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Eric Ariel L. Salas


It is Eric Salas, but the scientific community hides me behind the initials EAL Salas

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How to Remove Clouds Using Fmask From Landsat Images Recent Posts
In 10 Easy Steps FREE: Open-Access
Geographic Data for
the Argali Habitat in
September 23, 2015
the Southeastern Tajik
So how Pamirs
By EAL Salas
Tools would SAS Code For
Discriminant Analysis
Fmask Landsat Remove
Clouds Using Fmask
you For Two Groups
4 Comments remove Multispectral and
Texture Feature
clouds Application in Image-
using Object Analysis of
Summer Vegetation in
Fmask Eastern Tajikistan
Pamirs
from
Which Province in the
Landsat Philippines Has The
Highest Deforestation
Exploring the images?
Rate And Carbon
Potentials of the Fmask is a great and easy-to-use tool to mask out Emission?
Visible and NIR
How To Read
Regions for cloud covers from satellite images. Follow the steps Hyperspectral Images
Vegetation and
Soil Spectroscopic below and you will have images free of cloud cover With .hsz Format In
Measurements Matlab
and shadows in no time.
Categories
Note: The steps below assume that you have
American Geophysical
already downloaded your Landsat images and Union (AGU)
Articles
unzipped. If not, go to USGS and download the
Data
images for free. Environmental
Pollution
Essays
1. Make sure to download the latest Fmask version GIScience & Remote
Sensing
from the official fmask website. Pick the one Google Earth
applicable for your system. I used the Fmask 2.2v Hyperspectral
International Journal
of Remote Sensing

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Israel Journal of Plant


Windows executable.
Sciences
LiDAR
2. Download and install the Matlab Runtime Notes

Compiler (MCRInstaller.exe). You can find the file Posters


Remote Sensing
oneline at: http://www.mathworks.com/products Satellite Systems
Scientific Papers
/compiler/ with 64 bit windows 2012a
Tools
MCRInstaller.
Archives
3. Place all the Landsat files you have unzipped in a May 2016
folder. In the same folder, place also the Fmask April 2016
January 2016
executable file (Fmask.exe) that you just December 2015
November 2015
downloaded.
October 2015
September 2015
4. Now go to your PCs Command Prompt. It is August 2015
usually located under Accessories. Type and run February 2015
October 2014
each line below (side comments have been August 2014
July 2014
italicized).
January 2014
November 2013
C:\Fmask (Or run the folder where your files are.) August 2013
April 2013
Click enter. March 2013
July 2011

C:\Fmask>Fmask_3_2 (This is the executable


Fmask file. Make sure you are running the right
file name.)

Click enter.

Wait while Fmask does the masking. This may take


a couple of minutes or maybe a little more.

5. Result of the masking will appear in the same


folder with a filename that looks like this:
xxxxfmask. This file is now your cloud mask that
you can open in the ENVI software.

6. Go to ENVI and load the xxxxfmask. If it will


appear black, apply linear stretching to see the
mask on screen. The mask will give you 6 classes: 0
for band pixel; 1 for water; 2 for cloud shadow; 3 for
snow; 4 for cloud; and 255 for no observation.

Now, let us apply the mask to the original Landsat


image. If you are using ENVI, here are the next

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How to Remove Clouds Using Fmask From Landsat Images In 10 Easy ... http://eric-salas.com/2015/09/23/how-to-remove-clouds-using-fmask-f...

steps:

7. In Toolbox > Raster Management > Masking


> Apply Mask

8. Input the Landsat image with snow/cloud/cloud


cover > Select Band Mask. In the Mask Option
click Mask data ignore values [all bands], then
click OK.

9. In Apply Parameters window, make sure that


the mask value is 0.00.

10. Name your output file, your new image without


the snow/cloud/cloud cover contamination. Click
OK.

Thats about it.

You can do anything you want with the raster


xxxxfmask file. You can convert it into a mask
shapefile too (with 6 classes). Use can even use the
shapefile in ARCMap.

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Recent Comments

EAL Salas on How to


Remove Clouds Using
Fmask From Landsat
Images In 10 Easy Steps
EAL Salas on How to
Remove Clouds Using
Fmask From Landsat
Images In 10 Easy Steps
Lisa on How to Remove
Clouds Using Fmask
From Landsat Images
In 10 Easy Steps
Jurandir on How to

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How to Remove Clouds Using Fmask From Landsat Images In 10 Easy ... http://eric-salas.com/2015/09/23/how-to-remove-clouds-using-fmask-f...

Remove Clouds Using


Fmask From Landsat
Images In 10 Easy Steps

4 Comments
April 14, 2016 Hello, I cant donwload the lattest version of fmask The link
12:06 PM provided doesnt work
By Jurandir
Reply

April 25, 2016 Hello Jurandir. Do you mean this link?


3:13 PM https://code.google.com/archive/p/fmask/downloads
By EAL Salas
It seems to work on my side.

Regards.

Reply

April 22, 2016 Hello,


10:47 AM Good Instruction!
By Lisa Is it possible to change the parameter from fmask by using the
Windows-Version?

Reply

April 25, 2016 Hi Lisa. I would refer you to the Fmask paper below. I hope it
3:21 PM can address your question.
By EAL Salas
Regards,
Eric

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article
/pii/S0034425711003853

Reply

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