MASTER Airborne Multispectral Imagery of the Southwestern US

MASTER instrument data captures calibrated radiance across 50 spectral bands from 0.460 to 12.879 micrometers. The dataset comprises georeferenced imagery from 12 flights over four U.S. states in June 2000, collected by the U.S. Department of Energy's Remote Sensing Laboratory. It includes primary Level 1B data files in HDF-4 format, along with flight paths, instrument configuration, and browse images.

Use Cases

• Spectral signature analysis using the 50 calibrated radiance bands across visible, near-infrared, and thermal infrared wavelengths.
• Geospatial analysis and land cover classification leveraging the approximately 20-meter resolution georeferenced imagery.
• Flight path reconstruction and mission planning using the included aircraft trajectory and summary information for each of the 12 flights.
• Sensor calibration and cross-comparison studies using the detailed instrument configuration and ancillary notes.
• Generating quick-look visual assessments with the derived browse images for each L1B data file.

Strengths

• Data provides high spectral detail with 50 distinct bands covering a broad wavelength range from 0.460 to 12.879 µm.
• Imagery has fine spatial resolution of approximately 20 meters, suitable for detailed regional analysis.
• Dataset includes extensive ancillary data such as flight paths, band information, and instrument configuration, supporting thorough analysis.
• Cross-platform presence on NASA EarthData and Data.gov signals its importance and curation within scientific repositories.

Limitations

• Sources conflict on the last updated date, with one listing 2000-06-17 and another 2026-03-13, suggesting potential metadata inconsistency.
• Key quantitative details like total file size, row count, and specific column names are not provided across any platform.
• Primary data is stored in the legacy HDF-4 format, which may require specialized software for access and processing.

Provenance

Source

U.S. Department of Energy's Remote Sensing Laboratory (RSL) at Nellis Air Force Base.

Collection Method

Data collected by the MODIS/ASTER Airborne Simulator (MASTER) instrument aboard a DOE B 200 aircraft during 12 coordinated flights.

Time Range

2000-06-01 to 2000-06-17

Freshness

2026-03-13 00:49:18.265577

Geography

California, Nevada, Arizona, and New Mexico, U.S.