to quickly download selected files to the user's system. The BDWA becomes available when the appropriate icon is selected in the EarthExplorer Results section (as can be seen in this image). Refer to the documentation to ensure proper set up and optimal access. All operational Landsat products displayed in EarthExplorer can be downloaded using the BDWA.

Machine-to-Machine API

The Machine-to-Machine API M2M utilizes a RESTful JSON API for accessing datasets and provides the same options and functions as EarthExplorer. All interaction with this service follows JSON specifications and uses the 'application/json' content type. Visit the webpage for documentation and scripting examples. All operational Landsat products displayed in EarthExplorer can be downloaded using the BDWA.

Landsat Bulk Metadata Service

The XML and CSV files on the Landsat Bulk Metadata Service webpage contain metadata for the complete inventory of Landsat Level-1, Landsat Level-2, and U.S. Landsat ARD holdings in the USGS EROS archive. The files are quite large, are updated with new information each day, and are best accessed via script functions.

Need Help? Have Questions?

Reach out to EROS User Services with any questions about accessing Landsat products from the USGS.

Interesting Landsat Distribution Information

Check out the links below to view interesting charts and graphs about the Landsat products distributed from the USGS EROS archive, as well as an interactive view into the ever-growing available Landsat products.