VJ115A2H: Global Vegetation Canopy Metrics from NOAA-20 VIIRS

VIIRS sensor data from the NOAA-20 satellite provides 500-meter resolution maps of Leaf Area Index and absorbed solar energy for photosynthesis. This Version 2 product is algorithmically aligned with legacy MODIS data to ensure continuity for long-term Earth system studies. It includes six science layers for each measurement, plus quality and uncertainty flags.

Use Cases

• Modeling terrestrial carbon uptake based on Fraction of Photosynthetically Active Radiation (FPAR) measurements.
• Monitoring global vegetation health and canopy density trends using Leaf Area Index (LAI).
• Assessing algorithm performance and data quality for downstream products using the provided quality detail layers.
• Studying the impact of aerosols on vegetation indices in mid- to high-latitude regions.
• Conducting time-series analysis of canopy properties at an 8-day composite frequency.

Strengths

• Provides continuity with the established MODIS LAI/FPAR operational algorithm from Terra and Aqua satellites.
• Version 2 includes specific improvements: enhanced calibration, geolocation accuracy, aerosol flag correction, and updated cloud and land/water masks.
• Data is structured with six specific Science Data Set Layers for core measurements, quality, and standard deviation.

Limitations

• Key metadata such as row count, file size, and specific column names are unavailable across all platform entries.
• The license is ambiguously listed as 'other-license-specified' without explicit terms.
• Known issues exist and require users to consult an external website for complete details.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

Collection Method

Satellite remote sensing from the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) aboard the NOAA-20 spacecraft.

Time Range

null

Freshness

2026-04 09

Geography

Global coverage at 500-meter resolution in a sinusoidal grid.