Landsat Collections

In 2016, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) reorganized the Landsat archive into a tiered collection structure. This structure 

ensures that all Landsat Level-1 products provide a consistent archive of known data quality to support time-series analysis and data 

“stacking” while controlling continuous improvement of the archive and access to all data as they are acquired. The implementation of 

collections represents a substantial change in the management of the Landsat archive by ensuring consistent quality through time and 

across all instruments.

Landsat Collection 1 contains all Level-1 data acquired since 1972 from the Landsat 8 Operational Land Imager (OLI)/Thermal 

Infrared Sensor (TIRS), Landsat 7 Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus (ETM+), Landsat 4–5 Thematic Mapper (TM), and Landsat 1–5 

Multispectral Scanner (MSS) instruments.

Landsat Collections Tiers

Landsat Collections consist of three tiered categories: 

Real-Time, Tier 1, and Tier 2. The Real-Time (RT) tier contains 

data received from Landsat 8 and Landsat 7 immediately after 

acquisition. Estimated radiometric and geometric calibration 

parameters are applied to these scenes, which are made available for download within 12 hours after acquisition. When final 

radiometric and geometric calibration parameters are calculated 

(about 16 days for Landsat 8; about 26 days for Landsat 7), the 

RT scenes are reprocessed with the more precise calibration 

parameters and placed into either Tier 1 or Tier 2.

Scenes in Tier 1 meet geometric and radiometric quality 

criteria, which are based on the radial root mean square error 

(RMSE) value of 12 meters (m) or less. Scenes in Tier 2 have an 

RMSE value greater than 12 m and do not meet Tier 1 criteria 

(fig. 1).

Collection Tier Structure

The purpose of the collection tier structure is to provide the 

following:

• Ensure a consistent Landsat archive of known data quality,

• Provide temporary data within 12 hours of acquisition in support of the International Charter to help mitigate the effects of

disasters on human life and property,

• Contain the highest quality of inventory and level of processing of Landsat Level-1 products ever created, and

• Support time-series pixel-level analysis and data stacking.

Real-Time

about 12 hours

Landsat 8

about 14–16 days

Tier 1

< 12-m RMSE

Landsat 7

about 26 days

Tier 2

> 12-m RMSE

–

Figure 1. Within 12 hours of acquisition, 

Landsat 8 and Landsat 7 data are made 

available for download in the Real-Time tier. 

Upon final calculation of the radiometric and 

geometric parameters, the Real-Time tier 

acquisitions are reprocessed and assigned 

into either Tier 1 or Tier 2.

U.S. Department of the Interior

U.S. Geological Survey

Fact Sheet 2018–3049

August 2018
In order for the user to easily identify which collection tier (RealTime, Tier 1, or Tier 2) a scene is processed into, the Landsat Collection 

1 Level-1 product identifier is in accordance with the following naming 

convention (table 1).

Table 1. An example and explanation of the Landsat Collection 1 product 

identifier.

[OLI, Operational Land Imager; TIRS, Thermal Infrared Sensor; ETM+, Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus; TM, Thematic Mapper; MSS, Multispectral Scanner; WRS, Worldwide 

Reference System; L1TP, Level-1 Precision and Terrain; L1GT, Level-1 Systematic Terrain; L1GS, Level-1 Systematic]

Landsat Collection 1 Product Identifier

LXSS_LLLL_PPPRRR_YYYYMMDD_yyyymmdd_CC_TX

L = Landsat

X = sensor (“C” = OLI/TIRS combined, “O” = OLI-only, “T” = TIRS-only, 

“E” = ETM+, “T” = TM, “M” = MSS)

SS = satellite (“07” = Landsat 7, “08” = Landsat 8)

LLLL = processing correction level (L1TP/L1GT/L1GS)

PPP = WRS path

RRR = WRS row

YYYYMMDD = acquisition year (YYYY)/ month (MM)/ day (DD)

yyyymmdd = processing year (yyyy)/ month (mm)/ day (dd)

CC = collection number (01, 02,...)

TX = collection category (“RT” = Real-Time, “T1” = Tier 1, “T2” = Tier 2)

Examples

LC08_L1GT_029030_20151209_20160131_01_RT

LE07_L1TP_016039_20040918_20160211_01_T1

LT04_L1GS_017036_19821115_20160315_01_T2

LM01_L1GS_017039_19760131_20160225_01_T2

Background image and

Landsat 8 images by NASA.

Additional Landsat Collection 1 Processing 

Changes

Along with the Landsat product identifier, the following files and processing changes are also delivered 

with all Collection 1 Level-1 data products: 

• New Quality Assessment (QA) bands and Angle

Coefficient Files

• Additional metadata (MTL.txt) fields: Saturation

Bits field, Land Cloud Cover assessment

• New cloud cover algorithm: C Function of Mask

(CFMask)

• Specific for Landsat 8 OLI/TIRS: integration of the

TIRS stray light correction

• Specific for Landsat 4–5 TM: no-Payload Correction

Data (PCD) scenes

• Calibration Parameter File (CPF) file name includes

the collection number to uniquely link CPFs to corresponding Landsat collections

• Response Linearization Look Up Tables (RLUTs)

name changes (Landsat 8 only): RLUTs are files that

accompany CPFs and contain a look up table

Landsat Collection 1 data are available for 

download at no charge from EarthExplorer at 

https://earthexplorer.usgs.gov/, GloVis at 

https://glovis.usgs.gov/, and LandsatLook Viewer 

at https://landsatlook.usgs.gov/.

For additional information or to 

learn more about the Landsat Collections inventory structure, please visit the 

Landsat Collections web page at https://

landsat.usgs.gov/landsat-collections.

Visit https://www.usgs.gov for 

more information about the USGS and 

https://remotesensing.usgs.gov for 

specifics about the Land Remote Sensing Program.

For More Information

Questions about Landsat operations, data products, and data 

access can be directed to

Landsat User Services

U.S. Geological Survey

Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center

47914 252nd Street

Sioux Falls, SD 57198

Phone: 605–594–6151 or 1–800–252–4547

Email: custserv@usgs.gov

Twitter: @USGSLandsat

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NASA.Landsat

ISSN 2327–6916 (print)

ISSN 2327–6932 (online)

https://doi.org/10.3133/fs20183049