Application-ready expedited MODIS data for operational land surface monitoring of vegetation condition

Remote Sensing
By: , and 

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Abstract

Monitoring systems benefit from high temporal frequency image data collected from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) system. Because of near-daily global coverage, MODIS data are beneficial to applications that require timely information about vegetation condition related to drought, flooding, or fire danger. Rapid satellite data streams in operational applications have clear benefits for monitoring vegetation, especially when information can be delivered as fast as changing surface conditions. An “expedited” processing system called “eMODIS” operated by the U.S. Geological Survey provides rapid MODIS surface reflectance data to operational applications in less than 24 h offering tailored, consistently-processed information products that complement standard MODIS products. We assessed eMODIS quality and consistency by comparing to standard MODIS data. Only land data with known high quality were analyzed in a central U.S. study area. When compared to standard MODIS (MOD/MYD09Q1), the eMODIS Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) maintained a strong, significant relationship to standard MODIS NDVI, whether from morning (Terra) or afternoon (Aqua) orbits. The Aqua eMODIS data were more prone to noise than the Terra data, likely due to differences in the internal cloud mask used in MOD/MYD09Q1 or compositing rules. Post-processing temporal smoothing decreased noise in eMODIS data.

Publication type Article
Publication Subtype Journal Article
Title Application-ready expedited MODIS data for operational land surface monitoring of vegetation condition
Series title Remote Sensing
DOI 10.3390/rs71215825
Volume 7
Issue 12
Year Published 2015
Language English
Publisher Molecular Diversity Preservation International
Publisher location Basel, Switzerland
Contributing office(s) Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center
Description 15 p.
First page 16226
Last page 16240
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