5 ms·

Landsat 8 Data Now Available

79 points by mxfh 13y ago

stugrey 13y ago
This is such an amazing dataset. I really like the cloudless map tiles that Mapbox are producing. http://www.mapbox.com/blog/cloudless-atlas-with-landsat/ http://www.mapbox.com/blog/cloudless-atlas-with-landsat/
mikerg87 13y ago
Does anyone know if there is a way to access the image archive in a more direct way than through one of the web interfaces ? FTP or WMS ?
- Demiurge 13y ago
  I don't think so, no FTP. I always wondered why that is... As countless interns spent countless hours making orders and clicking the download links... And I don't think WMS can be direct, it's multiband tifs in it's own path/row :)
- dmm 13y ago
  Scenes are processed as you request them. Once they are processed they are available for immediate download by anyone. Check out the FAQs on the landsat site: http://landsat.usgs.gov/search_and_order_Landsat_scenes.php http://landsat.usgs.gov/search_and_order_Landsat_scenes.php Also check out WELD. I don't think it has Landsat 8 data yet but it may meet your needs: http://landsat.usgs.gov/WELD.php http://landsat.usgs.gov/WELD.php
dpcx 13y ago
I wonder how this will affect the Maps data that Google/Apple/Microsoft has.
- Demiurge 13y ago
  It probably won't, because its not very high resolution. Landsat is more about the spectrum coverage, 8 bands including infrared, and temporal coverage, a pass every 16 days, since 1984. This is useful for scientific studies. Google/Apple/Microsoft buy their data from private satellites that at a much higher resolution and in plain visible RGB, and they only need a single cloud-free composite from any time, which is why some of the Google imagery doesn't have new buildings. Google does store and provide Landsat and MODIS datasets in their Google(c)(tm) Maps Engine, and Earth Engine, for science related applications.
  - avar 13y ago
    > Google/Apple/Microsoft buy their data from private satellites The Google coverage people are most familiar with (i.e. major cities) is not from private satellites, but private aerial surveys.
    - dualogy 13y ago
      Maybe in the US and other select regions, certainly not globally though.
      - sp332 13y ago
        Moscow, Russia: https://maps.google.com/maps?q=moscow&hl=en&ll=55.750666,37.627788&spn=0.021472,0.055747&geocode=+&hnear=Moscow,+gorod+Moskva,+Russia&t=k&z=15 https://maps.google.com/maps?q=moscow&hl=en&ll=55.75... Tokyo, Japan: https://www.google.com/maps?q=tokyo&ll=35.689143,139.695239&spn=0.015493,0.027874&sll=43.2308015,-71.547514&sspn=0.24667465403978758,0.5769903376016519&t=k&hnear=Tokyo,+Japan&z=16 https://www.google.com/maps?q=tokyo&ll=35.689143,139.695... Tunis, Tunisia: https://www.google.com/maps?q=Tunis,+Tunisia&ie=UTF8&ll=36.818621,10.167267&spn=0.00791,0.013937&sll=55.75204360000007,37.618829999999974&sspn=0.018709412056083227,0.05664722281290087&t=k&hnear=Tunis,+M%C3%A9dina+de+Tunis,+Tunis,+Tunisia&z=17 https://www.google.com/maps?q=Tunis,+Tunisia&ie=UTF8&#38... Monrovia, Liberia: https://www.google.com/maps?q=monrovia,+liberia&hl=en&ll=6.300028,-10.796809&spn=0.00474,0.006968&sll=35.689143,139.695239&sspn=0.015493,0.027874&t=k&hnear=Monrovia,+Greater+Monrovia,+Montserrado,+Liberia&z=18 https://www.google.com/maps?q=monrovia,+liberia&hl=en&#3... Niue (a tiny island nation 1,500 miles off the coast of New Zealand): https://www.google.com/maps?q=niue&hl=en&ll=-19.010302,-169.805245&spn=0.002254,0.003484&sll=6.300028,-10.796809&sspn=0.00474,0.006968&t=k&hnear=Niue&z=19 https://www.google.com/maps?q=niue&hl=en&ll=-19.0103... So yeah, I think it's pretty global.
        jpdus 13y ago
        everything you posted (except Tokyo) is satellite imagery only as far as i can see - so where is your point?
angdis 13y ago
OK, so what kinds of things can you do with this data?
- msy 13y ago
  The frequency and depth of archive combined with non-visible spectrum records mean Landsat is great for monitoring changes over time over large areas. One of the best uses I"ve seen is monitoring forest clearing and burning in the Amazon.
  - ovis 13y ago
    Also, the long record of using the same spectrum bands within the Landsat program (going back to the 70s) simplifies measuring changes over time. This is a huge asset.

79 points by mxfh 13y ago

This is such an amazing dataset. I really like the cloudless map tiles that Mapbox are producing. http://www.mapbox.com/blog/cloudless-atlas-with-landsat/ http://www.mapbox.com/blog/cloudless-atlas-with-landsat/

mikerg87 13y ago

Does anyone know if there is a way to access the image archive in a more direct way than through one of the web interfaces ? FTP or WMS ?

Demiurge 13y ago
I don't think so, no FTP. I always wondered why that is... As countless interns spent countless hours making orders and clicking the download links... And I don't think WMS can be direct, it's multiband tifs in it's own path/row :)
dmm 13y ago
Scenes are processed as you request them. Once they are processed they are available for immediate download by anyone. Check out the FAQs on the landsat site: http://landsat.usgs.gov/search_and_order_Landsat_scenes.php http://landsat.usgs.gov/search_and_order_Landsat_scenes.php Also check out WELD. I don't think it has Landsat 8 data yet but it may meet your needs: http://landsat.usgs.gov/WELD.php http://landsat.usgs.gov/WELD.php

dpcx 13y ago

I wonder how this will affect the Maps data that Google/Apple/Microsoft has.

Demiurge 13y ago
It probably won't, because its not very high resolution. Landsat is more about the spectrum coverage, 8 bands including infrared, and temporal coverage, a pass every 16 days, since 1984. This is useful for scientific studies. Google/Apple/Microsoft buy their data from private satellites that at a much higher resolution and in plain visible RGB, and they only need a single cloud-free composite from any time, which is why some of the Google imagery doesn't have new buildings. Google does store and provide Landsat and MODIS datasets in their Google(c)(tm) Maps Engine, and Earth Engine, for science related applications.
- avar 13y ago
  > Google/Apple/Microsoft buy their data from private satellites The Google coverage people are most familiar with (i.e. major cities) is not from private satellites, but private aerial surveys.
  - dualogy 13y ago
    Maybe in the US and other select regions, certainly not globally though.
    - sp332 13y ago
      Moscow, Russia: https://maps.google.com/maps?q=moscow&hl=en&ll=55.750666,37.627788&spn=0.021472,0.055747&geocode=+&hnear=Moscow,+gorod+Moskva,+Russia&t=k&z=15 https://maps.google.com/maps?q=moscow&hl=en&ll=55.75... Tokyo, Japan: https://www.google.com/maps?q=tokyo&ll=35.689143,139.695239&spn=0.015493,0.027874&sll=43.2308015,-71.547514&sspn=0.24667465403978758,0.5769903376016519&t=k&hnear=Tokyo,+Japan&z=16 https://www.google.com/maps?q=tokyo&ll=35.689143,139.695... Tunis, Tunisia: https://www.google.com/maps?q=Tunis,+Tunisia&ie=UTF8&ll=36.818621,10.167267&spn=0.00791,0.013937&sll=55.75204360000007,37.618829999999974&sspn=0.018709412056083227,0.05664722281290087&t=k&hnear=Tunis,+M%C3%A9dina+de+Tunis,+Tunis,+Tunisia&z=17 https://www.google.com/maps?q=Tunis,+Tunisia&ie=UTF8&#38... Monrovia, Liberia: https://www.google.com/maps?q=monrovia,+liberia&hl=en&ll=6.300028,-10.796809&spn=0.00474,0.006968&sll=35.689143,139.695239&sspn=0.015493,0.027874&t=k&hnear=Monrovia,+Greater+Monrovia,+Montserrado,+Liberia&z=18 https://www.google.com/maps?q=monrovia,+liberia&hl=en&#3... Niue (a tiny island nation 1,500 miles off the coast of New Zealand): https://www.google.com/maps?q=niue&hl=en&ll=-19.010302,-169.805245&spn=0.002254,0.003484&sll=6.300028,-10.796809&sspn=0.00474,0.006968&t=k&hnear=Niue&z=19 https://www.google.com/maps?q=niue&hl=en&ll=-19.0103... So yeah, I think it's pretty global.
      - jpdus 13y ago
        everything you posted (except Tokyo) is satellite imagery only as far as i can see - so where is your point?

angdis 13y ago

OK, so what kinds of things can you do with this data?

msy 13y ago
The frequency and depth of archive combined with non-visible spectrum records mean Landsat is great for monitoring changes over time over large areas. One of the best uses I"ve seen is monitoring forest clearing and burning in the Amazon.
- ovis 13y ago
  Also, the long record of using the same spectrum bands within the Landsat program (going back to the 70s) simplifies measuring changes over time. This is a huge asset.