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Thematic Mapper (TM) |  |
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The TM was first launched on the Landsat 4 in 1982. It orbits at 705 km and covers the entire earth, except for the poles, once every 16 days.
Each image is approximately 180 km × 180 km. The bands of importance to vegetation mapping are bands 3 and 4, which can be used to calculate NDVI values. Also of importance to land resource managers is band 6, which can be used to determine soil moisture.
These data only date to 1982, but they provide a much finer resolution. The 30 m resolution can be used to determine vegetation types and conditions at a very local level.
Band Number |
Wavelength Range (µm) |
Spectral Location |
Resolution (m) |
|---|---|---|---|
1 |
0.45-0.52 |
Blue-green |
30 |
2 |
0.52-0.60 |
Green |
30 |
3 |
0.63-0.69 |
Red |
30 |
4 |
0.76-0.90 |
Near IR |
30 |
5 |
1.55-1.75 |
Mid IR |
30 |
6 |
10.40-12.50 |
Thermal IR |
120 |
7 |
2.08-2.35 |
Mid IR |
30 |
Avery, T.E. and G.L. Berlin. 1992. Fundamentals of Remote Sensing and Airphoto Interpretation. 5th ed. Upper Saddle River, Prentice-Hall, Inc.
