This dataset contains both large (A0) printable maps of the Torres Strait broken into six overlapping regions, based on a clear sky, clear water composite Sentinel 2 composite imagery and the imagery used to create these maps. These maps show satellite imagery of the region, overlaid with reef and island boundaries and names. Not all features are named, just the more prominent features. This also includes a vector map of Ashmore Reef and Boot Reef in Coral Sea as these were used in the same discussions that these maps were developed for. The map of Ashmore Reef includes the atoll platform, reef boundaries and depth polygons for 5 m and 10 m.

This dataset contains all working files used in the development of these maps. This includes all a copy of all the source datasets and all derived satellite image tiles and QGIS files used to create the maps. This includes cloud free Sentinel 2 composite imagery of the Torres Strait region with alpha blended edges to allow the creation of a smooth high resolution basemap of the region.

The base imagery is similar to the older base imagery dataset: Torres Strait clear sky, clear water Landsat 5 satellite composite (NERP TE 13.1 eAtlas, AIMS, source: NASA).

Most of the imagery in the composite imagery from 2017 - 2021.


Method:
The Sentinel 2 basemap was produced by processing imagery from the World_AIMS_Marine-satellite-imagery dataset (01-data/World_AIMS_Marine-satellite-imagery in the data download) for the Torres Strait region. The TrueColour imagery for the scenes covering the mapped area were downloaded. Both the reference 1 imagery (R1) and reference 2 imagery (R2) was copied for processing. R1 imagery contains the lowest noise, most cloud free imagery, while R2 contains the next best set of imagery. Both R1 and R2 are typically composite images from multiple dates.

The R2 images were selectively blended using manually created masks with the R1 images. This was done to get the best combination of both images and typically resulted in a reduction in some of the cloud artefacts in the R1 images. The mask creation and previewing of the blending was performed in Photoshop. The created masks were saved in 01-data/R2-R1-masks. To help with the blending of neighbouring images a feathered alpha channel was added to the imagery. The processing of the merging (using the masks) and the creation of the feathered borders on the images was performed using a Python script (src/local/03-merge-R2-R1-images.py) using the Pillow library and GDAL. The neighbouring image blending mask was created by applying a blurring of the original hard image mask. This allowed neighbouring image tiles to merge together.

The imagery and reference datasets (reef boundaries, EEZ) were loaded into QGIS for the creation of the printable maps.

To optimise the matching of the resulting map slight brightness adjustments were applied to each scene tile to match its neighbours. This was done in the setup of each image in QGIS. This adjustment was imperfect as each tile was made from a different combinations of days (to remove clouds) resulting in each scene having a different tonal gradients across the scene then its neighbours. Additionally Sentinel 2 has slight stripes (at 13 degrees off the vertical) due to the swath of each sensor having a slight sensitivity difference. This effect was uncorrected in this imagery.


Single merged composite GeoTiff:
The image tiles with alpha blended edges work well in QGIS, but not in ArcGIS Pro. To allow this imagery to be used across tools that don't support the alpha blending we merged and flattened the tiles into a single large GeoTiff with no alpha channel. This was done by rendering the map created in QGIS into a single large image. This was done in multiple steps to make the process manageable.

The rendered map was cut into twenty 1 x 1 degree georeferenced PNG images using the Atlas feature of QGIS. This process baked in the alpha blending across neighbouring Sentinel 2 scenes. The PNG images were then merged back into a large GeoTiff image using GDAL (via QGIS), removing the alpha channel. The brightness of the image was adjusted so that the darkest pixels in the image were 1, saving the value 0 for nodata masking and the boundary was clipped, using a polygon boundary, to trim off the outer feathering. The image was then optimised for performance by using internal tiling and adding overviews. A full breakdown of these steps is provided in the README.md in the 'Browse and download all data files' link.

The merged final image is available in export\TS_AIMS_Torres Strait-Sentinel-2_Composite.tif.


Source datasets:
Complete Great Barrier Reef (GBR) Island and Reef Feature boundaries including Torres Strait Version 1b (NESP TWQ 3.13, AIMS, TSRA, GBRMPA), https://eatlas.org.au/data/uuid/d2396b2c-68d4-4f4b-aab0-52f7bc4a81f5

Geoscience Australia (2014b), Seas and Submerged Lands Act 1973 - Australian Maritime Boundaries 2014a - Geodatabase [Dataset]. Canberra, Australia: Author. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ [license]. Sourced on 12 July 2017, https://dx.doi.org/10.4225/25/5539DFE87D895

Basemap/AU_GA_AMB_2014a/Exclusive_Economic_Zone_AMB2014a_Limit.shp
The original data was obtained from GA (Geoscience Australia, 2014a). The Geodatabase was loaded in ArcMap. The Exclusive_Economic_Zone_AMB2014a_Limit layer was loaded and exported as a shapefile. Since this file was small no clipping was applied to the data.

Geoscience Australia (2014a), Treaties - Australian Maritime Boundaries (AMB) 2014a [Dataset]. Canberra, Australia: Author. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ [license]. Sourced on 12 July 2017, http://dx.doi.org/10.4225/25/5539E01878302
Basemap/AU_GA_Treaties-AMB_2014a/Papua_New_Guinea_TSPZ_AMB2014a_Limit.shp
The original data was obtained from GA (Geoscience Australia, 2014b). The Geodatabase was loaded in ArcMap. The Papua_New_Guinea_TSPZ_AMB2014a_Limit layer was loaded and exported as a shapefile. Since this file was small no clipping was applied to the data.

AIMS Coral Sea Features (2022) - DRAFT
This is a draft version of this dataset. The region for Ashmore and Boot reef was checked. The attributes in these datasets haven't been cleaned up. Note these files should not be considered finalised and are only suitable for maps around Ashmore Reef. Please source an updated version of this dataset for any other purpose.
CS_AIMS_Coral-Sea-Features/CS_Names/Names.shp
CS_AIMS_Coral-Sea-Features/CS_Platform_adj/CS_Platform.shp
CS_AIMS_Coral-Sea-Features/CS_Reef_Boundaries_adj/CS_Reef_Boundaries.shp
CS_AIMS_Coral-Sea-Features/CS_Depth/CS_AIMS_Coral-Sea-Features_Img_S2_R1_Depth5m_Coral-Sea.shp
CS_AIMS_Coral-Sea-Features/CS_Depth/CS_AIMS_Coral-Sea-Features_Img_S2_R1_Depth10m_Coral-Sea.shp

Murray Island 20 Sept 2011 15cm SISP aerial imagery, Queensland Spatial Imagery Services Program, Department of Resources, Queensland
This is the high resolution imagery used to create the map of Mer.

World_AIMS_Marine-satellite-imagery
The base image composites used in this dataset were based on an early version of Lawrey, E., Hammerton, M. (2024). Marine satellite imagery test collections (AIMS) [Data set]. eAtlas. https://doi.org/10.26274/zq26-a956. A snapshot of the code at the time this dataset was developed is made available in the 01-data/World_AIMS_Marine-satellite-imagery folder of the download of this dataset.


Data Location:
This dataset is filed in the eAtlas enduring data repository at: data\custodian\2020-2029-AIMS\TS_AIMS_Torres-Strait-Sentinel-2-regional-maps. On the eAtlas server it is stored at eAtlas GeoServer\data\2020-2029-AIMS.


Change Log:
2025-05-12: Eric Lawrey
Added Torres-Strait-Region-Map-Masig-Ugar-Erub-45k-A0 and Torres-Strait-Eastern-Region-Map-Landscape-A0. These maps have a brighten satellite imagery to allow easier reading of writing on the maps. They also include markers for geo-referencing the maps for digitisation.

2025-02-04: Eric Lawrey
Fixed up the reference to the World_AIMS_Marine-satellite-imagery dataset, clarifying where the source that was used in this dataset. Added ORCID and RORs to the record.

2023-11-22: Eric Lawrey
Added the data and maps for close up of Mer.
- 01-data/TS_DNRM_Mer-aerial-imagery/
- preview/Torres-Strait-Mer-Map-Landscape-A0.jpeg
- exports/Torres-Strait-Mer-Map-Landscape-A0.pdf
Updated 02-Torres-Strait-regional-maps.qgz to include the layout for the new map.

2023-03-02: Eric Lawrey
Created a merged version of the satellite imagery, with no alpha blending so that it can be used in ArcGIS Pro. It is now a single large GeoTiff image. The Google Earth Engine source code for the World_AIMS_Marine-satellite-imagery was included to improve the reproducibility and provenance of the dataset, along with a calculation of the distribution of image dates that went into the final composite image. A WMS service for the imagery was also setup and linked to from the metadata. A cross reference to the older Torres Strait clear sky clear water Landsat composite imagery was also added to the record.

This dynamic imagery layer features Landsat 8 and Landsat GLS imagery for use in visualization and analysis. This layer is time enabled and includes a number of band combinations and indices rendered on demand. The imagery includes eight multispectral bands from the Operational Land Imager (OLI) and two bands from the Thermal Infrared Sensor (TIRS). It is updated daily with new imagery directly sourced from the USGS Landsat collection on AWS.To view this imagery layer, you'll want to add it to a map that is using the Polar projection of WGS_1984_EPSG_Alaska_Polar_Stereographic, for example the Arctic Ocean Basemap or the Arctic Imagery basemap. Other polar projections may be used within their useful limits. There is no imagery above 82°30’N due to the orbit of the satellite.Geographic CoverageArctic RegionTemporal CoverageThis layer is updated daily with new imagery.Landsat 8 revisits each point on Earth's land surface every 16 days.Most images collected from January 2015 to present are included.Approximately 5 images for each path/row from 2013 and 2014 are also included.This layer also includes imagery from the Global Land Survey* (circa 2010, 2005, 2000, 1990, 1975).Product LevelThe Landsat 8 imagery in this layer is comprised of Collection 2 Level-1 data.The imagery has Top of Atmosphere (TOA) correction applied.TOA is applied using the radiometric rescaling coefficients provided the USGS.The TOA reflectance values (ranging 0 – 1 by default) are scaled using a range of 0 – 10,000.Image Selection/FilteringA number of fields are available for filtering, including Acquisition Date, Estimated Cloud Cover, and Product ID.To isolate and work with specific images, either use the ‘Image Filter’ to create custom layers or add a ‘Query Filter’ to restrict the default layer display to a specified image or group of images.Visual RenderingDefault rendering is Natural Color (bands 4,3,2) with Dynamic Range Adjustment (DRA).Raster Functions enable on-the-fly rendering of band combinations and calculated indices from the source imagery.The DRA version of each layer enables visualization of the full dynamic range of the images.This layer is part of a larger collection of Landsat Imagery Layers that you can use to perform a variety of mapping analysis tasks.Other pre-defined Raster Functions can be selected via the renderer drop-down or custom functions can be created. Available functions on this layer include:Agriculture with DRA – Bands shortwave IR-1, near-IR, blue (6, 5, 2) with dynamic range adjustment applied on apparent reflectance. Vigorous vegetation is bright green, stressed vegetation dull green and bare areas as brown.NDSI Colorized – Normalized difference Snow index (NDSI) with color map, computed as (b3-b6)/(b3+b6) on apparent reflectance. Dark blue represents dense snow, yellow and green areas represent clouds.Bathymetric with DRA – Bands red, green, coastal/aerosol (4, 3, 1) with dynamic range adjustment. Useful in bathymetric mapping applications.Color Infrared with DRA – Bands near-IR, red, green (5, 4, 3) with dynamic range adjustment. Healthy vegetation is bright red while stressed vegetation is dull red.Geology with DRA – Bands shortwave IR-1, near-IR, blue (7, 6, 2) with dynamic range adjustment. Vigorous vegetation is bright green, stressed vegetation dull green and bare areas as brown.Natural Color with DRA – Natural Color bands red, green, blue (4, 3, 2) displayed with dynamic range adjustmentShort-wave Infrared with DRA – Bands shortwave IR-2, shortwave IR-1, red (7, 6, 4) with dynamic range adjustmentAgriculture – Bands shortwave IR-1, near-IR, blue (6, 5, 2) with fixed stretch applied on apparent reflectance. Vigorous vegetation is bright green, stressed vegetation dull green and bare areas as brown.Bathymetry – Bands red, green, coastal/aerosol (4, 3, 1) with fixed stretch applied on apparent reflectance. Useful in bathymetric mapping applications.Color Infrared – Bands near-IR, red, green (5, 4, 3) with a fixed stretch. Healthy vegetation is bright red while stressed vegetation is dull red.Geology – Bands shortwave IR-1, near-IR, blue (7, 6, 2) with a fixed stretch. Vigorous vegetation is bright green, stressed vegetation dull green and bare areas as brown.Natural Color – Natural Color bands red, green, blue (4, 3, 2) displayed with a fixed stretch.Short-wave Infrared – Bands shortwave IR-2, shortwave IR-1, red (7, 5, 4) with a fixed stretchNormalized Difference Moisture Index Colorized – Normalized Difference Moisture Index with color map, computed as (b5 - b6)/(b5 + b6). Wetlands and moist areas are blues, and dry areas in deep yellow and brownNDSI Raw – Normalized difference Snow index (NDSI) computed as (b3 - b6) / (b3 + b6)NDVI Raw – Normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) computed as (b5 - b4) / (b5 + b4)NBR Raw – Normalized Burn Ratio (NBR) computed as (b5 - b7) / (b5 + b7)Multispectral BandsThe table below lists all available multispectral OLI bands. Natural Color with DRA consumes bands 4,3,2

Band

Description

Wavelength (µm)

Spatial Resolution (m)

1

Coastal aerosol

0.43 - 0.45

30

2

Blue

0.45 - 0.51

30

3

Green

0.53 - 0.59

30

4

Red

0.64 - 0.67

30

5

Near Infrared (NIR)

0.85 - 0.88

30

6

SWIR 1

1.57 - 1.65

30

7

SWIR 2

2.11 - 2.29

30

8

Cirrus (in OLI this is band 9)

1.36 - 1.38

30

9

QA Band (available with Collection 1)*

NA

30

*More about the Quality Assessment Band The layer also provides access to TIRS bands as follows: BandDescriptionWavelength (µm)Spatial Resolution (m)10TIRS110.60 - 11.19100 * (30)11TIRS211.50 - 12.51100 * (30)*TIRS bands are acquired at 100 meter resolution, but are resampled to 30 meter in delivered data product.Additional Usage NotesImage exports are limited to 4,000 columns x 4,000 rows per request.This dynamic imagery layer can be used in Web Maps and ArcGIS Pro as well as web and mobile applications using the ArcGIS REST APIs.WCS and WMS compatibility means this imagery layer can be consumed as WCS or WMS services.The Unlocking Landsat in the Arctic is another way to access and explore the imagery.This layer is part of a larger collection of Landsat Imagery Layers.Data SourceLandsat imagery is sourced from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Data is hosted by the Amazon Web Services as part of their Public Data Sets program.For information on Landsat 8 images, see Landsat8.*The Global Land Survey includes images from Landsat 1 through Landsat 7. Band numbers and band combinations differ from those of Landsat 8, but have been mapped to the most appropriate band as in the above table. For more information about the Global Land Survey, visit GLS.

Prohlížecí služba Esri ArcGIS Server - Základní mapy ČR (Web Mercator) je poskytována jako veřejná prohlížecí služba nad daty Základních map České republiky pro měřítka 1:10 000, 1:25 000, 1:50 000, 1:100 000 a 1:200 000. Je doplněna mapami České republiky v měřítku 1:500 000 a 1:1 000 000. Jedná se o prohlížecí službu poskytovanou technologií Esri ArcGIS Server. Službu lze využít prostřednictvím přístupových rozhraní REST, SOAP a WMTS formou optimalizovaných mapových dlaždic v souřadnicovém systému WGS 84 / Pseudo-Mercator (EPSG 3857 alias 900913). Dále lze službu využít v různých souřadnicových systémech (definovaných v capabilities) prostřednictvím standardu WMS.

This dynamic imagery layer features Landsat 8 and Landsat GLS imagery, rendered on-the-fly as Short-wave Infrared with DRA, for use in visualization and analysis. This layer is time enabled and includes a number of band combinations and indices rendered on demand. The imagery includes eight multispectral bands from the Operational Land Imager (OLI) and two bands from the Thermal Infrared Sensor (TIRS). It is updated daily with new imagery directly sourced from the USGS Landsat collection on AWS.To view this imagery layer, you'll want to add it to a map that is using the Polar projection of WGS_1984_EPSG_Alaska_Polar_Stereographic, for example the Arctic Ocean Basemap or the Arctic Imagery basemap. Other polar projections may be used within their useful limits. There is no imagery above 82°30’N due to the orbit of the satellite.

Geographic CoverageArctic RegionTemporal CoverageThis layer is updated daily with new imagery.Landsat 8 revisits each point on Earth's land surface every 16 days.Most images collected from January 2015 to present are included.Approximately 5 images for each path/row from 2013 and 2014 are also included.This layer also includes imagery from the Global Land Survey* (circa 2010, 2005, 2000, 1990, 1975).Product LevelThe Landsat 8 imagery in this layer is comprised of Collection 2 Level-1 data.The imagery has Top of Atmosphere (TOA) correction applied.TOA is applied using the radiometric rescaling coefficients provided the USGS.The TOA reflectance values (ranging 0 – 1 by default) are scaled using a range of 0 – 10,000.Image Selection/FilteringA number of fields are available for filtering, including Acquisition Date, Estimated Cloud Cover, and Product ID.To isolate and work with specific images, either use the ‘Image Filter’ to create custom layers or add a ‘Query Filter’ to restrict the default layer display to a specified image or group of images.Visual RenderingDefault rendering is Short-wave Infrared (bands 7,6,4) with Dynamic Range Adjustment (DRA).Raster Functions enable on-the-fly rendering of band combinations and calculated indices from the source imagery.The DRA version of each layer enables visualization of the full dynamic range of the images.Other pre-defined Raster Functions can be selected via the renderer drop-down or custom functions can be created.This layer is part of a larger collection of Landsat Imagery Layers that you can use to perform a variety of mapping analysis tasks.Multispectral BandsThe table below lists all available multispectral OLI bands. Short-wave Infrared with DRA consumes bands 7,6,4.BandDescriptionWavelength (µm)Spatial Resolution (m)1Coastal aerosol0.43 - 0.45302Blue0.45 - 0.51303Green0.53 - 0.59304Red0.64 - 0.67305Near Infrared (NIR)0.85 - 0.88306SWIR 11.57 - 1.65307SWIR 22.11 - 2.29308Cirrus (in OLI this is band 9)1.36 - 1.38309QA Band (available with Collection 1)*NA30*More about the Quality Assessment BandTIRS BandsBandDescriptionWavelength (µm)Spatial Resolution (m)10TIRS110.60 - 11.19100 * (30)11TIRS211.50 - 12.51100 * (30)*TIRS bands are acquired at 100 meter resolution, but are resampled to 30 meter in delivered data product.Additional Usage NotesImage exports are limited to 4,000 columns x 4,000 rows per request.This dynamic imagery layer can be used in Web Maps and ArcGIS Pro as well as web and mobile applications using the ArcGIS REST APIs.WCS and WMS compatibility means this imagery layer can be consumed as WCS or WMS services.The Unlocking Landsat in the Arctic app is another way to access and explore the imagery.This layer is part of a larger collection of Landsat Imagery Layers.Data SourceLandsat imagery is sourced from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Data is hosted by the Amazon Web Services as part of their Public Data Sets program.For information on Landsat 8 images, see Landsat8.

*The Global Land Survey includes images from Landsat 1 through Landsat 7. Band numbers and band combinations differ from those of Landsat 8, but have been mapped to the most appropriate band as in the above table. For more information about the Global Land Survey, visit GLS.

This dynamic imagery layer features Landsat 8 and Landsat GLS imagery, rendered on-the-fly as Normalized Difference Moisture Index Colorized, for use in visualization and analysis. This layer is time enabled and includes a number of band combinations and indices rendered on demand. The imagery includes eight multispectral bands from the Operational Land Imager (OLI) and two bands from the Thermal Infrared Sensor (TIRS). It is updated daily with new imagery directly sourced from the USGS Landsat collection on AWS.

To view this imagery layer, you'll want to add it to a map that is using the Polar projection of WGS_1984_EPSG_Alaska_Polar_Stereographic, for example the Arctic Ocean Basemap or the Arctic Imagery basemap. Other polar projections may be used within their useful limits. There is no imagery above 82°30’N due to the orbit of the satellite.

Geographic CoverageArctic RegionTemporal CoverageThis layer is updated daily with new imagery.Landsat 8 revisits each point on Earth's land surface every 16 days.Most images collected from January 2015 to present are included.Approximately 5 images for each path/row from 2013 and 2014 are also included.This layer also includes imagery from the Global Land Survey* (circa 2010, 2005, 2000, 1990, 1975).Product LevelThe Landsat 8 imagery in this layer is comprised of Collection 2 Level-1 data.The imagery has Top of Atmosphere (TOA) correction applied.TOA is applied using the radiometric rescaling coefficients provided the USGS.The TOA reflectance values (ranging 0 – 1 by default) are scaled using a range of 0 – 10,000.Image Selection/FilteringA number of fields are available for filtering, including Acquisition Date, Estimated Cloud Cover, and Product ID.To isolate and work with specific images, either use the ‘Image Filter’ to create custom layers or add a ‘Query Filter’ to restrict the default layer display to a specified image or group of images.Visual RenderingDefault rendering is Normalized Difference Moisture Index Colorized, calculated as (b5 - b6)/(b5 + b6) with a colormap applied. Wetlands and moist areas are blues, and dry areas in deep yellow and brown.Raster Functions enable on-the-fly rendering of band combinations and calculated indices from the source imagery.The DRA version of each layer enables visualization of the full dynamic range of the images.Other pre-defined Raster Functions can be selected via the renderer drop-down or custom functions can be created.This layer is part of a larger collection of Landsat Imagery Layers that you can use to perform a variety of mapping analysis tasks.Multispectral BandsThe table below lists all available multispectral OLI bands. Normalized Difference Moisture Index consumes band 5 and 6.BandDescriptionWavelength (µm)Spatial Resolution (m)1Coastal aerosol0.43 - 0.45302Blue0.45 - 0.51303Green0.53 - 0.59304Red0.64 - 0.67305Near Infrared (NIR)0.85 - 0.88306SWIR 11.57 - 1.65307SWIR 22.11 - 2.29308Cirrus (in OLI this is band 9)1.36 - 1.38309QA Band (available with Collection 1)*NA30*More about the Quality Assessment BandTIRS BandsBandDescriptionWavelength (µm)Spatial Resolution (m)10TIRS110.60 - 11.19100 * (30)11TIRS211.50 - 12.51100 * (30)*TIRS bands are acquired at 100 meter resolution, but are resampled to 30 meter in delivered data product.Additional Usage NotesImage exports are limited to 4,000 columns x 4,000 rows per request.This dynamic imagery layer can be used in Web Maps and ArcGIS Pro as well as web and mobile applications using the ArcGIS REST APIs.WCS and WMS compatibility means this imagery layer can be consumed as WCS or WMS services.The Unlocking Landsat in the Arctic app is another way to access and explore the imagery.This layer is part of a larger collection of Landsat Imagery Layers.Data SourceLandsat imagery is sourced from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Data is hosted by the Amazon Web Services as part of their Public Data Sets program.For information on Landsat 8 images, see Landsat8.

*The Global Land Survey includes images from Landsat 1 through Landsat 7. Band numbers and band combinations differ from those of Landsat 8, but have been mapped to the most appropriate band as in the above table. For more information about the Global Land Survey, visit GLS.