VIIRS/NPP Vegetation Indices: Monthly Global Vegetation Health at 0.05°

NASA/NOAA Suomi NPP VIIRS Vegetation Indices (VNP13C2) Version 2 provides monthly, global vegetation health metrics at a 0.05-degree resolution. The dataset includes three primary indices—Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI), and EVI2—alongside supporting reflectance bands and quality assurance layers. It is designed to continue the long-term Earth Observation System (EOS) mission, succeeding MODIS vegetation products.

Use Cases

• Monitoring global crop health and agricultural productivity based on NDVI and EVI time series.
• Analyzing vegetation canopy cover and chlorophyll sensitivity using the complementary EVI and NDVI indices.
• Assessing data reliability for specific regions using the included pixel reliability and quality layers.
• Studying long-term vegetation phenology trends as part of the EOS continuity mission.
• Comparing VIIRS-derived vegetation indices with other sensor models using the EVI2 reformation.

Strengths

• Provides three distinct vegetation indices (NDVI, EVI, EVI2) for complementary analysis of canopy structure and chlorophyll.
• Maintains continuity with the long-term MODIS Terra and Aqua Vegetation Indices product suite.
• Includes multiple supporting data layers such as reflectance bands, standard deviations, and quality flags.

Limitations

• Lacks coverage for specific tiles (h33v07, h18v14) over water due to missing critical inputs.
• Column names, row counts, and exact file sizes are not provided in the available metadata.
• License is specified only as 'other-license-specified', requiring further investigation for use.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

Collection Method

Satellite remote sensing from the Suomi NPP spacecraft Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS).

Time Range

Monthly acquisition period (specific start date not provided).

Freshness

2026-04-09 20:54:07.998006

Geography

Global coverage at 0.05-degree resolution.