Global Land Cover Characterization (GLCCP including IGBP DISCover)

Available at:

 http://edcdaac.usgs.gov/glcc/glcc.asp

Data reference:

 U.S. Geological Survey, EROS Data Center

Year:

1997
  Version:   Version 1.2 and 2 for each data product

Available data products:

Products

 Land Use/Land Cover for: Global, North America, South America, Eurasia, Africa, Australia/Pacific

Scale/spatial resolution:

1km

Classification system:

 IGBP based land cover classification (17 classes)

Remote sensing data:

AVHRR (1992-93)
  Interpretation process:
   Global land cover database: developed on a continent-by-continent basis (bottom-up
  approach)
  Continental data base: unique elements based on the specific geographic aspects of
  each continent, there are a common set of derived thematic maps produced through
  the aggregation of seasonal land cover regions
  Computer-assisted image processing interpretation, multitemporal unsupervised
  classification of NDVI data
  Classification process is not automated but more similar a traditional manual image
  interpretation. Human interpreter make the final decisions regarding the relationship
  between spectral classes defined using unsupervised methods and landscape
  characteristics that are used to make land cover definitions.

Projection:

 Version 1.2: Interrupted Goode Homolosine
Version 2: Interrupted Goode Homolosine and Geographic projection
  Validation:
   IGBP DISCover version 1.2 is the first validated 1-km global land-cover database, no
  accuracy assessment for version 2
  Accuracy assessment using a simple random sample stratified by land cover type
  with interpretation of high-resolution satellite imagery (Landsat TM or SPOT)
  Application of two methods:
  1.) “core sample” of single pixels at each site (random stratified sampling of 15 
  classes, with a target of 25 samples per class
  2.) “Confidence sample” consisting of an area of about 20 by 20 km, positioned with
  the core sample pixel at one corner, which was delineated into land cover polygons
  on the fine resolution imagery by a photointerpreter
  Objective:
   To provide a global status-quo land cover map to improve the reliability of
  global-scale environmental assessments
  No land cover change mapping was intended
  File Format:
   Binary

Data release policy:

Open access

Costs:

For free
  Updates:
   Version 2, still based on the 1992-1993 AVHRR time series representing the land
  cover patterns for that period
  Contact:
   Tom Loveland, USGS EROS Datacenter (loveland@usgs.gov)

IGBP