Satellite images are updated every 3-5 days. However, if a field is covered by clouds, cloud shadows, or snow, NDVI imagery may update less often since we don't see the field and can't calculate NDVI for it. This article discusses how we turn satellite images into NDVI imagery.
💡 In the OneSoil web app, you can view satellite images of your area. This will help you ensure that NDVI is not updating due to cloudy or snowy weather. You can view satellite images on the 'Status' page of your field. You can expand the layer to full screen, select different dates, and compare satellite images with NDVI images.
If the image was taken on a clear day, and the sky over the field was cloudless, you'll see a clear image of the field. If you see a white space on the screen, it means the field was covered by clouds that day, and we can't get data to calculate NDVI. In that case, we'll need to wait for the next cloudless image.
The OneSoil platform processes the satellite images to update the NDVI imagery:
First, we get a satellite image.
The platform then analyzes and identifies clouds, cloud shadows, and/or snow.
Parts of the image covered by clouds and other artifacts are excluded from calculations. Using clear photos of fields provides users with the most accurate knowledge about their fields' status 🌱
If the image of your region showed no cloud cover, we'll calculate NDVI and display it on the platform. This is a quick process, and data of NDVI status in your field appears on the platform about 4 hours after the image of Earth is taken.
We hope the sky over your fields is clear when the satellite passes over them and that NDVI imagery will update regularly! ☀️