GFSAD30VAL: Global Cropland Validation for 2015

30-meter resolution cropland extent data for the nominal year 2015 is validated using a 90-meter resampled accuracy assessment. The GFSAD30VAL product provides independent validation samples for seven global regions, supporting agricultural and water sustainability research. Each validation shapefile contains sample locations, cropland presence labels, and randomly selected assessment zones.

Use Cases

• Assessing the accuracy of global cropland maps based on independent validation samples.
• Modeling water use and sustainability for agricultural regions using validated land cover.
• Establishing baseline data for food security policy and monitoring.
• Conducting regional agricultural studies using the seven defined global zones.

Strengths

• Provides a thorough, independent accuracy assessment for a global 30m cropland product.
• Covers seven distinct global regions, enabling regional analysis.
• Uses a systematic validation method, resampling 30m pixels to 90m clusters for assessment.

Limitations

• Metadata conflicts exist: last_updated dates vary significantly (2016-12-31 vs. 2026-03-13).
• Specific column names and row counts are not provided in any source.
• Known issues and constraints are documented in a separate ATBD document (page 18), requiring external review.

Provenance

Source

NASA Making Earth System Data Records for Use in Research Environments (MEaSUREs) program, Global Food Security-support Analysis Data (GFSAD).

Collection Method

Cropland extent derived from satellite data, with validation using randomly selected sample locations clustered into 3x3 pixel units.

Time Range

2015 (nominal year)

Freshness

2026-03-13 02:14:00.689313

Geography

Global, divided into seven regions.