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Format

Geographic Tagged Image File Format (GeoTIFF)

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Summary

Name
Geographic Tagged Image File Format (GeoTIFF)
Identifiers
  • Library of Congress Format Description Identifier: fdd000279
  • PUID: fmt/155
  • MIME: image/tiff
Format type
  • GIS
  • Image (Raster)
Description
GeoTIFF is a metadata standard, within the public domain, which allows georeferenceing information to be embedded within the TIFF file. GeoTIFF format can contain geospatial data such as aerial photography and satellite imagery which can be used in GIS applications. GeoTIFF files can be read by normal TIFF utilities, though they may unintentionally strip out the geospatial data in the process. GeoTIFF was originally created by Dr. Niles Ritter whilst working at NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and published. In 2019 by the Open Geospatial Consortium publihsed the OGC GeoTIFF standard.
Format encoding
Text
Note
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GeoTIFF http://www.remotesensing.org/geotiff/spec/geotiffhome.html http://justsolve.archiveteam.org/wiki/GeoTIFF
File extensions
tif, tiff, cog
Submitted by
Digital Preservation Department / The National Archives

Relationships

Has priority over
Is subtype of

Internal signatures

GeoTIFF (little-endian, BOF)

Description
TIFF header plus GeoKeyDirectory tag near BOF
Provenance
GeoTIFF Format Specification Revision 1.0 http://www.remotesensing.org/geotiff/spec/geotiffhome.html

Byte sequences

Min Frag Length
Absolute from BOF
Offset
0
Max offset
0
Byte Sequence
49492A00{4-4080}AF870300??000000
Endianness
Little-endian

GeoTIFF (little-endian, BOF+EOF)

Description
TIFF header plus GeoKeyDirectory tag near EOF
Provenance
GeoTIFF Format Specification Revision 1.0: http://www.remotesensing.org/geotiff/spec/geotiffhome.html; 04/2024 (v.117): Internal EOF signatures increased max-offset

Byte sequences

Min Frag Length
Absolute from BOF
Offset
0
Max offset
0
Byte Sequence
49492A00
Endianness
Little-endian
Min Frag Length
Absolute from EOF
Offset
4
Max offset
5000
Byte Sequence
AF870300??000000
Endianness
Little-endian

GeoTIFF (big-endian, BOF)

Description
TIFF header plus GeoKeyDirectory tag near BOF
Provenance
GeoTIFF Format Specification Revision 1.0 http://www.remotesensing.org/geotiff/spec/geotiffhome.html

Byte sequences

Min Frag Length
Absolute from BOF
Offset
0
Max offset
0
Byte Sequence
4D4D002A{4-4080}87AF0003000000
Endianness
Big-endian

GeoTIFF (big-endian, BOF+EOF)

Description
TIFF header plus GeoKeyDirectory tag near EOF
Provenance
GeoTIFF Format Specification Revision 1.0: http://www.remotesensing.org/geotiff/spec/geotiffhome.html; 04/2024 (v.117): Internal EOF signatures increased max-offset

Byte sequences

Min Frag Length
Absolute from BOF
Offset
0
Max offset
0
Byte Sequence
4D4D002A
Endianness
Big-endian
Min Frag Length
Absolute from EOF
Offset
5
Max offset
5000
Byte Sequence
87AF0003000000
Endianness
None

Changelog

  • V120

    Release date
    25 February 2025

    • Updated

      Geographic Tagged Image File Format (GeoTIFF): Added extension cog. Submitted by Digital Research Alliance of Canada - Federated Research Data Repository / Alliance de recherche numérique du Canada - Dépôt fédéré de données de recherche.

  • V118

    Release date
    30 April 2024

    • Updated

      GeoTIFF: Increased the max-offset for internal EOF signatures, updated the description, specification and LOC identifier. Submitted by Archives New Zealand.

  • V60

    Release date
    11 June 2012

    • Added signature

      GeoTIFF (little-endian, BOF): Signature developed through PRONOM Research.

      GeoTIFF (little-endian, BOF+EOF): Signature developed through PRONOM Research.

      GeoTIFF (big-endian, BOF): Signature developed through PRONOM Research.

      GeoTIFF (big-endian, BOF+EOF): Signature developed through PRONOM Research.

    • Updated

      Geographic Tagged Image File Format (GeoTIFF): Format name changed for greater accuracy and consistency. Priority information added to avoid potential mis-identification with Tagged Image File Format, Exchangeable Image File Format (Uncompressed) 2.0, Exchangeable Image File Format (Uncompressed) 2.1, Exchangeable Image File Format (Uncompressed) 2.2.