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SNF SATELLITE IMAGE DATA INVENTORY
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Summary:

The purpose of the SNF Study was to develop the techniques to make the link from biophysical measurements made on the ground to aircraft radiometric measurements and then to scale up to satellite observations. Therefore, satellite image data were acquired for the Superior National Forest study site. These data were selected from all the scenes available from Landsat 1 through 5 and SPOT platforms. Image data substantially contaminated by cloud cover or of poor radiometric quality was not acquired. Of the Landsat scenes, only one Thematic Mapper (TM) scene was acquired, the remainder were Multispectral Scanner (MSS) images. Some of the acquired image data had cloud cover in portions of the scene or other problems with the data. These problems and other comments about the images are summarized in the data set. This data set contains a listing of the scenes that passed inspection and were acquired and archived by Goddard Space Flight Center. Although these image data are no longer available from either the Goddard Space Flight Center or the ORNL DAAC, this data set has been included in the Superior National Forest data collection in order to document which satellite images were used during the project.

Table of Contents:

  1. Data Set Overview
  2. Investigator(s)
  3. Theory of Measurements
  4. Equipment
  5. Data Acquisition Methods
  6. Observations
  7. Data Description
  8. Data Organization
  9. Data Manipulations
  10. Errors
  11. Notes
  12. Application of the Data Set
  13. Future Modifications and Plans
  14. Software
  15. Data Access
  16. Output Products and Availability
  17. References
  18. Glossary of Terms
  19. List of Acronyms
  20. Document Information

1. Data Set Overview:

Data Set Identification:

SNF Satellite Image Data Inventory.

Data Set Introduction:

The purpose of the SNF Study was to develop the techniques to make the link from biophysical measurements made on the ground to aircraft radiometric measurements and then to scale up to satellite observations. Therefore, satellite image data were acquired for the Superior National Forest study site. These data were selected from all the scenes available from Landsat 1 through 5 and SPOT platforms. Image data substantially contaminated by cloud cover or of poor radiometric quality was not acquired. Of the Landsat scenes, only one Thematic Mapper (TM) scene was acquired, the remainder were Multispectral Scanner (MSS) images. Some of the acquired image data had cloud cover in portions of the scene or other problems with the data. These problems and other comments about the images are summarized in the data set. This data set contains a listing of the scenes that passed inspection and were acquired and archived by Goddard Space Flight Center. Although these image data are no longer available from either the Goddard Space Flight Center or the ORNL DAAC, this data set has been included in the Superior National Forest data collection in order to document which satellite images were used during the project.

Objective/Purpose:

The purpose of the SNF Study was to develop the techniques to make the link from biophysical measurements made on the ground to aircraft radiometric measurements and then to scale up to satellite observations.

Summary of Parameters:

This data set contains a listing of the scenes that passed inspection and were acquired and archived by Goddard Space Flight Center. These problems and other comments about the images are summarized in the data set.

Discussion:

Not available.

Related Data Sets:

Not available.

2. Investigator(s):

Investigator(s) Name and Title:

Dr. Forrest G. Hall
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center

Dr. K. Fred Huemmrich
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center

Dr. Donald E. Strebel
Versar, Inc.

Dr. Scott J. Goetz
University of Maryland

Ms. Jamie E. Nickeson
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center

Ms. K. D. Woods
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center

Dr. Celeste Jarvis
NASA Headquarters

Title of Investigation:

Biophysical, Morphological, Canopy Optical Property, and Productivity Data on the Superior National Forest.

Contact Information:

Dr. Forrest G. Hall
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
Fax: +1 (301) 614-6659
Telephone: +1 (301) 614-6695
E-mail: fghall@ltpmail.gsfc.nasa.gov

3. Theory of Measurements:

Not available.

4. Equipment:

Sensor/Instrument Description:

Collection Environment:

Satellite.

Source/Platform:

Source/Platform Mission Objectives:

Not available.

Key Variables:

Observation date (obs_datc), platform, and sensor.

Principles of Operation:

Not available.

Sensor/Instrument Measurement Geometry:

Not available.

Manufacturer of Sensor/Instrument:

Not available.

Calibration:

Not available.

5. Data Acquisition Methods:

Not available.

6. Observations:

Data/Field Notes:

Not available.

7. Data Description:

Spatial Characteristics:

The study area covered a 50 x 50 km area centered at approximately 48 degrees North latitude and 92 degrees West longitude in northeastern Minnesota at the southern edge of the North American boreal forest.

Temporal Characteristics:

This data set contains an inventory of data collected from July 1973 to August 1990.

Data Characteristics:

 


    
Variable Name/ Long Name         SAS Type      Generic Type
Description



1  obs_datc    OBS_DATE             $ 12         DATE
"Observation date (dd-mmm-yy)"


2  sze         SOLAR_ZEN               8         NUMBER(3,1)
"Average solar zenith angle in 
decimal degrees"


3  saz         SOLAR_AZM               8         NUMBER(4,1)
"Average solar azimuth angle in 
decimal degrees from north"


4  vze         VIEW_ZEN                8         NUMBER(3,1)
"Average view zenith angle from 
the platform in decimal degrees"


5  vaz         VIEW_AZM                8         NUMBER(4,1)
"Average view azimuth from the 
platform in decimal degrees from north"


6  tape_id     TAPE_ID              $ 12         CHAR(12)
"Tape ID"


7  comment     COMMENTS             $ 70         CHAR(70)
"Satellite image data comment 
regarding any known problems 
with the data, the level to which 
it has been processed, cloud cover, 
data quality, and any other 
appropriate remarks"


8  platform    PLATFORM             $ 24         CHAR(8)
"The name of the platform on 
which the instrument was mounted"


9  sensor      INSTRUMENT           $ 24         CHAR(12)
"Sensor/instrument that 
collected the data"


10 n_pix       PIXELS                  8         NUMBER(5,0)
"Number of pixels (samples) 
across any given record"


11 n_recs      NUM_RECORDS             8         NUMBER(5,0)
"Number of records (lines) 
in the scene"

Sample Data Record:

 
obs_datc       sze     saz     vze      vaz     tape_id           comment 
platform          sensor        n_pix         n_recs


"01-AUG-76"    39      130      0        0      "2983M760801"     "Band 1 and 2 data 
"Landsat-2"       "MSS"         3264          2983                 striped, cumulus in 
southern part of SNF"
"01-MAY-83"    38      141      0        0      "2983M830501"     " "           
"Landsat-4"       "MSS"         3264          2983
"03-JUL-73"    32      132      0        0      "2983M730703"     "Band 1 and 2 data 
"Landsat-1"       "MSS"         3264          2983                 striped, scattered 
cumulus in SNF"
"04-OCT-87"    53      167      3.3    102.7    "3000S871004"     "Some cirrus cloud cover 
"SPOT"            "HRV2"        3000          3000                 in Eastern SNF"
"05-JUL-76"    40      117      0        0      "2983M760705"     "Band 1 and 2 striped, 
"Landsat-1"       "MSS"         3264          2983                 few cumulus, southern 
portion of scene cut off"
"05-JUN-82"    34      133      0        0      "2983M820605"     "Line start error N and 
"Landsat-3"       "MSS"         3264          2983                 W of Ely, SNF cut off 
East of Big Moose Lake"
"05-MAY-87"    33      168     27.6    106.8    "3000S870505"     "Cirrus cloud cover in 
"SPOT"            "HRV2"        3000          3000                 Western portion of SNF"
"06-SEP-76"    49      139       0       0      "2983M760906"     "Band 1 and 2 data 
"Landsat-2"       "MSS"         3264          2983                 striped, SNF clear of 
cloud cover"
"08-AUG-87"    40      134       0       0      "2983M870808"     "SNF clear of cloud 
"Landsat-5"       "MSS"         3264          2983                 cover"
"11-JUN-79"    35      127       0       0      "2983M790611"     "Band 1 and 2 data 
"Landsat-2"       "MSS"         3264          2983                 striped, southern half 
of SNF cut off"
"13-AUG-87"    35      155       3.6   102.6    "3000S870813"     "Few scattered cumulus"  
"SPOT"            "HRV1"        3000          3000                 striped, southern half 
of SNF cut off"
"14-SEP-87"    46      157      24.1   100      "3000S870914"     "SNF clear of cloud 
"SPOT"            "HRV1"        3000          3000                 cover"
"16-AUG-90"    42      134       0       0      "2983M900816"     "Band 1 and 2 data 
"Landsat-5"       "MSS"         3264          2983                 striped, some cirrus 
cloud cover in SNF"
"18-JUN-83"    32      133       0       0      "2983M830618"     "SNF clear of cloud 
"Landsat-4"       "MSS"         3264          2983                 cover, image used as 
reference for GSFC 
work"
"21-AUG-86"    .       .         .       .             " "               " "        
"Landsat-5"       "MSS"         3264          2983 
"21-JUN-77"    36      122       0       0      "2983M770621"     "Band 1 and 2 striped, 
"Landsat-2"       "MSS"         3264          2983                 SNF clear, SNF cut off 
East of Big Lake"
"21-MAY-76"    36      131       0       0      "2983M760521"     "Band 1 and 2 data 
"Landsat-2"       "MSS"         3264          2983                 striped, SNF clear of 
cloud cover"
"22-JAN-87"    69      165       2.3   103.4    "3000S870122"     "Snow covered, SNF has 
"SPOT"            "HRV2"        3000          3000                 some cirrus"
"23-JUL-90"    36      131       0       0      "2983M900723"     "Band 1 and 2 data 
"Landsat-4"       "MSS"         3264          2983                 striped, some cumulus 
outside SNF"
"23-JUN-75"    35      125       0       0      "2983M750623"     "Band 1 and 2 data 
"Landsat-1"       "MSS"         3264          2983                 striped, SNF clear of 
cloud cover"
"24-SEP-76"    54      144       0       0      "2983M760924"     "Band 1 and 2 data 
"Landsat-2"        "MSS"        3264          2983                 striped, SNF clear of 
cloud cover"
"24-SEP-87"    50      162      13.8   101.4    "3000S870924"     "SNF clear of cloud 
"SPOT"             "HRV1"       3000          3000                 cover"
"25-APR-84"    40      139       0       0      "5965T840428"     "GSFC only possesses 
"Landsat-5"        "TM"         6967          5965                 subsection covering 
SNF"
"25-APR-87"    36      164      17.2   105.3    "3000S870425"     "Heavy cirrus cloud 
"SPOT"             "HRV2"       3000          3000                 cover in northern SNF"
"28-JUL-87"    31      155       7.3   104      "3000S870728"     "SNF clear of cloud 
"SPOT"             "HRV1"       3000          3000                 cover"
"28-JUN-84"    32      129       0       0      "2983M840628"     "Data problem not fully 
"Landsat-5"        "MSS"        3264          2983                 understood, sent back 
to no avail (scaled?)"
"31-JUL-90"    38      130       0       0      "2983M900731"     "Band 1 and 2 data 
"Landsat-5"        "MSS"        3264          2983                 striped, SNF clear of 
cloud cover"
"31-MAY-87"    27      165      26.2   106.6    "3000S870531"     "Heavy cumulus cloud "SPOT"             "HRV2"       3000          3000                 cover throughout SNF"

Footnote:

For presentation in this document, some padding blanks may have been eliminated between columns in the Sample Data Record. Due to the many fields in this data file, these columns will wrap while viewing. The actual data files, however, are column delimited with an adequate record length to prevent wrapping. See the Data Format Section for conventions used for missing data values in the data file.

8. Data Organization:

Key fields in each record are observation date (obs_datc), platform, and sensor.

Data Granularity:

This data set consists of a single ASCII file containing counts of vegetation individuals and average percent cover at each site by those vegetation species for all canopy layers.

A general description of data granularity as it applies to the IMS appears in the EOSDIS Glossary.

Data Format:

The data files associated with this data set consist of numeric and character fields of varying lengths aligned in columns. The first row of each data file contains the 8 character SAS variable name that links to the data format definition file. Character fields are enclosed in double quotes and numeric fields are listed without quotes.

Missing data values can be of two varieties:

  1. Values that were identified as missing in the original data files. Missing numeric values of this type are identified in these data as -999.

  2. Those holes that were created as a result of combining files that contained a slightly different variable set. Missing values of this type are identified in these data files as empty double quotes for character fields and a single period, '.' for numeric fields.

9. Data Manipulations:

Not available.

10. Errors:

Sources of Error:

Not available.

Quality Assessment:

Data Validation by Source:

Not available.

Confidence Level/Accuracy Judgment:

Not available.

Measurement Error for Parameters:

Not available.

Additional Quality Assessments:

Not available.

Data Verification by Data Center:

The Superior National Forest data were received from the Goddard Space Flight Center in three media:

Data from both electronic sources were input into SAS by ORNL DAAC data management staff and compared using computer code developed to process the SNF data. In many cases, the data values from both sources were found to be identical. In some cases, however, differences were identified and the providers of the data were consulted to resolve inconsistencies.

Additionally, some variable columns were available in one source, but not the other for various reasons. For example, some calculated variables/columns were provided in the ASCII files (reflecting the Tech Memo tables) that were not stored in the Oracle database for purposes of space conservation.

For similar reasons, coded values were used for many of the site and species identifier variables. A separate reference table was provided to link the coded variable with its definition (e.g., the SPECIES_REF file and the SITE_REF file).

The database produced by the ORNL DAAC is a hybrid product that is a composite of data and information extracted from all three source media. In data sets where coded variables were included, the code definition variables have been added to improve usability of the data set as a stand-alone product.

Therefore the ASCII files that are available through the ORNL DAAC on-line search and order systems are output from a data set that is a product of the essential core of numeric data provided by the data source (GSFC), augmented with additional descriptive information provided by GSFC and reorganized by the ORNL DAAC into a data structure consistent with other similar data sets maintained by the ORNL DAAC.

11. Notes:

Limitations of the Data:

Not available.

Known Problems with the Data:

Problems with the data are recorded in the Comment field of the data file.

Usage Guidance:

Not available.

Any Other Relevant Information about the Study:

None.

12. Application of the Data Set:

Not available.

13. Future Modifications and Plans:

None known at this revision.

14. Software:

Not available.

15. Data Access:

Contact Information:

ORNL DAAC User Services
Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Telephone: (865) 241-3952
Fax: (865) 574-4665
E-mail: ornldaac@ornl.gov

Data Center Identification:

ORNL Distributed Active Archive Center
Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Telephone: (865) 241-3952
Fax: (865) 574-4665
E-mail: ornldaac@ornl.gov

Procedures for Obtaining Data:

Users may place requests by telephone, electronic mail, or fax. Data are also available via the World Wide Web at http://daac.ornl.gov.

Data Center Status/Plans:

The Superior National Forest Data are available from the ORNL DAAC. Please contact the ORNL DAAC User Services Office for the most current information about these data.

16. Output Products and Availability:

Available via FTP or on CD-ROM.

17. References:

Not available.

Archive/DBMS Usage Documentation.

Contact the ORNL DAAC, Oak Ridge, Tennessee (see the Data Center Identification Section).

18. Glossary of Terms:

A general glossary is located at EOSDIS Glossary.

19. List of Acronyms:

TM Thematic Mapper MSS Multispectral Scanner URL Uniform Resource Locator

A general list of acronyms is available at http://cdiac.ornl.gov/pns/acronyms.html.

20. Document Information:

October 17, 1996 (citation revised September 23, 2002).

Document Review Date:

February 25, 1997.

Document ID:

ORNL-SNF_SAT_INV.

Citation:

Please cite this data set as follows (citation revised September 23, 2002):

Hall, F. G., K. F. Huemmrich, D. E. Strebel, S. J. Goetz, J. E. Nickeson, and K. D. Woods. 1996. SNF Satellite Image Data Inventory. [Superior National Forest Satellite Image Data Inventory]. Data set. Available on-line [http://daac.ornl.gov] from Oak Ridge National Laboratory Distributed Active Archive Center, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, U.S.A. doi:10.3334/ORNLDAAC/186.

Based on F. G. Hall, K. F. Huemmrich, D. E. Strebel, S. J. Goetz, J. E. Nickeson, and K. D. Woods, Biophysical, Morphological, Canopy Optical Property, and Productivity Data from the Superior National Forest, NASA Technical Memorandum 104568, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland, U.S.A., 1992.

Document Curator:

webmaster@daac.ornl.gov

Document Author:

DAAC Staff

Document URL

http://daac.ornl.gov