VIIRS Vegetation Indices: 16-Day Global 1km Satellite Data

NOAA-20 VIIRS Vegetation Indices (VJ113A2) Version 2 provides three key vegetation metrics—NDVI, EVI, and EVI2—derived from a best-pixel composite over a 16-day period at 1-kilometer resolution. The dataset includes supplementary layers for reflectance in multiple spectral bands, composite timing, pixel reliability, and viewing geometry. It is designed to continue the long-term Earth Observation System mission, succeeding similar MODIS products.

Use Cases

• Monitoring crop health and phenology based on NDVI and EVI time series.
• Assessing global vegetation canopy cover changes using the Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI).
• Comparing VIIRS-derived vegetation trends with historical MODIS data for continuity studies.
• Analyzing surface reflectance properties using the included red, NIR, and SWIR bands.
• Evaluating data quality and reliability for specific geographic tiles using the pixel reliability layer.

Strengths

• Provides three distinct vegetation indices (NDVI, EVI, EVI2) for nuanced analysis of chlorophyll and canopy structure.
• Includes multiple ancillary data layers (reflectance, angles, quality flags) supporting detailed geophysical analysis.
• Designed for continuity with the long-term MODIS Vegetation Indices time series, promoting historical comparison.

Limitations

• Lacks coverage for specific tiles (h33v07, h18v14) over water due to missing critical inputs.
• Key metadata such as row count, file size, and precise temporal range are not provided across any source.
• License is ambiguously listed as 'other-license-specified' without explicit terms.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

Collection Method

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

Time Range

null

Freshness

2026-04-09 21:02:23.787609

Geography

Global at 1km resolution, using a sinusoidal grid projection.