LBA Regional Land Cover: 1-km Global Classification from AVHRR

LBA Regional Land Cover from AVHRR, 1-km, Version 1.2 (IGBP) is a subset of the IGBP DISCover dataset, part of the Global Land Cover Characteristics Data Base. It provides a 1-kilometer resolution global land cover map derived from AVHRR satellite data collected between April 1992 and March 1993. The dataset includes six derived thematic classifications, such as IGBP Land Cover Classification and U.S. Geological Survey Land Use/Land Cover System.

Use Cases

• Modeling land-atmosphere interactions based on the Biosphere-Atmosphere Transfer Scheme classification.
• Assessing continental-scale vegetation and land use change using the IGBP or USGS classification systems.
• Providing baseline land cover data for the Large-Scale Biosphere-Atmosphere Experiment in Amazonia (LBA) study area.
• Integrating 1-km resolution geospatial data into regional or global environmental models.

Strengths

• Provides a core set of six derived thematic classifications from a single, consistent source.
• Offers a standardized 1-km nominal spatial resolution and uses two specific map projections (Interrupted Goode Homolosine and Lambert Azimuthal Equal Area).
• Developed through a multi-institutional collaboration involving USGS, UNL, and the European Commission's JRC.

Limitations

• Metadata completeness is low: column names, row counts, and file sizes are unknown across all platforms.
• There is a conflict in the 'last updated' date: one platform lists 2026-04-10 (likely an administrative placeholder), while another lists 1993-03-31 (the end of the source data period).
• The underlying satellite imagery is from 1992-1993, making the dataset historical rather than current.

Provenance

Source

U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL), European Commission's Joint Research Centre (JRC).

Collection Method

Derived from 1-km Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) data, processed on a continent-by-continent basis and aggregated into seasonal land cover regions.

Time Range

April 1992 to March 1993.

Freshness

1993-03-31 (based on the end date of the source AVHRR data from nasa_earthdata; the 2026 date appears to be an administrative placeholder).

Geography

Global, with a specific subset for the LBA (Large-Scale Biosphere-Atmosphere Experiment in Amazonia) study area.