BOREAS MAS Imagery: At-Sensor Radiance and Coordinates

NASA collected this BOREAS Level-1B MAS imagery dataset during the 1994 field campaigns to provide spatially-extensive information over boreal forest study areas. The data consist of airborne imagery from four specific dates in July and August 1994, designed to map land cover and biophysical parameters like fPAR and LAI. The files contain at-sensor radiance values and relative X and Y coordinates derived from aircraft INS data, but are not geographically corrected.

Use Cases

• Mapping land cover types in boreal ecosystems based on spectral imagery.
• Estimating biophysical parameters like Leaf Area Index (LAI) from at-sensor radiance.
• Analyzing the fraction of Photosynthetically Active Radiation (fPAR) absorbed by vegetation.
• Developing and validating geospatial correction models using relative coordinate files.
• Studying seasonal changes in boreal forest canopies across four summer 1994 dates.

Strengths

• Data originates from the NASA BOREAS campaign, a major ecological study.
• Covers four specific acquisition dates (21-Jul-1994, 24-Jul-1994, 04-Aug-1994, 08-Aug-1994), providing temporal snapshots.
• Includes derived relative X and Y coordinate files for each image pixel, enabling spatial analysis.

Limitations

• The data are not geographically or geometrically corrected, requiring user processing for precise geolocation.
• Metadata completeness is low: column names, row counts, and exact file sizes are unknown.
• A conflict exists in freshness: one platform lists a last update in 2026 (likely a metadata refresh), while the original data is from 1994.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

Collection Method

Collected via airborne MAS (MODIS Airborne Simulator) instrument during the BOREAS 1994 field campaigns.

Time Range

July-August 1994

Freshness

2026-03-13 07:27:42.892327 (metadata refresh on datagov); original data from 1994.

Geography

BOREAS primary study areas in boreal forest regions.