# Generated by scripts/sync_indices.py from Awesome Spectral Indices (MIT).
# DO NOT EDIT BY HAND. Edit overlays (_asi_*.yaml, _folia_*.yaml) and re-run.
# Spec: docs/spec/SPECTRAL_INDICES.md
slug: ndbi
name: Normalized Difference Built-Up Index
short_name: NDBI
formula: (S1 - N) / (S1 + N)
bands:
- S1
- N
domain: urban
theme: infrastructure
concepts: []
rank: 11
display:
  colormap: ylorbr
  range:
  - -1.0
  - 1.0
pedagogy:
  description: 'Normalized Difference Built-Up Index (Zha 2003). Contrasts shortwave-infrared

    (high in dry, impervious surfaces) with near-infrared (high in vegetation)

    to highlight built-up land. The workhorse Landsat/Sentinel-2 urban index.

    '
  use_cases:
  - Urban-extent and built-up-area change mapping over multi-decade archives
  - Land-cover classifier feature alongside NDVI and NDWI in three-index urban masks
  - Impervious-surface proxy for runoff and heat-island modelling
  limitations:
  - Confused with bare soil — values overlap with dry agricultural fields and exposed rock; pair with NDVI
  - Does not separate roof material types; for that use thermal or SAR
  - Sensitive to scene illumination — apply topographic correction in steep terrain
  interpretation:
    high: Dense built-up, impervious surfaces
    mid: Mixed urban / sparse vegetation
    low: Vegetation
    negative: Water
  authoritative_sources:
  - label: Zha, Gao & Ni 2003
    url: https://doi.org/10.1080/01431160304987
  - label: NV5 ENVI — Alphabetical Indices
    url: https://www.nv5geospatialsoftware.com/docs/AlphabeticalListIndices.html
  - label: Index Database · NDBI
    url: https://www.indexdatabase.de/db/i-single.php?id=4
references:
- url: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/01431160304987
date_of_addition: '2021-05-14'
contributor: https://github.com/davemlz
platforms:
- Sentinel-2
- Landsat-OLI
- Landsat-TM
- Landsat-ETM+
- MODIS
source:
  authority: awesome-spectral-indices
  commit_sha: 7f28d3fe68af1287f7449faf0685659e73197212
  upstream_id: NDBI
match_tags:
- built
- difference
- index
- n
- normalized
- s1
- urban
status: stable