ASTER Satellite Radiance Data With Precision Terrain Correction

ASTER satellite data provides calibrated at-sensor radiance across 14 spectral bands, with spatial resolutions of 15 meters for VNIR, 30 meters for SWIR, and 90 meters for TIR bands. NASA's LPCLOUD organization produces this Level 1T product by applying geometric and terrain corrections to raw ASTER L1A data. Data acquisition for TIR bands ended in January 2026, and there are known gaps in the time series from late 2024 to early 2025.

Use Cases

• Classify land cover types using spectral signatures from the three Visible and Near Infrared (VNIR) bands and six Shortwave Infrared (SWIR) bands.
• Map surface temperature and thermal anomalies by analyzing radiance values from the five Thermal Infrared (TIR) bands.
• Perform topographic analysis and terrain correction validation using the integrated GLS2000 digital elevation data and ground control points (GCPs).
• Assess geometric accuracy for downstream products by referencing the independent quality assessment files and overlaid GCP browse images.
• Detect changes in surface reflectance over time by comparing calibrated radiance values from the north-up UTM projected scenes.

Strengths

• Provides data across 14 distinct spectral bands covering visible, shortwave, and thermal infrared wavelengths.
• Offers high spatial resolution: 15 meters for VNIR, 30 meters for SWIR, and 90 meters for TIR bands.
• Includes precision terrain correction using GLS2000 elevation data for improved topographic accuracy in daytime scenes.

Limitations

• TIR band acquisitions permanently ended in January 2026, limiting future thermal data.
• Contains significant data gaps: no VNIR observations from November 2024 to January 2025, and no TIR from November 2024 to April 2025.
• Does not include the aft-looking VNIR band 3, reducing stereo capability for some scenes.

Provenance

Source

NASA's Terra satellite Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) instrument.

Collection Method

Calibrated at-sensor radiance from Level 1B data, geometrically corrected and rotated to a north-up UTM projection using a single resampling of Level 1A product.

Time Range

From mission start through January 16, 2026 for TIR bands, with ongoing acquisition for VNIR and SWIR.

Freshness

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Geography

Global coverage from the Terra satellite's orbit.