BOREAS TE-18: Landsat TM Land Cover Classification of the SSA

BOREAS TE-18 is a land cover classification image derived from a Landsat-5 Thematic Mapper scene captured on September 2, 1994, over the Southern Study Area (SSA). The classification uses a geometric optical canopy model and spectral trajectories from land cover reflectances as training data. The data product is provided in a binary image file format with companion thumbnail and utility files.

Use Cases

• Validating land cover models for the BOREAS Southern Study Area based on the 1994 classification.
• Analyzing spectral trajectories of different land cover types for remote sensing method development.
• Providing a baseline land cover map for ecological studies in the boreal forest region.
• Testing geometric optical canopy models against empirical satellite imagery.

Strengths

• Derived from a specific, high-quality source: a Landsat-5 TM image from September 2, 1994.
• Uses a documented, physics-based classification technique involving a geometric optical canopy model.
• Cross-platform presence (Data.gov and NASA Earthdata) indicates established use and importance.

Limitations

• Metadata conflict: the 'last updated' date differs significantly between Data.gov (2026) and NASA Earthdata (1994), creating uncertainty about provenance.
• Column names and exact row/size counts are not provided in any source, limiting understanding of data structure.
• The dataset is a single snapshot from 1994, offering no temporal series for change analysis.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

Collection Method

Classification derived from a Landsat-5 TM image using reflectances and a geometric optical canopy model to produce spectral trajectories for training.

Time Range

1994-09-02

Freshness

1994-09-02 23:59:59.999000

Geography

BOREAS Southern Study Area (SSA)