Global Evaporative Stress Index from ECOSTRESS at 70-Meter Resolution

ECOSTRESS data provides a global Evaporative Stress Index (ESI) derived from actual and potential evapotranspiration estimates. The product is projected on a 0.0006-degree grid, offering a 70-meter spatial resolution globally between 52° N and 52° S latitudes. This Level 4 gridded data product, version 2, is generated by LPCLOUD using the PT-JPL-SM model from measurements by the ECOSTRESS instrument on the International Space Station.

Use Cases

• Monitor agricultural drought by analyzing the Evaporative Stress Index (ESI) layer across crop-growing regions.
• Validate land surface model outputs by comparing the actual evapotranspiration (ET) and potential evapotranspiration (PET) layers with ground-based measurements.
• Assess vegetation health and water stress dynamics using the ESI, cloud mask, and water mask layers in hydrological studies.
• Study the impact of climate variability on ecosystems by analyzing temporal changes in the ESI across the global 70-meter grid.

Strengths

• Global coverage between 52° N and 52° S latitudes.
• High spatial resolution of 70 meters on a 0.0006-degree grid.
• Includes multiple data layers: ESI, PET, cloud mask, and water mask.

Limitations

• Contains known data acquisition gaps, including a period from May 2019 to April 2023 where only 3 of 5 thermal infrared bands were downloaded.
• Temporal coverage is discontinuous due to instrument anomalies in September 2018 and March 2019, halting science acquisitions.

Provenance

Source

ECOSTRESS instrument on the International Space Station, processed by LPCLOUD.

Collection Method

Estimates generated using the Priestley-Taylor Jet Propulsion Laboratory Soil Moisture (PT-JPL-SM) model from thermal radiometer measurements.

Time Range

Data acquisition began after launch on June 29, 2018, with operations ongoing.

Freshness

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Geography

Global coverage between 52 degrees north and south latitude.