BOREAS Snow Maps from Landsat TM Satellite Imagery

Two Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) satellite images provide snow-covered pixel maps for the Boreal Ecosystem-Atmosphere Study (BOREAS) Southern Study Area (SSA). The dataset was created by the BOREAS RSS-08 team for specific dates in January 1993 and February 1994. It includes companion thumbnail images for visualization.

Use Cases

• Analyzing snow extent changes between two winter dates (1993-01-18 and 1994-02-06) for the BOREAS SSA.
• Validating snow cover algorithms using high-resolution Landsat TM imagery.
• Supporting hydrological and climate models with historical snow distribution data.
• Comparing derived snow-covered pixel maps with other satellite or ground-based observations.

Strengths

• Provides high-resolution snow cover data from Landsat TM, a well-established satellite sensor.
• Focuses on the scientifically significant BOREAS experiment area.
• Includes example thumbnail images for quick visual assessment.

Limitations

• Extremely limited temporal coverage, consisting of only two specific dates.
• Conflicting 'last updated' dates across sources (1994-02-06 vs. 2026-03 13).
• No column or detailed metadata information is provided by the sources.

Provenance

Source

BOREAS RSS-08 team, associated with ORNL_CLOUD.

Collection Method

Mapping performed using Landsat TM images to determine snow-covered pixels.

Time Range

1993-01-18 to 1994-02-06

Freshness

2026-03-13 07:22:33.437598

Geography

BOREAS Southern Study Area (SSA).