PACE OCI Land Vegetation Indices: Global Near Real-time Satellite Data

Near real-time global land vegetation indices derived from the PACE OCI instrument's surface reflectance data. The dataset includes ten geophysical variables, such as NDVI and EVI, and is masked for clouds. It is produced by NASA's Ocean Biology DAAC using the best-available ancillary meteorological and ozone data for a given orbit.

Use Cases

• Monitor vegetation health and stress based on the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI).
• Assess plant photosynthetic activity and carotenoid content based on the Photochemical Reflectance Index (PRI) and Carotenoid Content Index (CAR).
• Detect water content in vegetation and snow cover based on the Normalized Difference Water Index (NDWI) and Normalized Difference Snow Index (NDSI).
• Analyze chlorophyll and anthocyanin levels in plants based on the Chlorophyll Index Red Edge (CIRE) and Anthocyanin Reflectance Index (MARI).

Strengths

• Provides ten distinct vegetation and land-surface indices, including six heritage and four hyperspectral-enabled indices.
• Data is produced in near real-time, offering a snapshot from a single orbit.
• The product is masked for clouds, which likely improves usability for land surface analysis.

Limitations

• Description metadata is limited; actual data quality requires manual inspection after download.
• Row count and file size are unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• The inputs and calibration used are described as 'less than optimal' compared to standard science products.

Provenance

Source

NASA Ocean Biology DAAC (OB_CLOUD).

Collection Method

Derived from surface reflectance data from the PACE OCI instrument.

Freshness

Near real-time; specific last update date is unknown.

Geography

Global.