Aqua MODIS 16-Day Global Vegetation Index Composites at 0.05-Degree Resolution

2000-present global data from NASA's Aqua satellite provides 16-day cloud-free composites of vegetation indices. The Level 3 Climate Modeling Grid product, created by LPCLOUD, includes Normalized Difference Vegetation Index and Enhanced Vegetation Index layers at a 0.05-degree geographic resolution.

Use Cases

• Modeling crop yield anomalies by analyzing temporal NDVI and EVI patterns over agricultural regions.
• Tracking seasonal phenology and greening trends using the 16-day composite time series of VI QA and reflectance data.
• Assessing vegetation health and biomass in high-latitude regions using the EVI layer, which has improved sensitivity in high biomass areas.
• Generating input features for climate models from the gridded spatial statistics fields, including mean, standard deviation, and pixel count.

Strengths

• Provides global coverage on a consistent 0.05-degree Climate Modeling Grid with 3,600 rows and 7,200 columns.
• Offers two primary vegetation indices (NDVI and EVI) with the EVI layer specifically designed to reduce saturation in high biomass regions.
• Data is a cloud-free spatial composite derived from higher-resolution 1-kilometer source data, improving usability for analysis.

Limitations

• Known data issues exist, requiring users to consult the MODIS/VIIRS Land Quality Assessment website for specific sensor and version anomalies.
• The 16-day compositing period and 0.05-degree resolution may be too coarse for studying fine-scale, rapid vegetation changes.
• As a derived product, it inherits any limitations or errors from the source MYD13A2 1-kilometer data.

Provenance

Source

NASA Aqua satellite Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) sensor.

Collection Method

Cloud-free spatial composites of gridded 16-day 1-kilometer MYD13A2 data, projected to a 0.05-degree geographic Climate Modeling Grid.

Time Range

2000 to present (ongoing mission).

Freshness

null

Geography

Global.