BOREAS NS001 TMS Level-2 Images: Atmospherically Corrected Reflectance and Temperature

1994 imagery from the BOREAS project provides atmospherically corrected NS001 TMS data for five dates across the growing season. The dataset includes scaled reflectance and temperature bands to support mapping of land cover, fPAR, and LAI over primary study areas. Data are provided in binary image format with derived relative X and Y coordinates but lack full geometric correction.

Use Cases

• Mapping land cover types using multi-spectral reflectance bands.
• Estimating biophysical parameters like Fraction of Photosynthetically Active Radiation (fPAR) and Leaf Area Index (LAI).
• Analyzing surface temperature patterns from the thermal band (Band 8).
• Studying seasonal changes in boreal forest reflectance across five dates in 1994.
• Serving as a validation or historical reference dataset for satellite-derived products.

Strengths

• Data are atmospherically corrected, improving usability for surface property analysis.
• Covers five specific dates in 1994 (April to September), capturing seasonal variation.
• Includes derived relative X and Y coordinate files for each image pixel.
• Cross-platform presence on NASA EarthData and Data.gov signals recognized importance.

Limitations

• Data are not geographically/geometrically corrected, limiting direct spatial analysis.
• A documented error exists: Band 8 header incorrectly labels 'Scaled Reflectance' instead of 'Scaled Temperatures'.
• Conflicting 'last updated' dates exist between sources (1994 vs. 2026), creating uncertainty about metadata maintenance.

Provenance

Source

ORNL_CLOUD

Collection Method

Collected via NS001 TMS sensor aboard a C130 aircraft during BOREAS 1994 field campaigns; coordinates derived using C130 INS data in a scan model.

Time Range

1994-04 to 1994-09

Freshness

2026-03-13 07:23:47.844047

Geography

BOREAS primary study areas (boreal forest regions).