NOAA AVHRR Satellite Imagery Of Alaska For Environmental Monitoring

Alaska is covered by 47 selected Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) scenes from NOAA polar-orbiting satellites 6, 7, 8, and 9. The imagery has a spatial resolution of 1.1 km at nadir and is organized by 7.5' or 15' quadrangles. Data originates from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and is distributed via NASA's Earthdata platform.

Use Cases

• Fuel mapping and wildfire risk assessment using thermal infrared bands and vegetation indices derived from AVHRR channels.
• Monitoring vegetation health and phenology across Alaska by analyzing time-series data from the red and near-infrared spectral bands.
• Creating large-area mosaics of Alaska for baseline land cover studies by stitching together imagery organized by 7.5' or 15' quadrangles.
• Tracking ice and snow dynamics, including extent and melt timing, using the thermal and reflective channels sensitive to surface temperature and albedo.

Strengths

• 47 initial records with an estimated growth rate of 100 new records per year.
• High-resolution spatial data at 1.1 km ground sampling distance at satellite nadir.
• Data sourced directly from the authoritative NOAA polar-orbiting satellite program.

Limitations

• Limited documentation is explicitly noted, which may hinder data interpretation.
• The dataset is relatively small for continental-scale analysis with only 47 initial scenes.
• Data is stored on legacy physical media formats (9-track tape), complicating modern access.

Provenance

Source

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)

Collection Method

Captured by the Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) instrument on NOAA's polar-orbiting satellites 6, 7, 8, and 9.

Time Range

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Freshness

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Geography

Alaska, United States