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Land Use/Land Cover Data Access and Tools

NASA data range from global assessments of snow cover albedo to food insecurity cropland extent measurements. Our datasets and tools help researchers translate these interconnected data points into actionable knowledge.

Commonly Used Land Cover/Crop Extent Data at a Glance

Spatial ResolutionSpatial CoverageTemporal ResolutionTemporal CoverageSpectral ResolutionSatellite/
Platform		Sensor(s)/ Model NameObservation or ModelFile Format
500 mGlobal1-2 days2001-202136 bands ranging from 0.4 µm to 14.4 µmTerra and AquaMODISObservationHDF-EOS
30 m, 90 m, 1 kmRegional datasetsMulti-year2007-2016
(varies)		VariesDerived from Landsat dataGFSADObservationGeoTIFF
30 mGlobalYearly2001-2019VariesDerived from Landsat dataGLanCEObservationGeoTIFF

Land Use/Land Cover Data Tools

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Tool Description Services
RTC Stack Processor The radiometric terrain correction (RTC) stack processor tool facilitates time-series analysis of such phenomena as flooding events, deforestation, or glacier retreat. Analysis, Processing, Search and Discovery, Visualization
VEDA NASA's Visualization, Exploration, and Data Analysis (VEDA) project is an open-source science cyberinfrastructure for data processing, visualization, exploration, and geographic information systems (GIS) capabilities. Access, Analysis, Processing, Visualization, Geoprocessing
Vertex Vertex is a graphical search interface for finding synthetic aperture radar (SAR) data. Search and Discovery, Access, Downloading, Processing, Subsetting
Worldview Worldview offers the capability to interactively browse over 1,200 global, full-resolution satellite imagery layers and download the underlying data. Analysis, Search and Discovery, Visualization, Access, Comparison, Monitoring Natural Events
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Featured Land Use/Land Cover Observation Method: Sentinel-1
Sentinel-1 is a European Space Agency (ESA) satellites designed to acquire Earth-observation measurements and carries a C-band synthetic aperture radar (SAR) to provide all-weather, day-and-night imagery of Earth's surface. The platform was launched on April 3, 2014, and images Earth every six days. Sentinel-1 SAR data can reveal the surface roughness of the land, oil and vegetation moisture content, and vegetation density. The dadar data can also be used to determine water surface conditions such as waviness and identify water inundation into inland areas and beneath forest canopies.
Learn More About Sentinel-1
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HLS: Two Together Better than Two Apart

The purpose of the Harmonized Landsat Sentinel-2 (HLS) project led by IMPACT, is to combine two or more data streams into a single data set and increase their value.

Land Use/Land Cover Datasets

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Dataset Platforms Instruments Temporal Extent Location Keywords Spatial Extent Data Format
Global Food Security-support Analysis Data (GFSAD) Cropland Extent 2015 South Asia, Afghanistan, and Iran product 30 m V001 LANDSAT-8, LANDSAT-7, DEM, LANDSAT-5 OLI, ETM+, TM 2013-01-01 to 2016-06-30 SOUTHERN ASIA, AFGHANISTAN, IRAN N: 40.10861 S: -10.038404 E: 100.001086 W: 39.998656 GeoTIFF
Global Food Security-support Analysis Data (GFSAD) Cropland Extent 2015 Southeast and Northeast Asia product 30 m V001 LANDSAT-8, LANDSAT-7, DEM OLI, ETM+ 2013-01-01 to 2016-12-31 SOUTHEASTERN ASIA, EASTERN ASIA N: 60 S: -45 E: 180 W: 70 GeoTIFF
Global Food Security-support Analysis Data (GFSAD) Cropland Extent-Product 2015 Validation 30 m V001 LANDSAT-8, LANDSAT-7, LANDSAT-5, Sentinel-2A OLI, ETM+, TM, Sentinel-2 MSI 2008-01-01 to 2016-12-31 GLOBAL LAND N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180 Shapefile
Global Man-made Impervious Surface (GMIS) Dataset From Landsat MODELS, LANDSAT Computer, TM, ETM+ 2010-01-01 to 2010-12-31 AUSTRALIA, GLOBAL, AFGHANISTAN, ALAND ISLANDS, ALBANIA N: 82.78837 S: -58.349605 E: 180 W: -180 GeoTIFF, PDF, PNG, WMS
Global Mangrove Loss Extent, Land Cover Change, and Loss Drivers, 2000-2016 LANDSAT-7, LANDSAT-8, COMPUTERS, LANDSAT-5 ETM+, OLI, Computer, TM 2000-01-01 to 2016-12-31 GLOBAL N: 27.0432 S: -58.4496 E: 164.691 W: -94.5607 multiple
Global Monthly GPP from an Improved Light Use Efficiency Model, 1982-2016 METEOROLOGICAL STATIONS, MODELS EDDY CORRELATION DEVICES, MMS, Computer 1982-01-01 to 2017-01-01 GLOBAL N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180 netCDF-4 classic
Global One-Eighth Degree Urban Land Extent Projection and Base Year Grids by SSP Scenarios, 2000-2100 MODELS Computer 2000-01-01 to 2100-12-31 GLOBAL N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180 GeoTIFF, Grid, netCDF-4
Global Reservoir and Dam Database, Version 1 (GRanDv1): Dams, Revision 01 MODELS Computer 2011-01-01 to 2011-12-31 GLOBAL N: 70.4 S: -45.88 E: 176.82 W: -153.03 Shapefile, PDF, PNG, WMS
Global Reservoir and Dam Database, Version 1 (GRanDv1): Reservoirs, Revision 01 MODELS Computer 2011-01-01 to 2011-12-31 GLOBAL N: 70.4 S: -45.88 E: 176.83 W: -153.04 Shapefile, PDF, PNG, WMS
Global Rural-Urban Mapping Project, Version 1 (GRUMPv1): Land and Geographic Unit Area Grids MODELS Computer 2000-07-01 AFRICA, ASIA, AUSTRALIA, EUROPE, GLOBAL N: 85 S: -58 E: 180 W: -180 ASCII, Grid, PDF, PNG, WMS
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