VIP01: Daily Global Vegetation Indices from AVHRR and MODIS

Global daily vegetation index data spans from 1981 to 2014, created by NASA's MEaSUREs program. The dataset provides consistent Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and modified Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI2) measurements at a 0.05-degree spatial resolution, derived from AVHRR (1981-1999) and MODIS/Terra (2000-2014) sensors. It includes 11 science datasets covering the calculated indices, quality assurance, input surface reflectance, and viewing geometry.

Use Cases

• Tracking vegetation phenology and seasonal cycles based on the 30+ year time series of NDVI/EVI2.
• Assessing long-term biotic responses to environmental change using the gap-filled, consistent index record.
• Analyzing surface reflectance and viewing geometry for remote sensing validation studies.
• Modeling global biophysical properties of land surfaces using the daily, 0.05-degree resolution data.

Strengths

• Provides a continuous, multi-sensor time series spanning over 30 years (1981-2014).
• Includes 11 science datasets with quality assurance flags and gap-filling for data continuity.
• Offers a consistent, calibrated record of two key vegetation indices (NDVI and EVI2) at global scale.

Limitations

• Blue and Middle Infrared surface reflectance data are only available for the MODIS era (2000-2014).
• Conflicting metadata: one source lists a last updated date in 2026, while another indicates 2014.
• Specific column names and dataset size/row counts are not provided in the available metadata.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) MEaSUREs program

Collection Method

Derived from Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) and Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS)/Terra MOD09 surface reflectance data.

Time Range

1981 to 2014

Freshness

2026-04-09 21:19:20.820825 (datagov), conflicting with 2014-12-31 23:59:59.999000 (nasa_earthdata).

Geography

Global at 0.05-degree (approx. 5600-meter) resolution