Malta Vegetation Index Anomaly: 10-Day VIIRS FAPAR Composites

Copernicus provides this geospatial dataset containing 10-day time composites of Fraction of Absorbed Photosynthetically Active Radiation (FAPAR) anomalies for Malta. Derived from the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS), the data monitors vegetation health and agricultural drought impacts. The records are updated through March 2026 and utilize a standardized dimensionless scale from 0 to 1.

Use Cases

• Detecting agricultural drought by analyzing FAPAR anomaly deviations from historical norms
• Monitoring vegetation productivity using the 0-1 dimensionless absorption scale
• Conducting time-series analysis of plant health across Malta using 10-day VIIRS composites

Strengths

• Derived from VIIRS (Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite) sensor data
• High-frequency 10-day temporal resolution
• Standardized FAPAR scale (0 to 1) for consistent vegetation health assessment

Limitations

• Geographically restricted to Malta
• Raster format requires specialized GIS software for interpretation
• Lack of tabular metadata for specific land-use types

Provenance

Source

Copernicus

Collection Method

Remote sensing via Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS)

Freshness

Updated as recently as March 2026 with a 10-day composite frequency.

Geography

Malta