
Landsat 8 Data Now Available - mxfh
http://landsat.usgs.gov/LDCM_Landsat8.php
======
stugrey
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/>

------
mikerg87
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 ?

~~~
dmm
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>

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>

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

~~~
Demiurge
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

        > 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.

~~~
jofer
That used to be the case, but these days it is mostly satellite data.

The newer civilian satellites (a lot of them are dual-purpose
military/civilian) are capable of resolutions below 1m. ~2m resolution
satellite imagery has been available for over a decade now (e.g. the IKONOS
and recent SPOT satellites).

I think (?) most of Google's imagery currently comes from the GeoEye-1
satellite, which they partially funded.

~~~
jofer
Just to make to make what I'm saying more clear:

I'm certainly not disagreeing that the highest zoom levels in major cities are
aerial photographs. The city-block level imagery available globally is from
satellite, though.

For example, compare this (probably satellite, little building lean and ~1m
resolution): <http://goo.gl/maps/mJadH>

To this (definitely aerial, lots of "lean" and ~10-20cm resolution):
<http://goo.gl/maps/WYnvE>

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

~~~
msy
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
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.

