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Description

The Terra and Aqua combined MCD64A1 Version 6.1 Burned Area data product is a monthly, global gridded 500 meter (m) product containing per-pixel burned-area and quality information. The MCD64A1 burned-area mapping approach employs 500 m Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) Surface Reflectance imagery coupled with 1 kilometer (km) MODIS active fire observations. The algorithm uses a burn sensitive Vegetation Index (VI) to create dynamic thresholds that are applied to the composite data. The VI is derived from MODIS shortwave infrared atmospherically corrected surface reflectance bands 5 and 7 with a measure of temporal texture. The algorithm identifies the date of burn for the 500 m grid cells within each individual MODIS tile. The date is encoded in a single data layer as the ordinal day of the calendar year on which the burn occurred with values assigned to unburned land pixels and additional special values reserved for missing data and water grid cells.

The data layers provided in the MCD64A1 product include Burn Date, Burn Data Uncertainty, Quality Assurance, along with First Day and Last Day of reliable change detection of the year.

Known Issues

Version Description

The following changes and improvements were implemented for inputs to MODIS Version 6.1 Burned Area data products: (1) Version 6.1 Level-1B (L1B) products have been improved by undergoing various calibration changes that include: changes to the response-versus-scan angle (RVS) approach that affects reflectance bands for Aqua and Terra MODIS, corrections to adjust for the optical crosstalk in Terra MODIS infrared (IR) bands, and corrections to the Terra MODIS forward look-up table (LUT) update for the period 2012 – 2017, and (2) A polarization correction has been applied to the L1B Reflective Solar Bands (RSB).

Product Summary

Platforms
Terra ,
Aqua
Instruments
MODIS
Projects
TERRA ,
Aqua
Spatial Extent

N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180

Spatial Resolution
500 Meters x 500 Meters
Spatial Reference System(s)
MODIS Sinusoidal Tiling System
Location
GLOBAL
Coordinate System
CARTESIAN
Granule Spatial Representation
GEODETIC
Temporal Extent
2000-11-01 to Present
Temporal Resolution
1 Month
Data Partner
Land Processes Distributed Active Archive Center (LP DAAC) ,
MODIS Adaptive Processing System, Terrestrial Information Systems Laboratory, Earth Sciences Division, Science and Exploration Directorate, Goddard Space Flight Center, NASA (NASA/GSFC/SED/ESD/TISL/MODAPS)
Concept ID
C2565786756-LPCLOUD
Data State
ACTIVE
Number of Files/Granules
82532
Processing Level
3
Published
Updated
Science Keywords
Fire Ecology ,
Biomass Burning ,
Wildfires ,
Fire Occurrence ,
Burned Area

Citation

Citation is critically important for dataset documentation and discovery. This dataset is openly shared, without restriction, in accordance with the EOSDIS Data Use and Citation Guidance.

Copy Citation

Giglio, L., Justice, C., Boschetti, L., & Roy, D. (2021). MODIS/Terra+Aqua Burned Area Monthly L3 Global 500m SIN Grid V061 [Dataset]. NASA Land Processes Distributed Active Archive Center. https://doi.org/10.5067/MODIS/MCD64A1.061 Date Accessed: 2026-08-24

File Naming Convention

MCD64A1.A2025152.h06v03.061.2025220161136.hdf

The file name begins with the Product Short Name (MCD64A1) followed by the Julian Date of Acquisition formatted as AYYYYDDD (A2025152), the Tile Identifier which is horizontal tile and vertical tile provided as hXXvYY (h06v03), the Version of the data collection (061), the Julian Date and Time of Production designated as YYYYDDDHHMMSS (2025220161136), and the Data Format (hdf).

Documents

USER'S GUIDE

ALGORITHM THEORETICAL BASIS DOCUMENT (ATBD)

PRODUCT QUALITY ASSESSMENT

SCIENCE DATA PRODUCT VALIDATION

GENERAL DOCUMENTATION

Publications Citing This Dataset

Filters
Title Year Author Topic
The key role of extreme weather and climate change in the occurrence of exceptional fire seasons in south-central Chile Carrasco-Escaff, Tomas, Garreaud, Rene, Bozkurt, Deniz, Jacques-Coper, Martin, Pauchard, Anibal Fire Ecology, Biomass Burning, Wildfires, Fire Occurrence, Burned Area
Validation and Error Minimization of Global Ecosystem Dynamics East, Alyson, Hansen, Andrew, Jantz, Patrick, Currey, Bryce, Roberts, David W., Armenteras, Dolors Fire Ecology, Biomass Burning, Wildfires, Fire Occurrence, Burned Area
Does improved tenure security reduce fires? Evidence from the Greece land registry Diao, Liang, Song, Huiqian Aerosol Optical Depth/Thickness, Fire Ecology, Biomass Burning, Wildfires, Fire Occurrence, Burned Area, Surface Thermal Properties, Land Surface Temperature, THERMAL ANOMALIES
Framework to Create Inventory Dataset for Disaster Behavior Analysis Using Google Earth Engine: A Case Study in Peninsular Malaysia for Historical Forest Fire ... Chew, Yee Jian, Ooi, Shih Yin, Pang, Ying Han, Lim, Zheng You Terrain Elevation, RADAR IMAGERY, Topographical Relief Maps, Vegetation Index, Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI), Land Use/Land Cover Classification, Land Surface Temperature, Emissivity, Fire Ecology, Biomass Burning, Wildfires, Fire Occurrence, Burned Area
Global expansion of wildland-urban interface (WUI) and WUI fires: insights from a multiyear worldwide unified database (WUWUI) Tang, Wenfu, He, Cenlin, Emmons, Louisa, Zhang, Junzhe Land Use/Land Cover Classification, Vegetation Index, Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI), Albedo, Anisotropy, Reflectance, Fire Ecology, Biomass Burning, Wildfires, Fire Occurrence, Canopy Characteristics, Evergreen Vegetation, Crown, Deciduous Vegetation, Leaf Characteristics, Vegetation Cover, Burned Area
Fires as collateral or means of war: challenges of environmental peacebuilding in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq Eklund, Lina, Dinc, Pinar Fire Ecology, Biomass Burning, Wildfires, Fire Occurrence, Burned Area
Extensive woody encroachment altering Angolan miombo woodlands despite cropland expansion and frequent fires Loft, Ty, Stevens, Nicola, Goncalves, Francisco Maiato Pedro, Oliveras Menor, Imma Fire Ecology, Biomass Burning, Wildfires, Fire Occurrence, Burned Area
Grazing herbivores reduce herbaceous biomass and fire activity across Karp, A. Tyler, Koerner, Sally E., Hempson, Gareth P., Abraham, Joel O., Anderson, T. Michael, Bond, William J., Burkepile, Deron E., Fillion, Elizabeth N., Goheen, Jacob R., Guyton, Jennifer A., Kartzinel, Tyler R., Kimuyu, Duncan M., Mohanbabu, Neha, Palmer, Todd M., Porensky, Lauren M., Pringle, Robert M., Ritchie, Mark E., Smith, Melinda D., Thompson, Dave I., Young, Truman P., Staver, A. Carla Fire Ecology, Biomass Burning, Wildfires, Fire Occurrence, Burned Area
Active fire-based dating accuracy for Landsat burned area maps is high in boreal and Mediterranean biomes and low in grasslands and savannas Neves, Alana K., Pereira, Jose M.C., Silva, Joao M.N., Catarino, Silvia, Oliva, Patricia, Chuvieco, Emilio, Campagnolo, Manuel L. Fire Occurrence, Surface Thermal Properties, Land Surface Temperature, THERMAL ANOMALIES, Fire Ecology, Biomass Burning, Wildfires, Burned Area
A Multisource Data Approach for Change and Disturbance Mapping of Ontario's Clay Belt Towards More Accurate Carbon and Emissions Estimation Ituen, Ima, Hu, Baoxin Land Use/Land Cover Classification, Fire Ecology, Biomass Burning, Wildfires, Fire Occurrence, Burned Area
A global dataset of carbon pumping by the world's largest tropical rivers Salerno, Luca, Giulio Tonolo, Fabio, Camporeale, Carlo Land Use/Land Cover Classification, Fire Ecology, Biomass Burning, Wildfires, Fire Occurrence, Burned Area
Assessment of Post-Fire Forest Loss in Siberia Using Satellite Data and Its Relationship with Characteristics of Fires Shvetsov, E. G. Fire Ecology, Biomass Burning, Wildfires, Fire Occurrence, Burned Area
Attribution of summer 2022 extreme wildfire season in Southwest France to anthropogenic climate change Lanet, Marine, Li, Laurent, Ehret, Antoine, Turquety, Solene, Le Treut, Herve Fire Ecology, Biomass Burning, Wildfires, Fire Occurrence, Burned Area
Chemical composition and origins of PM <sub>2.5</sub> in Chiang Mai Chansuebsri, Sarana, Kolar, Petr, Kraisitnitikul, Pavidarin, Kantarawilawan, Natthanit, Yabueng, Nuttipon, Wiriya, Wan, Thepnuan, Duangduean, Chantara, Somporn Fire Ecology, Biomass Burning, Wildfires, Fire Occurrence, Burned Area
Burn Severity and Post-Fire Weather Are Key to Predicting Rifai, Sami W., De Kauwe, Martin G., Gallagher, Rachael V., Cernusak, Lucas A., Meir, Patrick, Pitman, Andy J. Leaf Area Index (LAI), Fraction Of Absorbed Photosynthetically Active Radiation (fapar), Leaf Characteristics, Photosynthetically Active Radiation, Reflectance, Anisotropy, Fire Ecology, Biomass Burning, Wildfires, Fire Occurrence, Burned Area
Changes in Water and Carbon Fluxes in the USA Southern Great Plains Grassland Due to Evergreen Forest Encroachment Yang, Xuebin, Xiao, Xiangming, Zhang, Chenchen, Celis, Jorge Fire Ecology, Biomass Burning, Wildfires, Fire Occurrence, Burned Area
Annual and Seasonal Patterns of Burned Area Products in Arctic-Boreal North America and Russia for 20012020 Clelland, Andrew A., Marshall, Gareth J., Baxter, Robert, Potter, Stefano, Talucci, Anna C., Rady, Joshua M., Genet, Helene, Rogers, Brendan M., Natali, Susan M. Reflectance, Fire Occurrence, Surface Thermal Properties, Land Surface Temperature, THERMAL ANOMALIES, Fire Ecology, Biomass Burning, Wildfires, Burned Area, Emissions, Forests, Carbon, Land Use/Land Cover Classification, Canopy Characteristics, Evergreen Vegetation, Crown, Deciduous Vegetation, Leaf Characteristics, Vegetation Cover, Reforestation, Carbonaceous Aerosols, Nitrogen Oxides, Particulates, Hydrogen Cyanide, Non-methane Hydrocarbons/Volatile Organic Compounds, Particulate Matter, Nitrogen Oxides, Sulfur Dioxide, Carbon And Hydrocarbon Compounds, Fire Dynamics, Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), Albedo
Application of remote sensing data in large-scale monitoring of wetlands Shinkarenko, S. S., Bartalev, S. A. Fire Ecology, Biomass Burning, Wildfires, Fire Occurrence, Burned Area
Coherence of recurring fires and land use change in South America Ren, Shulin, Xu, Xiyan, Jia, Gensuo, Huang, Anqi, Ma, Wei Fire Ecology, Biomass Burning, Wildfires, Fire Occurrence, Burned Area, Vegetation Index, Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI), Leaf Area Index (LAI), Fraction Of Absorbed Photosynthetically Active Radiation (fapar), Land Use/Land Cover Classification, Photosynthetically Active Radiation, Leaf Characteristics
Co-occurrence of marine and atmospheric heatwaves with drought conditions and fire activity in the Mediterranean region Santos, Raquel, Russo, Ana, Gouveia, Celia M. Fire Ecology, Biomass Burning, Wildfires, Fire Occurrence, Burned Area
Critical slowing down of the Amazon forest after increased drought occurrence Van Passel, Johanna, Bernardino, Paulo N., Lhermitte, Stef, Rius, Bianca F., Hirota, Marina, Conradi, Timo, de Keersmaecker, Wanda, Van Meerbeek, Koenraad, Somers, Ben RADAR IMAGERY, Terrain Elevation, Digital Elevation/Terrain Model (DEM), Canopy Characteristics, Evergreen Vegetation, Crown, Deciduous Vegetation, Leaf Characteristics, Vegetation Cover, Land Use/Land Cover Classification, Fire Ecology, Biomass Burning, Wildfires, Fire Occurrence, Reflectance, Anisotropy, Albedo, Burned Area
Comparing the performance of three satellite-based data products for assessing protected area effectiveness Papunen, Saija, Eklund, Johanna Fire Ecology, Biomass Burning, Wildfires, Fire Occurrence, Burned Area
Drought and Wildfire Trends in Native Forests of South-Central Chile in Duarte, Efrain, Rubilar, Rafael, Matus, Francisco, Garrido-Ruiz, Claudia, Merino, Carolina, Smith-Ramirez, Cecilia, Aburto, Felipe, Rojas, Claudia, Stehr, Alejandra, Dorner, Jose, Najera, Francisco, Barrientos, Guillermo, Jofre, Ignacio Fire Ecology, Biomass Burning, Wildfires, Fire Occurrence, Burned Area
Human risk to tick encounters in the southeastern United States estimated with spatial distribution modeling Butler, Rebecca A., Papes, Mona, Vogt, James T., Paulsen, Dave J., Crowe, Christopher, Trout Fryxell, Rebecca T. Leaf Characteristics, Photosynthetically Active Radiation, Leaf Area Index (LAI), Fraction Of Absorbed Photosynthetically Active Radiation (fapar), Land Surface Temperature, Emissivity, Fire Ecology, Biomass Burning, Wildfires, Fire Occurrence, Biomass, Litter Characteristics, Carbon, Forests, Runoff, Soil Texture, Photosynthesis, Primary Production, Vegetation Productivity, Evapotranspiration, Latent Heat Flux, Land Use/Land Cover Classification, Burned Area
Global patterns and drivers of post-fire vegetation productivity recovery Xu, Hongtao, Chen, Hans W., Chen, Deliang, Wang, Yingping, Yue, Xu, He, Bin, Guo, Lanlan, Yuan, Wenping, Zhong, Ziqian, Huang, Ling, Zheng, Fei, Li, Tiewei, He, Xiangqi Vegetation Index, Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI), Fire Ecology, Biomass Burning, Wildfires, Fire Occurrence, Burned Area
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