MASTER Airborne Multispectral Data for Southwest US Mineral Mapping

Fifty spectral bands of calibrated radiance data were collected across 13 flights by the MODIS/ASTER Airborne Simulator (MASTER) instrument. This dataset, part of the Geological Earth Mapping Experiment (GEMx), covers arid and semi-arid regions of California, Oregon, Nevada, Arizona, and New Mexico from April to September 2023. It includes Level 1B radiance imagery and derived Level 2 products for emissivity and land surface temperature.

Use Cases

• Mapping surface mineralogy and critical mineral resources using 50-band multispectral radiance data.
• Modeling land surface energy balance and heat flux with derived land surface temperature products.
• Analyzing surface emissivity properties in the thermal infrared range (8.58-12.13 micrometers).
• Conducting change detection or spatial analysis using georeferenced imagery at ~50-meter resolution.
• Calibrating or validating satellite-based thermal infrared sensors with airborne measurements.

Strengths

• Data provides high spectral resolution with 50 bands covering a broad wavelength range from 0.460 to 12.879 micrometers.
• Coverage is extensive, captured during 13 distinct flights over a five-month period in 2023.
• Includes multiple derived data products (L1B radiance, L2 emissivity, and land surface temperature) in analysis-ready formats.

Limitations

• Spatial resolution is approximately 50 meters, which may be too coarse for detailed feature analysis at a local scale.
• Conflicting metadata exists: one source lists an update date of 2026-03-13, while another lists 2023-09 26, creating uncertainty about provenance updates.
• Specific file sizes, row counts, and detailed column names are not provided across any platform.

Provenance

Source

NASA ER-2 aircraft carrying the MODIS/ASTER Airborne Simulator (MASTER) instrument, part of the GEMx project.

Collection Method

Airborne remote sensing data collection during planned flight paths, processed to Level 1B (calibrated radiance) and Level 2 (emissivity, temperature) products.

Time Range

2023 04-25 to 2023-09-26

Freshness

2026-03-13 00:47:59.938254

Geography

Southwestern United States, including parts of California, Oregon, Nevada, Arizona, and New Mexico.