The BSQ (Band Sequential) file format is a common raster data format used primarily in remote sensing and geographic information systems (GIS). It's a simple, uncompressed format that stores image data band by band. In a BSQ file, all the data for the first band is stored sequentially, followed by all the data for the second band, and so on. This organization makes it efficient for accessing data for a specific band across the entire image. BSQ files are often accompanied by a header file (usually with a .hdr extension) that contains metadata about the image, such as the number of rows and columns, the number of bands, the data type, and the coordinate system. The BSQ format is widely supported by various remote sensing and GIS software packages, making it a versatile choice for storing and exchanging raster data. While uncompressed, the simplicity of the format allows for fast read/write operations, especially when dealing with large datasets. However, the lack of compression can lead to larger file sizes compared to compressed formats like GeoTIFF or JPEG2000.