Global Evaporative Stress Index from ECOSTRESS Satellite at 70m Resolution

ECOSTRESS satellite data provides global estimates of plant water stress between 52°N and 52°S latitudes. The dataset includes instantaneous Evaporative Stress Index (ESI), potential evapotranspiration (PET), and cloud/water mask layers. It is produced by NASA's LPCLOUD using the PT-JPL model on measurements from the International Space Station instrument launched in 2018.

Use Cases

• Monitor agricultural drought by analyzing the Evaporative Stress Index (ESI) layer across crop regions.
• Model maximum water demand for irrigation planning using the potential evapotranspiration (PET) layer.
• Filter out invalid observations for analysis by applying the provided cloud mask and water mask layers.
• Study temporal changes in plant water stress by comparing ESI values across different acquisition dates.

Strengths

• Global coverage between 52°N and 52°S latitudes.
• High spatial resolution of 70 meters per pixel.
• Includes separate data layers for ESI, PET, and masking.

Limitations

• Contains known data acquisition gaps, including a period from May 2019 to April 2023 operating in reduced 3-band mode.
• Data availability is limited to the instrument's orbit and acquisition schedule on the ISS.
• Some historical periods contain fill values or striping artifacts as noted in known issues.

Provenance

Source

NASA LPCLOUD via the ECOSTRESS mission on the International Space Station.

Collection Method

Derived from thermal infrared radiometer measurements processed with the Priestley-Taylor Jet Propulsion Laboratory (PT-JPL) model.

Time Range

Data collection began after instrument launch on June 29, 2018.

Freshness

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Geography

Global coverage between 52 degrees north and 52 degrees south latitude.