How to Download Landsat 8 Data from USGS Earth Explorer

Overview

• Tutorial on downloading Landsat 8 data from the Earth Explorer website operated by the USGS.

Steps to Download Data

Opening Earth Explorer

• Open a browser and search for Earth Explorer.
• Click on the first link (earthexplorer.usgs.gov).

Logging In

• To download data, login is required (viewing does not require login).
• Click on "Login" and enter username and password, or create a new account if necessary.

Searching for a Region

• After logging in, use the search criteria on the left side.
• Select "US Features" for areas within the US or "World Features" for international areas.
• Enter the region name and click "Show" to search.

Defining an Area of Interest (AOI)

• Manually define AOI by zooming into the map and using the mouse to mark boundaries.

Filtering Data

• Specify a date range for the data you are looking for.
• Adjust cloud cover filter (0 to 18% recommended) to manage the number of results.

Selecting Datasets

• Choose the Landsat 8 dataset from the available options.
• Include specific bands or collection levels as needed.

Additional Criteria

• Optionally, specify WRS path/row and choose day/night images.

Downloading Images

• Review the images and metadata to select the most suitable one based on cloud cover and acquisition date.
• Click on the download option and decide whether to download specific bands or the entire dataset.
• The download size might vary, with a complete dataset being around 1.08 GB.

Tips

• Use filters judiciously to balance between cloud cover and the number of available images.
• For specific interests, individual bands can be downloaded separately.

Conclusion

• The procedure outlined allows for efficient searching and downloading of Landsat 8 satellite imagery from the Earth Explorer website. Suggestions or doubts can be discussed in the comments.

Note

• If viewers are interested in a tutorial on creating an account on Earth Explorer, they can request it in the comments.