WorldView Snapshots

There is near complete daily coverage, with some gaps near the equator.  If there is a gap in your region, pick  the day before or after.

• Connect to https://wvs.earthdata.nasa.gov/
• Zoom in on the map
• Outline your area using the button to the right on the NE corner of the map
• Geographic projection
• Select imagery (if you want to look at false colors, click the "i" button for an explanation)
  • Terra (1030 local time overpass) or Aqua (1330 local time) MODIS true color (corrected reflectance).  This archive goes back over 20 years.
• Suomi NPP VIIRS (1330 local time),  has a night lights (0130 local time) option, which can be very informative.  This archive goes back to 2015
• NOPAA 20 VIIRS (1420 local time) goes back to 2020
• You can overlay boundaries, roads, coasts, and detected fires if desired
• Format (you must change this if want to download for use in GIS)
  • Geotiff is the best option (requires GDAL).
  • PNG plus world file: you will have to unzip the download file to get the files you need.
• Pick resolution.  (2 km, 1 km,  500 m, and 250 m)  The web site will tell you the size of the download. You would like to see the full 250 m resolution and some context of the surrounding region, so aim for 1000x1000 to 2000x2000 pixels. If necessary adjust the coverage area to make it smaller.  If you want to see the big picture, use one of the larger resolutions.
• Turn off Autoscale
• Preview
  • Cycle forward/backward by date to get a cloud free image, and one without gaps.  If you have a really cloudy area, it can be very difficult to get cloud free coverage.
  •  For use in GIS, Download image, and Unzip

Use in GIS:

• New image to open the file, picking the world file (PGW).
• Open database (shapefile) to overlay boundaries, roads, or other databases.

MODIS Terra imagery at 500 m resolution (displayed with 1200 m resolution). Roads and boundaries overlaid, in MICRODEM, where you add any information the same way you do with any other map.

Last revision 1/15/2021