Amazon Land Cover Classification from 1984 AVHRR Satellite Data

LBA Regional Land Cover from AVHRR, 8-km, 1984 (DeFries et al.) is a subset of a global land cover product created for the Large Scale Biosphere-Atmosphere Experiment in Amazonia study area. The dataset classifies land cover into 13 categories using 1984 Pathfinder AVHRR Land data at 8-km resolution, derived from red, infrared, thermal bands, and NDVI metrics via a decision tree classifier. It was developed by the University of Maryland's Laboratory for Global Remote Sensing Studies to support global change research.

Use Cases

• Analyzing spatial patterns of 13 land cover classes across the Amazon region.
• Validating land cover change models using a stable 1984 baseline derived from multi-spectral AVHRR data.
• Studying vegetation temporal dynamics via metrics applied to the annual cycle of 1984 satellite data.
• Integrating historical land cover data with contemporary datasets for long-term change assessment in South America.

Strengths

• Classification uses multiple spectral bands (red, infrared, thermal) and NDVI, improving discrimination between 13 cover types.
• Underlying PAL data has a 14-year record (1981-1994), allowing for testing of classification algorithm stability.
• Product is a subset of a peer-reviewed global land cover product (DeFries et al. 1998) developed for immediate use in global change research.

Limitations

• Key metadata conflicts exist: the 'last updated' date is reported as both 2026-03 13 (datagov) and 1984-12-31 (nasa_earthdata).
• Specific row counts, file sizes, and column names are not provided by any source.
• Data is from a single year (1984) and may not reflect current land cover conditions.

Provenance

Source

University of Maryland Laboratory for Global Remote Sensing Studies, using NASA/NOAA Pathfinder AVHRR Land (PAL) data.

Collection Method

Derived by applying metrics describing vegetation temporal dynamics to 1984 PAL data at 8-km resolution, using a decision tree classifier.

Time Range

1984

Freshness

1984-12-31 23:59:59.999000

Geography

South America, specifically the LBA study area (latitude 10° N to 25° S, longitude 30° to 85° W).