Satellite Date Selector
Understanding Satellite Scan Dates and How Carbonleap Handles Imagery Availability
Every satellite vegetation map in Carbonleap is tied to a specific scan date — the day the satellite captured imagery for your field. Satellite scans do not occur every day, and availability depends on weather, cloud cover, and satellite pass frequency. The date displayed above the map shows exactly which scan is being used.
How Scan Dates Work Today
Currently, the date is displayed for informational purposes and is not selectable by the user. Carbonleap automatically shows the most recent usable satellite scan for your field based on:
Cloud coverage
Data quality
Valid geometry clipping
Satellite pass availability
If a scan is too cloudy or incomplete, Carbonleap will skip it and select the next best available date.
Why the Date Is Not Selectable Yet
Satellite imagery is not available daily. Depending on the pass schedule and cloud conditions, scans might be:
5 days apart
10 days apart
Occasionally longer during heavy cloud cover
Allowing users to scroll one day at a time would create confusion because many dates simply have no satellite data.
The upcoming version of the Date Selector will allow navigation only across valid scan dates, which are irregularly spaced.
How the Future Date Selector Will Work
When date selection becomes available:
Users will scroll forward or backward through actual scan dates
Dates will jump automatically to the next valid satellite image
Daily increments will not be used (because imagery does not arrive daily)
The map will refresh based on the selected historical scan
This allows growers to:
Compare current imagery to earlier conditions
Track progression of crop vigor
Understand how patterns changed over time
Investigate when a stress signal first appeared
Why Scan Date Matters
The scan date helps interpret:
Whether a metric change is recent or old
If weather events (heat, rain, frost) correspond to visible changes
How timely an alert may be
Whether a stress pattern is worsening or improving
Combined with the Change From Previous Scan variant, date awareness becomes even more powerful.
Examples of Scan Date Interpretation
If the latest scan was 2 days ago, changes are very current
If the latest scan was 9 days ago, recent weather may not yet be reflected
If a low-vigor area appears suddenly after a scan gap, it may indicate a major event during that period
Understanding scan timing helps growers interpret what the satellite is showing and plan scouting or interventions accordingly.
The satellite date indicator ensures clarity about when imagery was captured and prepares the foundation for upcoming time-navigation features.
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