VNP15A2H: Global Vegetation Canopy LAI and FPAR from VIIRS

VIIRS/NPP Leaf Area Index/FPAR 8-Day L4 Global 500m SIN Grid V001 is a satellite-derived geospatial dataset providing measurements of vegetation canopy structure. It includes Leaf Area Index (LAI) and the Fraction of Photosynthetically Active Radiation (FPAR) at a 500-meter resolution, designed for continuity with the MODIS LAI/FPAR operational algorithm. The dataset, produced from the Suomi NPP satellite, has been decommissioned in favor of an improved Version 2 product.

Use Cases

• Monitoring global vegetation health and phenology based on 8-day composite LAI and FPAR values.
• Modeling carbon and water fluxes in terrestrial ecosystems using canopy structural parameters.
• Assessing land cover change and agricultural productivity from time-series vegetation indices.
• Validating and calibrating ecosystem models with satellite-derived standard deviation layers for LAI/FPAR.

Strengths

• Provides continuity with the established MODIS LAI/FPAR algorithm, supporting long-term Earth Observation System (EOS) mission data records.
• Includes six Science Data Set layers for detailed analysis, such as quality flags and standard deviations for both LAI and FPAR.
• Offers global coverage at a consistent 500-meter spatial resolution.

Limitations

• The Version 1 product was decommissioned on April 8, 2025, indicating it is an archived, non-operational dataset with known issues referenced externally.
• Key metadata such as row count, file size, and specific column names are unavailable across all platform entries.
• Platforms list conflicting 'last updated' dates (2026-04-09 vs. 2024-06-16), creating uncertainty about metadata maintenance.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

Collection Method

Satellite remote sensing via the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) aboard the NASA/NOAA Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership (Suomi NPP) satellite.

Freshness

Last updated metadata ranges from 2024-06-16 to 2026-04-09, but the core data product is a decommissioned archive.

Geography

Global