Skip to main content

ASTER SWIR Anomaly

Active Outage
Issued
Jan. 13, 2009
Resolved
TBD

Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) shortwave infrared (SWIR) detectors are no longer functioning due to anomalously high SWIR detector temperatures. ASTER SWIR data acquired since April 2008 are not useable, and show saturation of values and severe striping; please refer to the table below. All attempts to bring the SWIR bands back to life have failed, and no further action is envisioned. Visible near-infrared (VNIR) and thermal infrared (TIR) data continue to show excellent quality, meeting all mission requirements and specifications.

NASA's Land Processes Distributed Active Archive Center (LP DAAC) offers nearly 1.5 million global ASTER Level 1A scenes and related on-demand products. The vast majority of these scenes were acquired prior to the SWIR detector temperature increase, and SWIR bands present may be used in investigations.

No further alerts are anticipated regarding the SWIR detector temperature situation.

LP DAAC Product Impacts Due to ASTER SWIR Anomaly

Shortname

* indicates impacted, primarily commencing April 23, 2008

Product

SWIR Bands 4-9

Normally Included?

SWIR Anomaly Impact to Product

* indicates primarily commencing April 23, 2008

*AST_1AReconstructed Unprocessed  Instrument DataYes

*SWIR bands 4-9 unusable.

VNIR bands 1-3 and TIR bands 10-14 still usable.

*AST_1AEExpedited Reconstructed Unprocessed Instrument DataYes

*SWIR bands 4-9 unusable.

VNIR bands 1-3 and TIR bands 10-14 still usable.

*AST_L1BExpedited Registered Radiance at the SensorYes

*SWIR bands 4-9 unusable.

VNIR bands 1-3 and TIR bands 10-14 still usable.

*AST_L1BERegistered Radiance at the SensorYes

*SWIR bands 4-9 unusable.

VNIR bands 1-3 and TIR bands 10-14 still usable.

AST_04Brightness Temperature at the SensorNoNo impact. Only require TIR bands 10-14.
AST_05Surface EmissivityNoNo impact. Only require TIR bands 10-14.
*AST_06SDDecorrelation Stretch SWIRYes*Product unusable.
AST_06TDDecorrelation Stretch TIRNoNo impact. Only require TIR bands 10-14.
AST_06VDDecorrelation Stretch VNIRNoNo impact. Only require VNIR bands 1-3.
*AST_07Surface Reflectance (multi-file VNIR & SWIR)Yes

*SWIR bands 4-9 unusable.

VNIR bands 1-3 still useable.

*AST_07XTSurface Reflectance Crosstalk-Corrected (multi-file VNIR & SWIR)Yes

*SWIR bands 4-9 unusable.

VNIR bands 1-3 still useable.

AST_08Surface Kinetic TemperatureNoNo impact, only require TIR bands 10-14.
*AST_09Surface Radiance (multi-file VNIR & SWIR)Yes

*SWIR bands 4-9 unusable.

VNIR bands 1-3 still usable.

AST_09TSurface Radiance TIRNoNo impact, only require TIR bands 10-14.
*AST09XTSurface Radiance Crosstalk-Corrected (multi-file VNIR & SWIR)Yes

*SWIR 4-9 unusable.

VNIR bands 1-3 still usable.

*AST13POLPolar Surface and Cloud ClassificationYes*Product unusable.
AST14DEMRelative Digital Elevation ModelNoNo impact, only require VNIR bands 3N and 3B.
*AST140THOrthorectified ImagesYes

*SWIR bands 4-9 unusable.

VNIR bands 1-3 and TIR bands 10-14 still useable.

*AST14DM0DEM and Orthorectified ImagesYes

*Ortho impact: SWIR bands 4-9 unusable.

VNIR bands 1-3 and TIR bands 10-14 still usable. No DEM impact.

Details

Last Updated

June 12, 2025

Published

Jan. 13, 2009

Data Center/Project

Land Processes DAAC (LP DAAC)