Your Processing Environment

Use of CREODIAS Finder for ordering data

Introduction

Users of large volumes of satellite data have opportunity to use API access to the CREODIAS data repository to place batch orders of satellite data. In addition, the CREODIAS Order API also allows to pre-process Sentinel-1 and Sentinel-2 data to Analysis-Ready Data (ARD) format, allowing the user to carry analysis with multiple images that have been corrected for disturbances caused by either atmospheric, solar radiation or terrain effects.

Processor options

For Sentinel-1 four pre-processing options are available: cloud-optimised Geotiff (COG), terrain-corrected backscatter (BS), 6-day interferometric coherence (COH) and 12-day interferometric coherence (COH12). For Sentinel-2, atmospheric correction using the ESA sen2cor module is available (sen2cor). By having these computational-intensive pre-processing options available on CREODIAS, the user can use the full processing power of the cloud platform in a simple way and avoid having to download large Level 1 satellite images and instead focus on analysis-ready Level 2 data, which is a large reduction in size. The processors are based on widely accepted pre-processing workflows used by the ESA SNAP software.

Satellite data ordering

When searching for satellite data on Finder, there is an option to select a processor in the ‘order products using’ box, where the pre-processing options can be chosen. If the user wants to simply download the Level 1 images, the ‘download’ processor should be chosen.

Screenshot of CREODIAS Finder processor options

After a processor and satellite data are chosen, the order can be placed through in the Cart. Here the order can be given name and priority, and an order can be placed. After the order has been placed, the images will be prepared and automatically placed in the Cache on the CREODIAS platform. They are fully integrated into the repository and any user of CREODIAS can search, download or use them in a further analysis pipeline through Finder or a VM.
It is foreseen more processors will be made available on CREODIAS in order to facilitate easier use of satellite data for a wide variety of applications.

Screenshot of CREODIAS Finder data cart with processing options

Order API access

Placing an CREODIAS Order can also be done via API. More information about the API access can be found here.

Example use cases

If a user is interested in analysing dynamics in a specific area of interest over time, it is important subsequent satellite images are comparable. In the agricultural sector, the use of Sentinel-1 and Sentinel-2 provide excellent opportunities to improve mapping and monitoring and modelling of crop growth. The currently available processors on CREODIAS ensure that for two of the most commonly used satellite datasets (Sentinel-1 and Sentinel-2), CREODIAS users can easily generate Analysis-Ready Data.