Global Solar-Induced Chlorophyll Fluorescence Estimates from Harmonized Satellite Data

Global monthly solar-induced chlorophyll fluorescence (SIF) estimates at 0.05-degree resolution from January 2003 through December 2017. The dataset was produced by NASA using SIF retrievals from SCIAMACHY and GOME-2 satellite instruments, downscaled and harmonized with MODIS and MERRA-2 predictors via a Random Forest algorithm and CDF matching. It provides a 15-year record of a direct indicator of photosynthetic activity.

Use Cases

• Analyzing global photosynthetic activity trends over a 15-year period using monthly SIF values.
• Modeling crop yield estimation by correlating regional SIF signals with agricultural productivity.
• Evaluating drought stress and land degradation by examining anomalies in the SIF time series.
• Validating ecosystem and carbon cycle models with a direct satellite-derived proxy for gross primary production.
• Studying the spatial consistency of vegetation fluorescence using the provided uncertainty estimates.

Strengths

• Provides a 15-year continuous global time series from 2003 to 2017.
• Data is harmonized from two satellite instruments (SCIAMACHY and GOME-2) using a Random Forest downscaling method, improving spatial resolution to ~5 km.
• Validation shows good correlation with independent airborne and ground-based SIF measurements.

Limitations

• Conflicting last updated dates: one source lists 2026-03 13, another lists 2017-12-31, suggesting potential metadata inconsistency.
• Specific column names, row counts, and file sizes are not provided in the source metadata.
• Data is provided in netCDF format, which may require specialized software or libraries for analysis.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Data retrieved from SCIAMACHY and GOME-2 instruments on the MetOp-A satellite.

Collection Method

SIF retrievals at 740 nm were downscaled to 0.05 degrees using a Random Forest algorithm with MODIS and MERRA-2 predictors, then harmonized via Cumulative Distribution Function (CDF) matching.

Time Range

2003-01-01 to 2017-12-31

Freshness

2026-03-13 02:13:30.546175

Geography

Global coverage at 0.05-degree resolution (approximately 5 km at the equator).