Landsat scene- and pixel-based cloud cover research: a review
Clouds present a difficulty for optical remote sensing and a variable in regional climate change assessments. The likelihood of acquiring imagery under different cloud cover is crucial for assessing Landsat's capacity to investigate environmental change on varied scales. The Landsat data archiv...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Taylor & Francis Group
2025-08-01
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| Series: | International Journal of Digital Earth |
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| Online Access: | https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/17538947.2025.2489732 |
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| _version_ | 1849224351319064576 |
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| author | Yin Yang Peng Li Arun Jyoti Nath Zhiming Feng Zhen Xiao Jing Yang |
| author_facet | Yin Yang Peng Li Arun Jyoti Nath Zhiming Feng Zhen Xiao Jing Yang |
| author_sort | Yin Yang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Clouds present a difficulty for optical remote sensing and a variable in regional climate change assessments. The likelihood of acquiring imagery under different cloud cover is crucial for assessing Landsat's capacity to investigate environmental change on varied scales. The Landsat data archive enables comprehensive analyses of cloud cover dynamics, image acquisition probability, and their relationship to climate change. However, thematic reviews that concentrate on the spatiotemporal dynamics and mechanisms of cloud cover change are notably lacking. The research on cloud cover and image acquisition probability at the scene and pixel levels was reviewed, along with its shortcomings, using dozens of journal articles published since 1990. Correlation analysis with biophysical factors was then reviewed, and future pixel-level research on the cloud-climate nexus was prospected. Our findings demonstrate a shift toward a pixel-based paradigm from scene-based collection probabilities studies at particular cloud coverage levels. However, techniques for figuring out these thresholds in image acquisition studies are still lacking. Previous research has focused mostly on cloud-free analysis, with relatively little attention paid to pixel-based cloud occurrence. Future research is expected to concentrate on the dynamics and mechanisms of cloud cover from the perspectives of atmospheric aerosol composition, atmospheric circulation, and climate systems. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-3a90ac18a0c04932bafb966bd0f2df61 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1753-8947 1753-8955 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-08-01 |
| publisher | Taylor & Francis Group |
| record_format | Article |
| series | International Journal of Digital Earth |
| spelling | doaj-art-3a90ac18a0c04932bafb966bd0f2df612025-08-25T11:25:05ZengTaylor & Francis GroupInternational Journal of Digital Earth1753-89471753-89552025-08-0118110.1080/17538947.2025.2489732Landsat scene- and pixel-based cloud cover research: a reviewYin Yang0Peng Li1Arun Jyoti Nath2Zhiming Feng3Zhen Xiao4Jing Yang5Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, People’s Republic of ChinaInstitute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, People’s Republic of ChinaDepartment of Ecology and Environmental Science, Assam University, Silchar, IndiaInstitute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, People’s Republic of ChinaCollege of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, People’s Republic of ChinaFaculty of Geographical Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, People’s Republic of ChinaClouds present a difficulty for optical remote sensing and a variable in regional climate change assessments. The likelihood of acquiring imagery under different cloud cover is crucial for assessing Landsat's capacity to investigate environmental change on varied scales. The Landsat data archive enables comprehensive analyses of cloud cover dynamics, image acquisition probability, and their relationship to climate change. However, thematic reviews that concentrate on the spatiotemporal dynamics and mechanisms of cloud cover change are notably lacking. The research on cloud cover and image acquisition probability at the scene and pixel levels was reviewed, along with its shortcomings, using dozens of journal articles published since 1990. Correlation analysis with biophysical factors was then reviewed, and future pixel-level research on the cloud-climate nexus was prospected. Our findings demonstrate a shift toward a pixel-based paradigm from scene-based collection probabilities studies at particular cloud coverage levels. However, techniques for figuring out these thresholds in image acquisition studies are still lacking. Previous research has focused mostly on cloud-free analysis, with relatively little attention paid to pixel-based cloud occurrence. Future research is expected to concentrate on the dynamics and mechanisms of cloud cover from the perspectives of atmospheric aerosol composition, atmospheric circulation, and climate systems.https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/17538947.2025.2489732LandsatScene cloud coverImage acquisition probabilityCloud occurrence probabilityClimate change |
| spellingShingle | Yin Yang Peng Li Arun Jyoti Nath Zhiming Feng Zhen Xiao Jing Yang Landsat scene- and pixel-based cloud cover research: a review International Journal of Digital Earth Landsat Scene cloud cover Image acquisition probability Cloud occurrence probability Climate change |
| title | Landsat scene- and pixel-based cloud cover research: a review |
| title_full | Landsat scene- and pixel-based cloud cover research: a review |
| title_fullStr | Landsat scene- and pixel-based cloud cover research: a review |
| title_full_unstemmed | Landsat scene- and pixel-based cloud cover research: a review |
| title_short | Landsat scene- and pixel-based cloud cover research: a review |
| title_sort | landsat scene and pixel based cloud cover research a review |
| topic | Landsat Scene cloud cover Image acquisition probability Cloud occurrence probability Climate change |
| url | https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/17538947.2025.2489732 |
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