BOREAS Landsat TM Level-3s: Scaled At-Sensor Radiance Imagery

Landsat TM data from 22-Jun-1984 to 30-Jul-1996 provides spatially extensive information for the BOREAS study areas. The imagery includes radiant energy, detailed land cover, and biophysical parameter maps such as FPAR and LAI. It primarily covers the Northern and Southern Study Areas (NSA/SSA) of the Boreal Ecosystem-Atmosphere Study.

Use Cases

• Mapping land cover changes in boreal forests based on detailed land cover classifications.
• Estimating biophysical parameters like FPAR and LAI for ecosystem modeling.
• Analyzing radiant energy patterns over time for climate research.
• Conducting remote sensing method validation using the provided scaled at-sensor radiance data.

Strengths

• Covers a significant time range of over 12 years (1984-1996) for longitudinal study.
• Provides specific biophysical parameter maps (e.g., FPAR, LAI) beyond basic imagery.
• Includes companion files like an image inventory and thumbnails for user convenience.

Limitations

• Conflicting metadata: 'last updated' dates differ significantly between platforms (1996 vs. 2026), suggesting potential metadata errors.
• Sparse column information; specific data attributes and image counts are not provided.
• Geographic coverage is focused on specific study areas (NSA, SSA) with limited extents beyond them.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA); data collected and supplied by CCRS (Canada Centre for Remote Sensing).

Collection Method

Remotely sensed imagery from the Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) sensor, processed to Level-3s (scaled at-sensor radiance) in LGSOWG format.

Time Range

22-Jun-1984 to 30-Jul-1996

Freshness

1996-07-30 23:59:59.999000

Geography

BOREAS Northern Study Area (NSA), Southern Study Area (SSA), and the area between them.