Preprints
https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-2025-317
https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-2025-317
07 Aug 2025
 | 07 Aug 2025
Status: this preprint is currently under review for the journal ESSD.

Origins, evolutions, and future directions of Landsat science products for advancing global inland water and coastal ocean observations

Benjamin Page, Christopher Crawford, Saeed Arab, Gail Schmidt, Christopher Barnes, and Danika Wellington

Abstract. In April 2020, U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center introduced a Level 2 provisional Aquatic Reflectance (AR) product for the Landsat 8 Operational Land Imager (OLI), marking the initial phase in developing a standardized global product for Landsat-derived surface water measurements. The goal of USGS EROS aquatic product research and development is to prepare for an operational processing architecture for Landsat Collection 3 in the late 2020s that will enable use of quality-controlled data for emerging Landsat aquatic science applications. To achieve this, we examine the general performance of the Landsat 8/9 provisional AR product through the Science Algorithms to Operations (SATO) framework alongside quantitative assessment using community driven inland water data records (GLObal Reflectance community dataset for Imaging and optical sensing of Aquatic environments, GLORIA) and radiometric coastal validation platforms (NASA’s Ocean Color component of the Aerosol Robotic Network, AERONET-OC). Variability within the validation datasets indicate that the performance of the Landsat 8/9 provisional AR retrieval is highly context-dependent; errors are minimal in optically simple waters (e.g., clear to moderately turbid coastal waters) but increase considerably in optically complex waters where factors such as elevated levels of turbidity, chlorophyll concentrations, or colored dissolved organic matter (CDOM) dominate the water column. Additionally, this paper examines key algorithmic considerations for atmospheric correction, highlighting factors that influence accuracy, scalability, and computational efficiency necessary for collection processing in the operational Landsat Product Generation System (LPGS). The purpose of this paper is to communicate with aquatic scientists, satellite oceanographers, and the broader Earth observation community on the origins, requirements, challenges, successes, and future objectives for operationalizing global AR data products for Landsat satellite missions.

Publisher's note: Copernicus Publications remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims made in the text, published maps, institutional affiliations, or any other geographical representation in this preprint. The responsibility to include appropriate place names lies with the authors.
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Benjamin Page, Christopher Crawford, Saeed Arab, Gail Schmidt, Christopher Barnes, and Danika Wellington

Status: open (until 13 Sep 2025)

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Benjamin Page, Christopher Crawford, Saeed Arab, Gail Schmidt, Christopher Barnes, and Danika Wellington

Data sets

Landsat 8-9 Operational Land Imager (OLI) Level 2 Provisional Aquatic Reflectance Products, Collection 2 Christopher Crawford, Benjamin Page, Saeed Arab, Gail Schmidt, Christopher Barnes, Danika Wellington https://doi.org/10.5066/P14MBBRM

Benjamin Page, Christopher Crawford, Saeed Arab, Gail Schmidt, Christopher Barnes, and Danika Wellington
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Short summary
The purpose of this paper is to communicate USGS EROS objectives for operationalizing global Level 2 Aquatic Reflectance (AR) science products for Landsat satellite missions through the Science Algorithms to Operations (SATO) process.
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