Skip to main content

Description

The MOD16A2 Version 6.1 Evapotranspiration/Latent Heat Flux product is an 8-day composite dataset produced at 500 meter (m) pixel resolution. The algorithm used for the MOD16 data product collection is based on the logic of the Penman-Monteith equation, which includes inputs of daily meteorological reanalysis data along with Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) remotely sensed data products such as vegetation property dynamics, albedo, and land cover.

Provided in the MOD16A2 product are layers for composited Evapotranspiration (ET), Latent Heat Flux (LE), Potential ET (PET) and Potential LE (PLE) along with a quality control layer. Two low resolution browse images, ET and LE, are also available for each MOD16A2 granule.

The pixel values for the two Evapotranspiration layers (ET and PET) are the sum of all eight days within the composite period and the pixel values for the two Latent Heat layers (LE and PLE) are the average of all eight days within the composite period. Note that the last acquisition period of each year is a 5 or 6-day composite period, depending on the year.

Known Issues

Version Description

The following changes and improvements were implemented for inputs to MODIS Version 6.1 net evapotranspiration 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, (2) A polarization correction has been applied to the L1B Reflective Solar Bands (RSB), and (3) The product uses Climatology Leaf Area Index (LAI) and Fraction of Photosynthetically Active Radiation (FPAR) as back up to the operational LAI/FPAR.

Product Summary

Platforms
Terra
Instruments
MODIS
Projects
TERRA
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
2021-01-01 to Present
Temporal Resolution
8 Day
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
C2343113232-LPCLOUD
Data State
ACTIVE
Number of Files/Granules
70932
Processing Level
4
Published
Updated
Science Keywords
Evapotranspiration ,
Latent Heat Flux

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

Running, S., Mu, Q., & Zhao, M. (2021). MODIS/Terra Net Evapotranspiration 8-Day L4 Global 500m SIN Grid V061 [Dataset]. NASA Land Processes Distributed Active Archive Center. https://doi.org/10.5067/MODIS/MOD16A2.061 Date Accessed: 2026-06-13

File Naming Convention

MOD16A2.A2025201.h07v05.061.2025217003056.hdf

The file name begins with the Product Short Name (MOD16A2) followed by the Julian Date of Acquisition formatted as AYYYYDDD (A2025201), the Tile Identifier which is horizontal tile and vertical tile provided as hXXvYY (h07v05), the Version of the data collection (061), the Julian Date and Time of Production designated as YYYYDDDHHMMSS (2025217003056), 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
Regional analysis of evapotranspiration changes in an arid river basin using satellite observations Zhu, Xiaoqian, Jin, Xiaomei, Zhang, Xucai, Zhang, Jing Evapotranspiration, Latent Heat Flux
Satellite observed cooling effects from re-vegetation on the Mongolian Plateau Jiang, Hou, Lu, Ning, Zhang, Xingxing, Yao, Ling, Bai, Yongqing Emissivity, Land Surface Temperature, Albedo, Anisotropy, Evapotranspiration, Latent Heat Flux, Land Use/Land Cover Classification
Satellite time series data reveal interannual and seasonal spatiotemporal evapotranspiration patterns in China in response to effect factors Cheng, Minghan, Jiao, Xiyun, Jin, Xiuliang, Li, Binbin, Liu, Kaihua, Shi, Lei Leaf Area Index (LAI), Fraction Of Absorbed Photosynthetically Active Radiation (fapar), Evapotranspiration, Latent Heat Flux, Surface Pressure, Heat Flux, Longwave Radiation, Shortwave Radiation, Surface Temperature, Humidity, Surface Winds, Rain, Precipitation Rate, Snow, Soil Moisture/Water Content, Soil Temperature, Land Surface Temperature, Snow Water Equivalent, Runoff
Role of remotely sensed leaf area index assimilation in eco-hydrologic processes in different ecosystems over East Asia with Community Land Model version 4.5 Biogeochemistry Seo, Hocheol, Kim, Yeonjoo Leaf Characteristics, Photosynthetically Active Radiation, Leaf Area Index (LAI), Fraction Of Absorbed Photosynthetically Active Radiation (fapar), Photosynthesis, Primary Production, Vegetation Productivity, Evapotranspiration, Latent Heat Flux
Root-zone soil moisture from process-based and remote sensing features Souissi, Roiya, Zribi, Mehrez, Al Bitar, Ahmad Vegetation Index, Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI), Evapotranspiration, Latent Heat Flux
Recognition of different yield potentials among rain-fed wheat fields before harvest using remote sensing Sabzchi-Dehkharghani, Hamed, Nazemi, Amir Hossein, Sadraddini, Ali Ashraf, Majnooni-Heris, Abolfazl, Biswas, Asim Evapotranspiration, Latent Heat Flux
Resource availability drives variation in a marsupial gliders home-range size StoboWilson, A. M., Cremona, T., Murphy, B. P., Carthew, S. M. Evapotranspiration, Latent Heat Flux, Photosynthesis, Primary Production
The bowen ratio of an alpine grassland in three-river headwaters, qinghai-tibet plateau, from 2001 to 2018 Xuanlan, Zhao, Junbang, Wang, Hui, Ye, Amir, Muhammad, Shaoqiang, Wang Reflectance, RADAR IMAGERY, Terrain Elevation, Digital Elevation/Terrain Model (DEM), Evapotranspiration, Latent Heat Flux
The use of remote sensing-based ET estimates to improve global hydrological simulations in the community land model version 5.0 Wang, Dayang, Wang, Dagang, Mo, Chongxun Evapotranspiration, Latent Heat Flux
The Water Availability on the Chinese Loess Plateau since the Qiu, Linjing, Chen, Yuting, Wu, Yiping, Xue, Qingyue, Shi, Zhaoyang, Lei, Xiaohui, Liao, Weihong, Zhao, Fubo, Wang, Wenke Reflectance, Evapotranspiration, Latent Heat Flux
Synthesizing a regional territorial evapotranspiration dataset for northern China Wang, Linjiang, Wu, Bingfang, Elnashar, Abdelrazek, Zeng, Hongwei, Zhu, Weiwei, Yan, Nana RADAR IMAGERY, Terrain Elevation, Topographical Relief Maps, Digital Elevation/Terrain Model (DEM), Evapotranspiration, Latent Heat Flux
Synthesis of global actual evapotranspiration from 1982 to 2019 Elnashar, Abdelrazek, Wang, Linjiang, Wu, Bingfang, Zhu, Weiwei, Zeng, Hongwei Evapotranspiration, Latent Heat Flux, Surface Pressure, Heat Flux, Longwave Radiation, Shortwave Radiation, Air Temperature, Specific Humidity, Wind Speed, Rain, Snow, Soil Moisture/Water Content, Soil Temperature, Land Surface Temperature, Snow Cover, Snow Depth, Snow Water Equivalent, Runoff
Temperature effects on carbon storage are controlled by soil stabilisation capacities Hartley, Iain P., Hill, Tim C., Chadburn, Sarah E., Hugelius, Gustaf Land Use/Land Cover Classification, Evapotranspiration, Latent Heat Flux
Strong impacts of autumn phenology on grassland ecosystem water use Cheng, Min, Jin, Jiaxin, Jiang, Hong Reflectance, Evapotranspiration, Photosynthesis, Primary Production, Latent Heat Flux, Vegetation Productivity
Spatial water footprint optimization of crop planting: A fuzzy multiobjective optimal approach based on MOD16 evapotranspiration products Zhang, Fan, Cai, Yanpeng, Tan, Qian, Wang, Xuan Evapotranspiration, Latent Heat Flux
Spatiotemporal land use change and environmental degradation surrounding CAFOs in Michigan and North Carolina Miralha, Lorrayne, Muenich, Rebecca L., Schaffer-Smith, Danica, Myint, Soe W. Land Surface Temperature, Emissivity, Vegetation Index, Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI), Photosynthetically Active Radiation, Leaf Area Index (LAI), Leaf Characteristics, Fraction Of Absorbed Photosynthetically Active Radiation (fapar), Evapotranspiration, Latent Heat Flux, Land Use/Land Cover Classification, Canopy Characteristics, Evergreen Vegetation, Crown, Deciduous Vegetation, Vegetation Cover
Spatiotemporal patterns and driving forces of land-use and land-cover change in the Mu Us Sandy Land, China from 1980 to 2018 Yang, Liangyan, Sun, Zenghui, Li, Jianfeng, Shi, Lei, Kong, Hui, Yang, Yuanyuan, Li, Tong Evapotranspiration, Latent Heat Flux
Toward operational validation systems for global satellite-based terrestrial essential climate variables Bayat, Bagher, Camacho, Fernando, Nickeson, Jaime, Cosh, Michael, Bolten, John, Vereecken, Harry, Montzka, Carsten Brightness Temperature, Microwave Imagery, Soil Moisture/Water Content, Vegetation Water Content, Evapotranspiration, Latent Heat Flux, Leaf Characteristics, Photosynthetically Active Radiation, Leaf Area Index (LAI), Fraction Of Absorbed Photosynthetically Active Radiation (fapar), Photosynthesis, Primary Production, Emissivity, Land Surface Temperature, Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), Albedo, Anisotropy, Reflectance, Sea Surface Temperature
Vegetation degradation in ENSO events: Drought assessment, soil use and vegetation evapotranspiration in the Western Brazilian Amazon Vilanova, Regiane Souza, Delgado, Rafael Coll, Frossard de Andrade, Caio, Lopes dos Santos, Gilsonley, Magistrali, Iris Cristiane, Moreira de Oliveira, Carlos Magno, Teodoro, Paulo Eduardo, Capristo Silva, Guilherme Fernando, Silva Junior, Carlos Antonio da, de Avila Rodrigues, Rafael Evapotranspiration, Latent Heat Flux
Variations in the aboveground phytomass in northern Eurasia in the 21st century Tishkov, A. A., Krenke, A. N., Titova, S. V., Belonovskaya, E. A., Tsarevskaya, N. G. Canopy Characteristics, Evergreen Vegetation, Crown, Deciduous Vegetation, Leaf Characteristics, Vegetation Cover, Land Use/Land Cover Classification, Photosynthesis, Primary Production, Vegetation Productivity, Evapotranspiration, Latent Heat Flux
Wetlands cool land surface temperature in tropical regions but warm in boreal regions Wu, Yuxuan, Xi, Yi, Feng, Maoyuan, Peng, Shushi Land Use/Land Cover Classification, Evapotranspiration, Latent Heat Flux, Albedo, Anisotropy, Reflectance
Water conservation estimation based on time series ndvi in the yellow river basin Zhang, Yangchengsi, Du, Jiaqiang, Guo, Long, Sheng, Zhilu, Wu, Jinhua, Zhang, Jing Vegetation Index, Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI), Evapotranspiration, Latent Heat Flux, Precipitation, Precipitation Amount, Precipitation Rate, Snow, Rain
Unique episodic groundwater recharge event in a South American sedimentary aquifer and its longterm impact on baseflow Dambros Melati, Mauricio, Mainardi Fan, Fernando, Barbosa Athayde, Gustavo, Roehe Reginato, Pedro Antonio, Collischonn, Walter, de Vasconcelos Muller Athayde, Camila Evapotranspiration, Latent Heat Flux
A comparison of three models used to determine water fluxes over the Albany Thicket, Eastern Cape, South Africa Palmer, A.R., Ezenne, G.I., Choruma, D.J., Gwate, O., Mantel, S.K., Tanner, J.L. Photosynthesis, Primary Production, Vegetation Productivity, Evapotranspiration, Latent Heat Flux, Soil Moisture/Water Content, Biogeochemical Cycles, Carbon, Nitrogen, Soil Heat Budget
Applying tipping point theory to remote sensing science to improve early warning drought signals for food security Krishnamurthy R, P. Krishna, Fisher, Joshua B., Schimel, David S., Kareiva, Peter M. Vegetation Index, Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI), Evapotranspiration, Latent Heat Flux
You're viewing 425 of 555