MODIS/Aqua Vegetation Indices: 16-Day Global 250m Satellite Data

MYD13Q1 Version 6.1 provides two primary vegetation indices, NDVI and EVI, generated every 16 days at a 250-meter spatial resolution. The algorithm selects the best available pixel from each period based on low cloud cover, low view angle, and the highest vegetation index value. Each HDF file also includes four MODIS reflectance bands and four observation layers alongside quality assurance data.

Use Cases

• Monitoring crop health and agricultural productivity based on NDVI and EVI layers.
• Tracking deforestation and land cover change using time-series vegetation index data.
• Modeling carbon sequestration and ecosystem productivity in high biomass regions with EVI's improved sensitivity.
• Assessing drought impacts and vegetation stress via reflectance bands in the red and near-infrared spectrum.
• Validating climate and ecological models with quality-controlled, composited satellite observations.

Strengths

• Provides a long-term continuity index via NDVI, linking to historical NOAA-AVHRR data.
• Offers improved calibration in Version 6.1, including polarization corrections and updates for the 2012-2017 period.
• Generates data at a consistent 16-day temporal and 250-meter spatial resolution for global coverage.
• Cross-platform presence on NASA Earthdata and Data.gov signals its importance and reliability for the scientific community.

Limitations

• Metadata completeness is low; specific column names, row counts, and dataset size are not provided across sources.
• Known issues exist, requiring users to consult an external quality assessment website for complete information.
• The 'last updated' date of 2026-04-10 appears to be a future date, indicating a potential metadata conflict or error.

Provenance

Source

NASA LPCLOUD (Land Processes Distributed Active Archive Center).

Collection Method

Satellite remote sensing via the Aqua MODIS instrument, with algorithmic compositing and calibration.

Freshness

2026-04-10 00:50:35.965074

Geography

Global coverage on a sinusoidal grid projection.