Global Rainfed Cropland Map at 30-Meter Resolution for 2020

Landsat-derived global rainfed-cropland product maps agricultural lands at 30-meter resolution for the nominal year 2020. The dataset, produced by NASA using Landsat 8 time-series data from 2019-2021, classifies land into rainfed single crop, rainfed crop mixed with natural vegetation, non-rainfed land, and water bodies. It is an extension of the Global Food Security-support Analysis Data project, with Version 2 currently covering only the conterminous United States.

Use Cases

• Analyzing the spatial distribution and extent of rainfed agriculture using the classified cropland layer.
• Modeling water resource needs for agriculture by distinguishing rainfed from irrigated areas.
• Assessing land cover patterns and fragmentation of agricultural landscapes within 10°x10° tiles.
• Validating and improving global food security models with high-resolution cropland area calculations.
• Monitoring changes in agricultural land use over time when compared with previous version data.

Strengths

• Provides high-resolution 30-meter spatial detail for precise land cover analysis.
• Uses a multi-year Landsat 8 time-series (2019-2021) to create a robust nominal 2020 product.
• Version 2 aims for increased accuracy and reduced errors compared to the previous release.
• Includes an accuracy assessment layer within each GeoTIFF file for validation.

Limitations

• Current geographic coverage is limited to the conterminous United States; global data is pending.
• Sources conflict on the last updated date, with one showing 2026 and another 2021.
• The specific license is listed as 'other-license-specified' without detailed terms provided.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Collection Method

Produced using Landsat 8 Operational Land Imager time-series satellite sensor data.

Time Range

2019-2021

Freshness

2026-03-13 01:06:19.914384

Geography

Conterminous United States (intended for global coverage).