ECOSTRESS Space Station Thermal Radiance Swath Data at 70-Meter Resolution

ECOSTRESS L1B data provides at-sensor calibrated radiance values for five thermal infrared bands between 8 and 12.5 µm, plus a shortwave infrared band digital number layer. The instrument, attached to the International Space Station, collects data globally between 52° N and 52° S latitudes. Data acquisition began after launch on June 29, 2018, with known operational gaps in 2018-2019 and 2020.

Use Cases

• Retrieve land surface temperature by processing calibrated radiance values from the five TIR bands.
• Analyze plant water stress dynamics using time-series radiance data from the 10.5 micron band (band 4).
• Co-register radiance swaths with the separate ECO_L1B_GEO product using the provided orbit number for geolocation.
• Assess data quality for specific acquisitions using the included data quality indicator layers.
• Investigate instrument anomalies, such as striping in band 4 radiance values during February 2020.

Strengths

• Provides calibrated radiance for five co-registered thermal infrared bands with a native spatial resolution of 70 meters.
• Global coverage between 52° N and 52° S latitudes from the International Space Station's orbit.
• Includes ancillary data quality indicators for each radiance measurement.

Limitations

• Radiance data lacks embedded geolocation; requires a separate georeferencing product (ECO_L1B_GEO) for spatial analysis.
• Known data acquisition gaps exist, including a period from May 2019 to April 2023 where only TIR bands 2, 4, and 5 contain valid radiance values.
• Spatial resolution degrades from 70m to 90m at the edges of the sensor swath.

Provenance

Source

NASA's ECOSTRESS instrument on the International Space Station, processed by LPCLOUD.

Collection Method

Spaceborne measurements from the ECOsystem Spaceborne Thermal Radiometer Experiment.

Time Range

From June 2018 launch onward, with specific operational periods and gaps.

Freshness

null

Geography

Global coverage between 52 degrees North and 52 degrees South latitude.