How is Landsat 8’s Cirrus band (Band 9) used?

Question:

Answer:

Landsat 8's Band 9 (1.360-1.390 µm) provides detection of high-altitude cloud contamination that may not be visible in other spectral bands.

Cirrus clouds appear bright while most land surfaces will appear dark through cloud-free atmospheres containing water vapor.

Landsat 8 Path 112 Row 66 Acquired August 3, 2013. OLI bands 4,3,2 composite Cirrus band 9 showing where the cirrus clouds are in the image.

Landsat 8 Path 112 Row 66 acquired August 3, 2013. OLI bands 4,3,2 composite (left) and Cirrus band 9 (right) showing cirrus clouds in the image.

About

Landsat represents the world's longest continuously acquired collection of space-based moderate-resolution land remote sensing data. Four decades of imagery provides a unique resource for those who work in agriculture, geology, forestry, regional planning, education, mapping, and global change research. Landsat images are also invaluable for emergency response and disaster relief.