Scout 2 Bands and Combinations

There are xiii Sentinel two bands in total. Each ring is x, 20, or 60 meters in pixel size.

Sentinel 2 consists of two satellites. First came Picket 2A which was launched in 2015. Next came Sentinel 2b in 2017.

Ii additional satellites (Sentry 2C and 2D) are planned to launch in 2022 and 2021. This volition make a total of iv Picket-2 satellites.

Overall, these 2 boosted satellites will cut the revisit time in half.

Sentinel 2 Bands

Watch-2 carries the Multispectral Imager (MSI). This sensor delivers 13 spectral bands ranging from 10 to sixty-meter pixel size.

  • Its blue (B2), green (B3), red (B4), and well-nigh-infrared (B8) channels have a x-meter resolution.
  • Next, its red edge (B5), near-infrared NIR (B6, B7 and B8A) and short-wave infrared SWIR (B11 and B12) have a footing sampling distance of 20 meters.
  • Finally, its coastal aerosol (B1) and cirrus band (B10) have a sixty meter pixel size.
Band Resolution Central Wavelength Description
B1 threescore k 443 nm Ultra blueish (Littoral and Aerosol)
B2 10 m 490 nm Blue
B3 x m 560 nm Green
B4 ten m 665 nm Cherry-red
B5 20 chiliad 705 nm Visible and Near Infrared (VNIR)
B6 20 yard 740 nm Visible and Nigh Infrared (VNIR)
B7 20 yard 783 nm Visible and Near Infrared (VNIR)
B8 ten one thousand 842 nm Visible and Near Infrared (VNIR)
B8a 20 one thousand 865 nm Visible and Near Infrared (VNIR)
B9 60 grand 940 nm Short Moving ridge Infrared (SWIR)
B10 lx m 1375 nm Curt Wave Infrared (SWIR)
B11 20 thousand 1610 nm Short Moving ridge Infrared (SWIR)
B12 20 k 2190 nm Curt Wave Infrared (SWIR)

Picket Band Combinations

We use band combinations to amend sympathize the features in imagery. The way we exercise this is past rearranging the available channels in artistic ways.

By using band combinations, we can extract specific information from an image. For case, at that place are band combinations that highlight geologic, agricultural, or vegetation features in an image.

If yous want to see Sentinel band combinations for yourself, you can cheque out the Sentinel Playground. It visualizes the band combinations below, every bit well every bit several more than.

Natural Color (B4, B3, B2)

Sentinel 2 Natural Color

The natural color band combination uses the scarlet (B4), green (B3), and blue (B2) channels. Its purpose is to display imagery the same way our eyes see the world. Just like how we meet, healthy vegetation is green. Next, urban features ofttimes appear white and grey. Finally, water is a shade of dark blue depending on how clean it is.

Color Infrared (B8, B4, B3)

Sentinel 2 Color Infrared

The color infrared band combination is meant to emphasize healthy and unhealthy vegetation. By using the virtually-infrared (B8) band, it'south peculiarly adept at reflecting chlorophyll. This is why in a colour infrared image, denser vegetation is red. Just urban areas are white.

Short-Moving ridge Infrared (B12, B8A, B4)

Sentinel 2 Shortwave Infrared

The brusque-wave infrared ring combination uses SWIR (B12), NIR (B8A), and red (B4). This blended shows vegetation in various shades of dark-green. In general, darker shades of green indicate denser vegetation. But brown is indicative of blank soil and built-up areas.

Agriculture (B11, B8, B2)

Sentinel 2 Agriculture

The agronomics ring combination uses SWIR-one (B11), near-infrared (B8), and blue (B2). Information technology'due south mostly used to monitor the health of crops because of how it uses brusque-wave and near-infrared. Both these bands are particularly expert at highlighting dense vegetation that appears as nighttime greenish.

Geology (B12, B11, B2)

Sentinel 2 Geology

The geology ring combination is a neat application for finding geological features. This includes faults, lithology, and geological formations. Past leveraging the SWIR-two (B12), SWIR-1 (B11), and blue (B2) bands, geologists tend to use this Sentinel ring combination for their analysis.

Bathymetric (B4, B3, B1)

Sentinel 2 Bathymetric

As the name implies, the bathymetric ring combination is good for coastal studies. The bathymetric band combination uses the red (B4), dark-green (B3), and coastal band (B1). By using the coastal droplets band, it'due south good for estimating suspended sediment in the h2o.

Vegetation Index (B8-B4)/(B8+B4)

Sentinel 2 Vegetation Index

Because near-infrared (which vegetation strongly reflects) and scarlet low-cal (which vegetation absorbs), the vegetation index is proficient for quantifying the amount of vegetation. The formula for the normalized difference vegetation index is (B8-B4)/(B8+B4). While high values propose dense canopy, depression or negative values indicate urban and water features.

Moisture Index (B8A-B11)/(B8A+B11)

Sentinel 2 Moisture Index

The moisture index is ideal for finding water stress in plants. It uses the brusque-moving ridge and almost-infrared to generate an index of moisture content. In general, wetter vegetation has higher values. Just lower moisture index values suggest plants are under stress from insufficient moisture.

Sentinel 2 Data Access and Software

If y'all're looking to download Scout two data, you're best bet is the Sentry Open up Admission Hub (previously known equally Sentinels Scientific Information Hub)

  • This information portal is managed past the European Space Agency (ESA) and contains all the latest acquisitions from all the Lookout satellites.
  • If you want a pace-by-step guide, and then nosotros've created a tutorial how to download Sentinel ii imagery.
  • Finally, if you're looking to analyze, manipulate or but visualize the imagery, the SNAP Toolbox is completely free for everyone to employ.

Well, that's information technology for today.

If y'all're interested in reading more on band combinations, make certain to check out our spectral signatures cheatsheet.

Or if you're just looking at finding new and creative ways to use satellite imagery, read our article on 100 remote sensing applications.

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