proposed new Land Cover Validation Site database

Coordination: CEOS Cal/Val Group

GOFC-GOLD and the CEOS Cal/Val Group will produce an international proposal to validate all existing and planned global land cover datasets. The validation methodology will be based on a “best practice” document currently compiled by the CEOS Cal/Val group. The general approach is to develop a "living" dataset of validation sites that could be used to validate any new land cover map. The validation effort will be based on new, spatially randomly selected sites. The intent is to select the sites in such a way that they are not associated with any specific land cover map and that they may retain statistically rigor when used on a variety of maps. GOFC-GOLD will support this proposal. The actual validation uses high spatial resolution satellite image data (global LANDSAT mosaic for the year 2000, SPOT, ASTER etc.). International remote sensing experts interpret the local land cover characteristics and provide data for the statistical assessment of map accuracies.

Detailed information about each site can be found at: http://landval.gsfc.nasa.gov/LPVS

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