Satellite Imagery
What is a satellite imagery report?
FORAGE offers automated web-based delivery of Landsat and Sentinel satellite imagery derived products for locations in Queensland. The user receives an email with specific information for the satellite imagery product, with a link to the image file(s).
Note: GIS software such as ArcGIS, ArcView or QGIS is required to use these image files.
What is included?
FORAGE provides six satellite image products:
- The monthly ground cover imagery. The imagery has three bands (band 1 - bare, band 2 - green cover and band 3 - non-green cover) and the value on the imagery is from 0 to 100 (in percentage). If the pixel value is 255, it suggests there are no data (e.g. cloud shadow, water). The monthly ground cover imagery does not include tree and shrub cover. The coordinate system for the image is GDA94 / Australian Albers. The monthly ground cover imagery is available from 2017.
- The monthly fractional cover imagery. The imagery has three bands (band 1 - bare, band 2 - green cover and band 3 - non-green cover) and the value on the image is from 0 to 100 (in percentage). If the pixel value is 255, it suggests there are no data (e.g. cloud shadow, water). The fractional cover imagery includes both tree, shrub and pasture cover. The coordinate system for the image is GDA94 / Australian Albers. The monthly fractional cover imagery is available from 2017.
- The monthly percentile total cover imagery. The imagery has one band and the value on the image is from 0 to 100 (in percentile). If the pixel value is 255, it suggests there are no data (e.g. cloud shadow, water). The monthly percentile total cover indicates total cover (trees, grass and litter) of a month ranked against the long term (from 2017) total cover for the same month. The coordinate system for the image is GDA94 / Australian Albers. The monthly percentile total cover imagery is available from 2017.
- Seasonal ground cover imagery. The imagery has three bands (band 1 - bare, band 2 - green cover and band 3 - non-green cover). The value on the image is from 0 to 100 (in percentage). If the pixel value is 255, it suggests there are no data (e.g. cloud shadow, water). The seasonal ground cover imagery does not include tree and shrub cover. The coordinate system for the images is GDA94 / Australian Albers. The seasonal ground cover imagery is available from 1990.
- The summary ground cover imagery (i.e. low/high values). The imagery has two bands. The band 1 is the 5th percentile and band 2 is the 95th percentile cover value derived from the entire collections of the ground cover images from 1990 to recent year. The value on the image is from 0 to 100 (in percentage). If the pixel value is 255, it suggests there are no data (e.g. water). The coordinate system for the images is GDA94 / Australian Albers.
- The foliage projective cover (FPC) imagery. The imagery is for the year indicated and has one band. The value on the image is from 0 to 100 (in percentage). If the pixel value is 255, it suggests there are no data (e.g. water). The coordinate system for the image is GDA94 / Australian Albers.
These products are based on radiometric and geometrically calibrated sequences of Landsat and Sentinel imagery. The primary FPC and cover images are produced from regression analysis against a large number of field observations across Queensland and are regularly recalibrated as more field data are collected.
Report sample
Imagery sample (monthly ground cover) is available online here (TIF, 124.4 KB)*.
Imagery sample (monthly fractional cover) is available online here (TIF, 122.7 KB)*.
Imagery sample (monthly percentile total cover) is available online here (TIF, 70.9 KB)*.
Imagery sample (seasonal ground cover) is available online here (TIF, 122.7 KB)*.
Imagery sample (ground cover summary) is available online here.
Imagery sample (foliage projective cover) is available online here (TIFF, 163.2 KB)*.
* GIS application (e.g. ArcGIS or QGIS) is required to read the geoTIFF images correctly. Image may not be displayed correctly if using an incompatible application (e.g. Windows image viewer).
Other information
Further information on Remote Sensing Science and remote sensing products is available on: https://www.qld.gov.au/environment/land/vegetation/mapping/remote-sensing/ .
