SNF Satellite Image Data Inventory: Landsat and SPOT Scene Catalog

SNF Satellite Image Data Inventory is a metadata catalog listing satellite scenes acquired for the Superior National Forest study site. The dataset documents which Landsat 1-5 and SPOT platform images passed quality inspection and were archived, focusing on developing techniques to link ground biophysical measurements to aircraft and satellite observations. It primarily contains Multispectral Scanner (MSS) images, with only one Thematic Mapper (TM) scene.

Use Cases

• Historical satellite data tracking based on documented scene acquisition and inspection records.
• Radiometric quality assessment for scaling studies referencing the dataset's comments on cloud cover and data problems.
• Methodological research on linking ground measurements to satellite observations using the documented SNF Study techniques.

Strengths

• Cross-platform presence on datagov and nasa_earthdata signals established importance for the research community.
• Documents a specific, curated collection of scenes from multiple satellite platforms (Landsat 1-5 and SPOT).
• Provides quality annotations, summarizing problems like cloud cover for acquired images.

Limitations

• Metadata completeness is low: column names, row counts, and dataset size are unknown across all sources.
• Conflicting freshness information: datagov lists a future update date (2026-04-09), while nasa_earthdata indicates an end date in 1986.
• The actual satellite image data referenced in the inventory are noted as no longer available from the archiving centers.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Goddard Space Flight Center.

Collection Method

Scenes were selected from available satellite platforms, inspected for quality, and archived.

Time Range

Covers the operational period of Landsat 1 through 5 and SPOT platforms; specific years are not provided.

Freshness

Last updated dates conflict: 2026-04-09 (datagov) and 1986-12-31 (nasa_earthdata).

Geography

Superior National Forest study site.