The VHR2 Image 2012 mosaic is created in pseudo-natural colour at
2.5m resolution by the Joint Research Centre (JRC). The imagery is
Global
European Environment Agency
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Denmark
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2. Very High Resolution Mosaics 2012
derived from the SPOT-5 source data with green, red, and near
could be created by combining and applying an algorithm to the
existing bands. The result is an image that can be used by a wider user
community, and serves well as a background layer for other
Copernicus products. Having this very high resolution image mosaic
EU-Hydro
infrared band. There is no blue band, but a pseudo-true colour layer
http://land.copernicus.eu
http://ec.europa.eu/growth/sectors/space/copernicus
http://www.eea.europa.eu
EU-DEM
available is especially useful for the creation of the local component
of Copernicus Land Monitoring Services.
RZ
HRL
UA
N2K
The image mosaics can be used for
different purposes. False colour
images allow for interpration of
phenomena that look similar in
natural colour. The very high
resolution mosaics are amongst
other useful to detect differences
in areas with large local variation
(e.g. urban areas).
False colour (20m), true colour (20m) and pseudo true-colour (2.5m) images
for 2012 over the Rhine-Meuse-Scheldt delta, The Netherlands
3. Update of older High Resolution Mosaics
Pan-European Component:
The 2006 and 2009 images have been updated with the same
(Very) High Resolution Mosaics
CLC
Copernicus Land Monitoring Service -
help to better detect differences, as the colour correction is the same
Land
Monitoring
for the different mosaics. These older mosaics are available as Web
Map Service (WMS), Web Feature Service (WFS), and Web Coverage
Service (WCS) for processing.
October 2015
Space
HR-VHR Mosaics
techniques as used to create the 2012 Coverage 1 mosaic. This can
Introduction
1. High Resolution Images 2012
The (very) high resolution image mosaics are part of the pan-
The Coverage 1 mosaic consists of 810 images (142x142 km),
These MCDS (Python) scripts are openly available on GitHub and are
European component of Copernicus Land Monitoring Services,
covering Europe. The dataset has been recorded by the IRS-6 satellite
developed to manage the mosaicking of large image datasets. The
managed by the European Environment Agency. The mosaics serve as
in the period from March 2011 to July 2013. The imagery has four
configuration file is an XML file that contains the sequence of tools
input for the creation of many of the Copernicus information products
bands (green, red, near infrared and short-wave infrared) and the
that can be called - along with their input parameters. MCDS can group
and services, such as land cover maps and high resolution layers on
spatial resolution is 20 meter. A cloud mask is provided for each
images according to acquisition data and can also deal with other
land cover characteristics. Having satellite imagery available to cover
image. The mosaic is in false colour.
the 39 countries of EEA, it has been worthwhile to process individual
images into a set of seamless pan-European ortho-rectified mosaics
with different spectral band combinations.
The dataset included imagery with up to 40% cloud cover, but there is
a large degree of overlapping imagery, which means some areas may
be covered by clouds in one image but not in another image. The pixels
Since 2000, the European Commission (EC) has tasked the European
that were defined by the related cloud masks were classified as
Space Agency (ESA) with the systematic acquisition of European-wide
NoData, so that the pixels underneath became visible. Images have
issues, such as reflectance, cloud masking and colour stretching.
Colour balancing is an important step during which the mosaic colours
are harmonized to create a uniform look throughout the mosaic, which
makes it usable as a background layer. The method is chosen where
the image colors are “dodged” towards a selected target image
(selected from ArcGIS online).
coverages of satellite images at regular intervals. This time series of
been ranked according to cloud cover, after which color balancing has
The metadata of these two coverages have explanatory notes
high resolution image mosaics provides the basis for underpinning
been done.
regarding the used sensors and combination of spectral bands. All the
and monitoring of Community policies. The creation of such mosaics
images have been ortho-rectified and reprojected to a Lambert
involves various processing steps such as radiometric smoothening
Azimuthal Equal Area European projection (EPSG: 3035).
between scenes from different dates and sensors, geometric
correction to ortho-rectified products, minimizing cloud cover and
These datasets are available as Web Map Service (WMS),
Web Feature Service (WFS) and Web Coverage Service (WCS) on
colour correction to create a visually attractive image.
http://land.copernicus.eu.
1. High Resolution Mosaics 2012
False and Natural Colour Images were created
Coverage 1 (false colour) is available in 20m resolution, derived
from SPOT and IRS data.
Coverage 2 (natural colour) is available in 5m and 20m
resolution, derived from RapidEye data.
Images have been ranked according to cloud cover, to have the
best data on the top layer in the mosaic.
2. Very High Resolution Mosaics 2012
A natural colour mosaic with 2.5m resolution is available that
covers the EEA 39 countries.
They are derived from SPOT-5 source data, which originally has
a false colour representation.
High Resolution Image 2012 – Coverage 1 (false colour)
A pseudo-true colour layer is created and provided as a web
service, to serve as a background layer.
The input for Coverage 2 included 17,975 scenes of RapidEye ortho3. Update of older High Resolution Mosaics
Based on experience with 2012 imagery, the 2006 and 2009
data has also been re-processed.
Colour correction has been applied on older coverage 1 data (in
20m resolution).
New (Python) scripts have been used to move misplaced images
to the correct location.
imagery, provided as approximately 35x35 km tiles with acquisition
dates from March 2011 to September 2013. The imagery has 5 bands
(blue, green, red, red-edge, near infrared) resampled to 20m
resolution (5m original resolution). There is no associated cloud mask
with the images. Mosaic Dataset Configuration Script (MDCS) were
used to create this mosaic.
High Resolution Image Mosaic (HRIM) - Coverage 2 over the Alps at the 5m
resolution. The mosaic is also available in 20m resolution