University of Zambia

Geography and Environmental Studies

Free satellite images for download | websites for free
satellite images
GES 5861

Ms. Mwendapole
(0761416170)
Other free platforms
• GloVis
• NOAA Data Access
• Bhuvan ISRO
• Copernicus Open Access
• Digital Global Open Data program
• Global Digital Surface Model ALOS World 3D
• SAR UNIVCO
• USGS Earth Explorer
 EarthExplorer and GloVis
• These are website search tools
for aerial photographs, satellite
imagery, elevation data.
• To order or download data
from either account, you start
by registering for an account
• Links to the EROS (

• Earth Resources Observation

and Science (EROS) Center |
U.S. Geological Survey
• can be found on the upper
hand corner of EarthExplorer
and GloVis sites
• Navigating to
http//ers.cr.usgs.gov/register
• Start by choosing a
username or password
• Confirm password and
• Tick “I am not a robot”
• The next screen asks for
demographic information
and the data will be used by
their client
• By the understanding how
the data will be used, they
can better tell how they
should be providing their
data
• All answers are required
before moving on to the next
screen
• The third section is were
the client enters their
details, make sure you
provide the right address
were they contact you
were necessary.
• The email address must
be unique and can only
be used for one
account
• When done on this
screen click continue
• The last screen is to confirm
all of your information
• When everything is
complete click submit
• The next page tells
the client, the
registration is
complete
• ERS will there after
send the client an
email to activate
their account
• The client must click
“link “ in the email
in order to activate
the account
• At this point you
must confirm your
username as a client
• Click submit to return
to the signing page
which tells you “your
account has been
confirmed” as in the
screen short bellow
• Sign in to bring up
your profile home
page
 signing page
• The page tells the client
that their account has been
confirmed.
 Profile Home page
• At this stage, the
images can be
downloaded from
USGS website.
DOWNLOADING IMAGES FROM
EarthExplorer
• Once the browser is
open, on the search
space type earth
explorer
EarthExplorer
• Click on the EarthExplorer link
• Lot of satellite can be
downloaded from this
page
• On the right is the
navigation map and one
can navigate to any region
• On the right is the search
criteria
• Pick the area of interest
(AOI)
• There are multiple ways to
pick up AOI
1. Zoom and click to a
particular area on the
right side
2. The location is marked
and can be used to search
for imagery
• The other option is
that you can draw any
shape
• Use of world Feature
button to search for an
area
• Type AOI e
Specifying the search Dates
• After selecting the
region, you specify the
date range.
• Next, select cloud cover
– ranges from 0 – 100%
• Analysis cannot be done
on an image with 100%
cloud cover, thus need to
reduce it
 No. of scenes per page
• Next click on “ result
options”
• Here, it shows the number
of scenes per page
• Next option is setting data
set
Setting Data Set

• Under this this link, we

are able to see different
types products available
• Next, click LandSat
• There are different Landsat series :
 LandSat 2 collection 2 Level-2
This satellite data have been
processed to a minimum set of
requirements and organized into a
structure that allows for immediate
analysis with minimum user effort
The main difference is that Level - 2
is corrected for atmospheric effects
and thus result in "surface
reflectance images",
Whereas Level - 1 imagery includes
atmospheric effects.
• From the series, click on
LandSat collection 2 level – 2
plus (+) sign button
• Then select “LanSat 8-9
OLI/TIRS C2 L2
• After selecting
• Click on the “Additional
Criteria”
Additional criteria
• After clicking on
“Additional criteria” ,
there are few options that
are available
• Here, we click on the plus
sign under satellite
• When it opens, click on
LandSat 8 series
 Land cloud cover
• Click on “Land cloud cover”
plus button to open it
• When it opens, set the range
• Thereafter click on “results
option button”
Results option button
• The resultant images are
for :
• March
• February
• January
Footprint
• Once we click on the
footprint button, it will
show us the area covered
by the single image
Show Browse Overlay Button
• The button allows see the
image
Show Meta Data and Browse Button
• To view meta data, click
Meta data
Downloading the image
• Click on the download
option
• Next click on the
product option button
Product option Button
• Once you are on this
page, down option
can be of two method
• One can either
download by clicking
here (all the bands
can be downloaded
together)
• Or download
individual bands
• Meta data file should
be downloaded too!
(has information on
the imagery)
Downloading imagery
• To view downloaded
images, click on folder
Importing the image in GIS software
• Open QGIS
Stacking bands
Creating band set
Stacked image
 END
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