VNP64A1: Global Burned Area from VIIRS Satellite

The VNP64A1 Version 1 dataset is a decommissioned monthly global product providing per-pixel burned area information at a 500-meter resolution. It uses a hybrid algorithm on VIIRS satellite imagery to identify the ordinal day of burn for each grid cell, designed to continue the MODIS burned area record. The dataset was released on a limited basis due to known quality issues near water bodies and high latitudes.

Use Cases

• Mapping historical fire perimeters and burn dates based on the encoded ordinal day layer.
• Analyzing global fire occurrence trends using the monthly, gridded 500m data product.
• Assessing continuity between MODIS and VIIRS burned area records for long-term Earth Observation System studies.
• Identifying potential false-positive burned areas along inland water edges and at high latitudes as noted in the quality advisory.

Strengths

• Provides global coverage at a 500-meter spatial resolution.
• Identifies the date of burn to the nearest day, encoded as an ordinal day (1-366).
• Designed for continuity with the established MODIS Terra and Aqua combined burned area product.

Limitations

• The dataset is decommissioned (as of July 31, 2025) and users are directed to Version 2.
• Contains known quality issues with false positives along edges of inland water bodies and at high latitudes.
• Metadata on specific columns, row counts, and precise temporal coverage is unavailable across all sources.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

Collection Method

Derived from NASA/NOAA Suomi NPP satellite VIIRS sensor imagery using a hybrid algorithm combining 750m imagery and active fire observations.

Freshness

Last updated metadata on 2026-04-09, but the product itself was decommissioned in 2025.

Geography

Global