Processing

Processing levels — L0, L1, L2, L3

Industry shorthand for how much processing has been applied. Definitions vary by provider but the rough hierarchy is consistent.

PROCESSING PIPELINE · L0 → L4Raw sensor countsAnalysis-readyL0Rawdigital numberssensor counts · no calibrationON REQUESTL1OrthorectifiedDEM correctedpixel at true ground positionDEFAULTL2Surface reflectanceatmos. correctedρ_surface recoveredDEFAULTL3PansharpenedGram–Schmidt fusionspectral ratios preservedDEFAULTIF PAN BANDL4MosaickedAOI compositecloud-removed, seamedAUTOIF MULTI-SCENE AOISTATUSDefault — every orderConditional — when applicableOn requestCustomers may override any level explicitly. L0 available with sensor metadata for re-processing.
Fig. 1 Processing levels describe where in the pipeline the deliverable sits. L0 is unprocessed sensor counts; each subsequent level adds a correction that makes the imagery closer to analysis-ready. L1 and L2 run on every order. L3 runs when the sensor has a panchromatic band. L4 runs when the AOI spans more than one scene. L0 is available on request.

L0 is raw sensor data, essentially uncalibrated digital numbers. L1 is radiometrically corrected — converted to top-of-atmosphere reflectance and unpacked into per-band rasters. L2 adds geometric correction (georectification or orthorectification), and often atmospheric correction to surface reflectance. L3 is value-added: composites, mosaics, classified products.

Provider definitions vary

Every provider has slightly different definitions and product names. Sentinel-2 'Level 2A' means orthorectified surface reflectance. UP42 'Level 4' means upon-request custom processing. MAXAR Level 1 is georectified, Level 2 is orthorectified. Always check the specific provider's processing level matrix before assuming what's in the box.

What Geopera delivers

We deliver fully orthorectified, surface reflectance imagery as our default — equivalent to Level 2 or Level 3 depending on the source. Pansharpening, mosaicking, and custom processing are layered on top of that without changing the level designation.