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The 50-year Landsat collection 2 archive The 50-year Landsat collection 2 archive

The Landsat global consolidated data archive now exceeds 50 years. In recognition of the need for consistently processed data across the Landsat satellite series, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) initiated collection-based processing of the entire archive that was processed as Collection 1 in 2016. In preparation for the data from the now successfully launched Landsat 9, the USGS...
Authors
Christopher J. Crawford, David P. Roy, Saeed Arab, Christopher Barnes, Eric Vermote, Glynn Hulley, Aaron Gerace, Michael J. Choate, Christopher Engebretson, Esad Micijevic, Gail L. Schmidt, Cody Anderson, Martha Anderson, Michelle Bouchard, Bruce D. Cook, Ray Dittmeier, Danny Howard, Calli Jenkerson, Minsu Kim, Tania Kleyians, Tom Maiersperger, Chase Mueller, Christopher Neigh, Linda Owen, Benjamin Page, Nima Pahelvan, Rajagopalan Rengarajan, Jean-Claude Roger, Kristi Sayler, Pat L Scaramuzza, Sergii Skakun, Lin Yan, Hankui K. Zhang, Zhe Zhu, Stephen G. Zahn

Calibration and validation for the Surface Biology and Geology (SBG) mission concept: Recommendations for a multi-sensor system for imaging spectroscopy and thermal imagery Calibration and validation for the Surface Biology and Geology (SBG) mission concept: Recommendations for a multi-sensor system for imaging spectroscopy and thermal imagery

The primary objective of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Surface Biology and Geology (SBG) mission is to measure biological, physical, chemical, and mineralogical features of the Earth's surface, realizing a key conceptual component of the envisioned NASA Earth System Observatory (ESO). SBG is planned to launch as a two-platform mission in the late 2020s, the...
Authors
Kevin R. Turpie, Kimberly Ann Casey, Christopher J. Crawford, Liane S Guild, Hugh H. Kieffer, Guoqing Lin, Raymond F. Kokaly, Alok Shrestha, Cody Anderson, Shankar N. Ramaseri Chandra, Robert O. Green, Simon Hook, Constantine Lukashin, Kurt Thome

Guidelines for calibration of uncrewed aircraft systems imagery Guidelines for calibration of uncrewed aircraft systems imagery

Executive Summary This report outlines quality assurance (QA) processes, including radiometric and geometric calibration guidelines, and guidelines for data acquisition and quality control to be followed by U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) researchers for acquiring and processing uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS) data. These QA processes ensure that UAS data can be used for quantitative...
Authors
Aparajithan Sampath, Mahesh Shrestha, Michelle While, Victoria Mary Scholl

ECCOE Landsat quarterly Calibration and Validation report—Quarter 1, 2023 ECCOE Landsat quarterly Calibration and Validation report—Quarter 1, 2023

Executive Summary The U.S. Geological Survey Earth Resources Observation and Science Calibration and Validation (Cal/Val) Center of Excellence (ECCOE) focuses on improving the accuracy, precision, calibration, and product quality of remote-sensing data, leveraging years of multiscale optical system geometric and radiometric calibration and characterization experience. The ECCOE Landsat...
Authors
Md Obaidul Haque, Rajagopalan Rengarajan, Mark Lubke, Nahid Hasan, Ashish Shrestha, Fatima Tuz Zafrin Tuli, Jerad L. Shaw, Alex Denevan, Shannon Franks, Esad Micijevic, Michael J. Choate, Cody Anderson, Kurt Thome, Ed Kaita, Julia Barsi, Raviv Levy, Jeff Miller

Landsat 9 geometric commissioning calibration updates and system performance assessment Landsat 9 geometric commissioning calibration updates and system performance assessment

Starting with launch of Landsat 7 (L7) on 15 April 1999, the USGS Landsat Image Assessment System (IAS) has been performing calibration and characterization operations for over 20 years on the Landsat spacecrafts and their associated payloads. With the launch of Landsat 9 (L9) on 27 September 2021, that spacecraft and its payloads, the Operational Land Imager-2 (OLI-2) and Thermal...
Authors
Michael J. Choate, Rajagopalan Rengarajan, James Storey, Mark Lubke

Assessment of public and private land cover change in the United States from 1985–2018 Assessment of public and private land cover change in the United States from 1985–2018

An assessment of annual land cover on publicly and privately managed lands across the conterminous United States (CONUS) from 1985–2018 was performed, including land cover conversions within their management category, to inform future policy and land-use decision-making in natural resource management. Synthesizing land cover data with land management delineations aids our ability to...
Authors
Nathan C. Healey, Janis L. Taylor, Roger F. Auch

Evaluation of Copernicus DEM and comparison to the DEM used for Landsat collection-2 processing Evaluation of Copernicus DEM and comparison to the DEM used for Landsat collection-2 processing

Having highly accurate and reliable Digital Elevation Models (DEMs) of the Earth’s surface is critical to orthorectify Landsat imagery. Without such accuracy, pixel locations reported in the data are difficult to assure as accurate, especially in more mountainous landscapes, where the orthorectification process is the most challenging. To this end, the Landsat Calibration and Validation...
Authors
Shannon Franks, Rajagopalan Rengarajan

ECCOE Landsat quarterly Calibration and Validation report—Quarter 3, 2022 ECCOE Landsat quarterly Calibration and Validation report—Quarter 3, 2022

Executive Summary The U.S. Geological Survey Earth Resources Observation and Science Calibration and Validation (Cal/Val) Center of Excellence (ECCOE) focuses on improving the accuracy, precision, calibration, and product quality of remote-sensing data, leveraging years of multiscale optical system geometric and radiometric calibration and characterization experience. The ECCOE Landsat...
Authors
Obaidul Haque, Rajagopalan Rengarajan, Mark Lubke, Nahid Hasan, Ashish Shrestha, Fatima Tuz Zafrin Tuli, Jerad L. Shaw, Alex Denevan, Shannon Franks, Esad Micijevic, Mike Choate, Cody Anderson, Kurt Thome, Ed Kaita, Julia Barsi, Raviv Levy, Jeff Miller

Toward consistent change detection across irregular remote sensing time series observations Toward consistent change detection across irregular remote sensing time series observations

The use of remote sensing in time series analysis enables wall-to-wall monitoring of the land surface and is critical for assessing and understanding land cover and land use change and for understanding the Earth system as a whole. However, variability in remote sensing observation frequency through time and across space presents challenges for producing consistent change detection...
Authors
Heather J. Tollerud, Zhe Zhu, Kelcy Smith, Danika F. Wellington, Reza Hussain, Donna Viola

Trends in tree cover change over three decades related to interannual climate variability and wildfire in California Trends in tree cover change over three decades related to interannual climate variability and wildfire in California

The U.S. State of California has experienced frequent drought events, hotter temperatures and other disruptions to the climate system whose effects on ecosystems have been widely reported in recent decades. Studies primarily confined to specific vegetation communities or species, individual drought incidents, or analysis over a relatively short intervals, has limited our understanding of...
Authors
Francis K Dwomoh, Roger F. Auch, Jesslyn F. Brown, Heather J. Tollerud

Intensified warming and aridity accelerate terminal lake desiccation in the Great Basin of the western United States Intensified warming and aridity accelerate terminal lake desiccation in the Great Basin of the western United States

Terminal lakes in the Great Basin (GB) of the western US host critical wildlife habitat and food for migrating birds and can be associated with serious human health and economic consequences when they desiccate. Water levels have declined dramatically in the last 100+ years due to diversion of inflows, drought and climate change. Satellite-derived environmental science data records...
Authors
Dorothy K. Hall, John S. Kimball, Ron Larson, Nicolo E. DiGirolamo, Kimberly Ann Casey, Glynn Hulley

Landsat 9 cross calibration under-fly of Landsat 8: Planning, and execution Landsat 9 cross calibration under-fly of Landsat 8: Planning, and execution

During the early post-launch phase of the Landsat 9 mission, the Landsat 8 and 9 mission teams conducted a successful under-fly of Landsat 8 by Landsat 9, allowing for the near-simultaneous data collection of common Earth targets by the on-board sensors for cross-calibration. This effort, coordinated by the Landsat Calibration and Validation team, required contributions from various...
Authors
Edward Kaita, Brian Markham, Md Obaidul Haque, Donald Dichmann, Aaron Gerace, Lawrence Leigh, Susan Good, Michael Schmidt, Christopher J. Crawford
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