Cloud Optimized Raster Encoding Specification for Time-Series Imagery

CORE is a proposed format for efficient storage of large gridded time-series data using video encoding algorithms. The specification is released under a Creative Commons CC0 1.0 public domain license by ENVIDAT. The format was shared publicly in early 2021 and is currently in a developmental stage.

Use Cases

• Encoding a time-series of remote sensing imagery layers into a single MP4 or WebM container for efficient cloud storage and retrieval.
• Leveraging HTTP GET range requests on video-encoded raster data to enable fast previews when switching between layers in a temporal stack.
• Applying H.264, VP9, or AV1 video codecs to compress large numbers of similar raster data layers with consistent pixel size and image dimensions.
• Creating a companion format to Cloud Optimized GeoTIFF (COG) for managing collections of many layers, as noted in the format's design goals.

Strengths

• Specifications are released under a permissive Creative Commons CC0 1.0 public domain license.
• Format design explicitly supports the Open Science agenda for early-stage knowledge sharing.

Limitations

• The format is explicitly noted as being in development, with the final specification potentially very different or never becoming productive.
• Currently only applicable to RGB/Byte imagery, limiting use with other data types.
• The description warns of 'Major issues to be solved' before the format is finalized.

Provenance

Source

ENVIDAT

Collection Method

Format specification document and proposal.

Freshness

Specification was shared publicly in 2021, with development status ongoing.