Earth Science

Landsat 4

315 tracked publications and 10,556 citations from 1983–2026. Launched 1982. Life-cycle cost: $1.4B in 2025 dollars. Active Mission Window February 1, 1983 to July 1, 2003: 80 publications, 1.2 top-10% credit.

Orbiter · h-index 46 · 24 papers with 100+ citations · prime mission ended 1985

Lifetime

Scope Papers published from the first full month after science operations begin through 2 years after the mission ends. Citations are counted through the third calendar year after each paper appears. Methods Papers published from the first full month after science operations begin through 2 years after the prime mission ends. Citations are counted through the third calendar year after each paper appears. Methods Every tracked publication to date, with every citation to date. Methods

Key measures

Active Mission Window · papers February 1, 1983 to July 1, 2003
Tracked publicationsTracked publications: peer-reviewed research papers we found for the mission. The list may not be complete. Methods80
CitationsCitations received by the tracked publications in the selected scope. The two windowed scopes count each paper’s citations only within its citation window. Methods225
Mean citations per publicationMean citations: total citations divided by tracked publications in the selected scope. One blockbuster paper can lift it. Methods2.8
Median citations per publicationMedian citations: the middle paper’s citation count in the selected scope; half the papers have more, half fewer. A single blockbuster sways it less than the mean. Methods1
Uncited publicationsUncited publications: papers with no citations in the selected scope. Methods34 (43%)
Top-10% creditTop 10%: among the 10% most-cited papers from this division’s missions, ranked against papers published around the same time. A paper naming several missions is split evenly among the missions in this division that claim it, so counts can be fractional. Methods1.2 · 0.03% of division
Top-1% creditTop 1%: among the 1% most-cited papers from this division’s missions within the selected window. Not adjusted for publication year. A paper naming several missions is split evenly among the missions in this division that claim it, so counts can be fractional. Methods0 · 0% of division
Lifetime indices · every tracked publication to date, in any scope
h-indexh-index: the largest h such that h papers have at least h citations each. It only grows with time, so older missions score higher. Methods46
g-indexg-index: the largest g for which the g most-cited papers together hold at least g² citations. Like the h-index, but it lets the most-cited papers count for more. Methods96
m-index, as of October 4, 2026m-index: a mission’s h-index divided by the years since its first peer-reviewed paper. It falls every 1 January even when nothing else changes, so it belongs to the date shown; it also discounts the long operating life that larger missions paid for. Methods1.0
toritori (total research impact, from ADS): for every paper citing one of the mission’s papers, 1 divided by the citing paper’s reference count times the cited paper’s author count, summed, with self-citations removed. It favors citations from papers with short reference lists and from outside the mission’s own authors. Computed over the tracked citation graph, which can be slightly incomplete. Methods129
riqriq (research impact quotient): 1,000 times the square root of tori, divided by the years since the mission’s first paper. A rate, not a total, so it does not keep growing with age the way the h-index and tori do. Methods258

Tracked publications

  1. Improvement and expansion of the Fmask algorithm: cloud, cloud shadow, and snow detection for Landsats 4-7, 8, and Sentinel 2 images

    Zhu, Zhe, 2015, RSEnv

    1,194 citations

  2. Revised Landsat-5 TM Radiometric Calibration Procedures and Postcalibration Dynamic Ranges

    Chander, Gyanesh, 2003, ITGRS

    610 citations

  3. Google Earth Engine Open-Source Code for Land Surface Temperature Estimation from the Landsat Series

    Ermida, Sofia L., 2020, RemS

    457 citations

  4. Revision of the Single-Channel Algorithm for Land Surface Temperature Retrieval from Landsat Thermal-Infrared Data

    Jiménez-Muñoz, Juan C., 2009, ITGRS

    450 citations

  5. Spatial-temporal dynamics of land surface temperature in relation to fractional vegetation cover and land use/cover in the Tabriz urban area, Iran

    Amiri, Reza, 2009, RSEnv

    344 citations

  6. Analysis Ready Data: Enabling Analysis of the Landsat Archive

    Dwyer, John L., 2018, RemS

    325 citations

  7. Fmask 4.0: Improved cloud and cloud shadow detection in Landsats 4-8 and Sentinel-2 imagery

    Qiu, Shi, 2019, RSEnv

    306 citations

  8. Reflectance- and radiance-based methods for the in-flight absolute calibration of multispectral sensors

    Slater, P. N., 1987, RSEnv

    256 citations

  9. Landsat Sensor Performance: History and Current Status

    Markham, Brian L., 2004, ITGRS

    237 citations

  10. Forty-year calibrated record of earth-reflected radiance from Landsat: A review

    Markham, Brian L., 2012, RSEnv

    200 citations

  11. Urban Land Use and Land Cover Change Analysis Using Random Forest Classification of Landsat Time Series

    Amini, Saeid, 2022, RemS

    190 citations

  12. Spectral characterization of the Landsat Thematic Mapper sensors

    Markham, B. L., 1985, IJRS

    183 citations

  13. A simple and effective radiometric correction method to improve landscape change detection across sensors and across time

    Chen, Xuexia, 2005, RSEnv

    176 citations

  14. Optimizing selection of training and auxiliary data for operational land cover classification for the LCMAP initiative

    Zhu, Zhe, 2016, JPRS

    161 citations

  15. Glacier Remote Sensing Using Sentinel-2. Part II: Mapping Glacier Extents and Surface Facies, and Comparison to Landsat 8

    Paul, Frank, 2016, RemS

    149 citations

  16. The possibility of using the Landsat image archive for monitoring long time trends in coloured dissolved organic matter concentration in lake waters

    Kutser, Tiit, 2012, RSEnv

    132 citations

  17. Assessment of land use land cover changes and its impact on variations of land surface temperature in Asansol-Durgapur Development Region

    Choudhury, Deblina, 2019, EJRSS

    132 citations

  18. An automatic method for screening clouds and cloud shadows in optical satellite image time series in cloudy regions

    Zhu, Xiaolin, 2018, RSEnv

    127 citations

  19. Effects of Landsat 5 Thematic Mapper and Landsat 7 Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus radiometric and geometric calibrations and corrections on landscape characterization

    Vogelmann, James E., 2001, RSEnv

    124 citations

  20. Snow Reflectance from LANDSAT-4 Thematic Mapper

    Dozier, Jeff, 1984, ITGRS

    120 citations

How we found these papers

We searched NASA’s Astrophysics Data System (ADS) for peer-reviewed articles naming Landsat 4 in the title, abstract or keywords; standard filters drop articles that are not peer-reviewed and magazine pieces. SciX is ADS’s current interface.

((=abs:"Landsat-4" OR =abs:"Landsat 4-5" OR =abs:"Landsats 4" OR =abs:"Landsat TM 4 5" OR =abs:"Landsat missions 4" OR =abs:"Landsat 1 4" OR =abs:"Landsat 1 5" OR =abs:"Landsats 1 5" OR =abs:"Landsat 1 8" OR =abs:"Landsat 1 9" OR =abs:"Landsat-D")) AND property:refereed AND doctype:article AND pubdate:[1983-02 TO 2040-01] AND NOT bibstem:("A&R" OR "AIASJ" OR "AeAm" OR "AirSp" OR "AsNow" OR "AsUAI" OR "AvWST" OR "C&E" OR "C&T" OR "CAPJ" OR "E&S" OR "ENews" OR "IrAJ" OR "JCos" OR "JRASC" OR "LAstr" OR "MNSSA" OR "Met" OR "NewSc" OR "Orion" OR "PhT" OR "PhTea" OR "PhuZ" OR "PhyOJ" OR "PhyW" OR "PlR" OR "SciAm" OR "SpFl" OR "ZemVs")

Open in SciX

Added after review (6)

  1. Sensor data for forest policy information Discusses the Thematic Mapper before Landsat 5's launch, when only Landsat 4 carried one. Decision 🤖
  2. An analysis of thematic mapper simulator data for urban environments Thematic Mapper study published before Landsat 5's launch, when only Landsat 4 carried one. Decision 🤖
  3. Leaf water stress detection utilizing thematic mapper bands 3, 4 and 5 in soybean plants Thematic Mapper study published before Landsat 5's launch, when only Landsat 4 carried one. Decision 🤖
  4. Relation of Agronomic and Multispectral Reflectance Characteristics of Spring Wheat Canopies¹ Thematic Mapper study published before Landsat 5's launch, when only Landsat 4 carried one. Decision 🤖
  5. Variation in Alluvial-Derived Soils as Measured by Landsat Thematic Mapper Analyzes Thematic Mapper data acquired before Landsat 5's launch, so from Landsat 4. Decision 🤖
  6. Comparison of simulated thematic mapper data and multispectral scanner data Thematic Mapper study published before Landsat 5's launch, when only Landsat 4 carried one. Decision 🤖

Removed after review (5)

  1. Evaluation of four image fusion NDVI products against in-situ spectral-measurements over a heterogeneous rice paddy landscape Matches only the text "Landsat (-4%)"; does not name Landsat 4. Decision 🤖
  2. Subsurface Imaging by RADARSAT: Comparison with Landsat TM Data and Implications for Ground Water in the Selima Area, Northwestern Sudan French text "Landsat d'une" matches Landsat-D; does not name Landsat 4. Decision 🤖
  3. The landsat sensors: Eosat's plans for landsats 6 and 7 Describes the Thematic Mappers planned for Landsats 6 and 7; Landsat 4 is design heritage. Decision 🤖
  4. Use of rice response characteristics in area estimation by LANDSAT/TM and MOS-1 satellites data "TM 4 and 5" refers to Thematic Mapper bands; does not name Landsat 4. Decision 🤖
  5. Landsat-7 Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus Radiometric Calibration Pre-launch calibration plan for Landsat 7's ETM+; Landsat 4 appears as design heritage. Decision 🤖