10m Land Cover Classes

Full extent of water under normal circumstances (maximum long-term footprint outside of flooding or other exceptional events). Covers areas like lake beds and arroyos where water might be present regularly, but only seasonally.

Intermittent water flow or standing water, representing seasonal fluctuation in cover, weather events, or human activities. At times this class may occur due to frequent turbidity, algal blooms, ice cover, pollution, or glare.

Sustained water flow or standing water, representing permanent or sustained seasonal cover.

Healthy, closely packed tree canopy cover (vegetation over 5m high) with very little to no vegetation or bare ground cover. Defined as a tree prediction with a maximum Normalized Difference Vegetation (NDVI) value greater than or equal to a biome-specific threshold during the given time period.

Vegetation that is predominantly tree canopy cover (vegetation over 5m high) with some mixing of other vegetation or bare ground due to relatively thin leaf cover and/or dispersed distribution of trees. In some circumstances this class can also indicate trees gaining/losing leaves or dying/growing during the given time period. Defined as a tree prediction with a maximum NDVI value lower than a biome-specific threshold during the given time period.

Healthy, closely packed vegetation that is predominantly dense, short (under 5m) woody shrubs with very little to no mixed grass or bare ground cover. May contain small isolated trees. Within and around areas classified as built, this class can also include highly manicured lawns or fields. Defined as a rangeland prediction with a maximum NDVI value greater than or equal to a biome-specific threshold during the given time period.

Vegetation that is some mix of grasses and/or dispersed, short, woody scrub, with or without some bare ground cover. May contain small isolated trees. Defined as a rangeland prediction with a maximum NDVI value less than a biome-specific threshold during the given time period.

Areas of vegetation with obvious intermixing of water throughout the majority of the given time period; mostly herbaceous (non-woody) vegetation and/or scattered tree (mangrove)/scrub/shrub cover. Thick mangrove, swamp, or seasonal wetland may fall under their next-best-fit vegetation classes if water is not observed during the given time period.

Actively growing crops, irrigated pastures, and other vegetation actively managed by humans.

Fallow or otherwise inactive fields, sometimes mixed with small infrastructure in close proximity of active crops.

Artificial, impervious surfaces in the form of individual features, parts of features, or tight clusters of features with little to no mixed vegetation or bare ground. Isolated clusters of these detections represent small buildings or construction, while larger clusters are indicative of commercial, industrial, or high-density residential areas. Defined as built area with a maximum NDVI value less than a biome-specific threshold.

Artificial impervious surfaces, buildings, and structures mixed with vegetation that cannot be easily detangled at 10m-resolution. These areas typically represent low-density residential areas, suburban areas, large path networks or other dispersed human construction. Defined as built area with a maximum NDVI value greater than or equal to a biome-specific threshold.

Areas of rock or soil with very sparse to no vegetation for the entire year; large areas of sand with little to no vegetation; examples: exposed rock or soil, desert, dry salt flats, dry lake beds.

Large, homogenous areas of persistent snow or ice, typically only in mountain areas or high latitudes.

No land cover information due to continual cloud cover.