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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
71219
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: 2026-06-27

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
Eco-biophysical indicators to ascertain the sustainability aspect of world's primitive hills range using time-series MODIS data products Raj, Alok, Sharma, Laxmi Kant Evapotranspiration, Latent Heat Flux, Land Surface Temperature, Emissivity, Fraction Of Absorbed Photosynthetically Active Radiation (fapar), Leaf Area Index (LAI), Vegetation Index, Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI), Canopy Characteristics, Evergreen Vegetation, Crown, Deciduous Vegetation, Leaf Characteristics, Vegetation Cover, Land Use/Land Cover Classification, Photosynthesis, Primary Production, Vegetation Productivity
Early insights on the fracking impacts to the water-energy nexus in Brazil: is there a risk of water scarcity in the shale gas prospective areas? Vieira da Silva Filho, Saulo, Peyerl, Drielli, Moutinho dos Santos, Edmilson Surface Pressure, Heat Flux, Longwave Radiation, Shortwave Radiation, Surface Temperature, Humidity, Evapotranspiration, Surface Winds, Rain, Precipitation Rate, Snow, Soil Moisture/Water Content, Soil Temperature, Land Surface Temperature, Snow Water Equivalent, Runoff, Latent Heat Flux
Ecological restoration intensifies evapotranspiration in the Kubuqi Desert Chen, Peng, Wang, Shuai, Song, Shuang, Wang, Yijia, Wang, Yaping, Gao, Dexin, Li, Zidong Evapotranspiration, Photosynthesis, Primary Production, Latent Heat Flux
Effective method for filling gaps in time series of environmental remote sensing dataAn example on evapotranspiration and land surface temperature images Siabi, Negar, Sanaeinejad, Seyed Hossein, Ghahraman, Bijan Land Surface Temperature, Emissivity, Evapotranspiration, Latent Heat Flux
Effects of land use/cover change on atmospheric humidity in three urban agglomerations in the Yangtze River Economic Belt, China Li, Baoni, Xiong, Lihua, Zhang, Quan, Chen, Shilei, Yang, Han, Guo, Shuhui Leaf Area Index (LAI), Fraction Of Absorbed Photosynthetically Active Radiation (fapar), Evapotranspiration, Latent Heat Flux
Contrasting trends in water use efficiency of the alpine grassland in Tibetan Plateau Ma, Ning, Zhang, Yongqiang Photosynthesis, Primary Production, Vegetation Productivity, Evapotranspiration, Latent Heat Flux
Color and morphological differentiation in the Sinaloa Wren (Thryophilus Malpica, Andreia, Mendoza-Cuenca, Luis, Gonzalez, Clementina Vegetation Index, Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI), Canopy Characteristics, Evergreen Vegetation, Crown, Deciduous Vegetation, Leaf Characteristics, Vegetation Cover, Land Use/Land Cover Classification, Evapotranspiration, Latent Heat Flux
Deforestation triggering irreversible transition in Amazon hydrological cycle Xu, Xiyan, Zhang, Xiaoyan, Riley, William J, Xue, Ying, Nobre, Carlos A, Lovejoy, Thomas E, Jia, Gensuo Emissivity, Land Surface Temperature, Evapotranspiration, Latent Heat Flux
Embracing imperfection: Machine-assisted invertebrate classification in Blair, Jarrett, Weiser, Michael D., de Beurs, Kirsten, Kaspari, Michael, Siler, Cameron, Marshall, Katie E. Photosynthesis, Primary Production, Vegetation Productivity, Evapotranspiration, Latent Heat Flux
Agricultural Irrigation Effects on Hydrological Processes in the United Dangol, Sijal, Zhang, Xuesong, Liang, Xin-Zhong, Miralles-Wilhelm, Fernando Evapotranspiration, Latent Heat Flux
Activity density at a continental scale: What drives invertebrate Kaspari, Michael, Weiser, Michael D., Marshall, Katie E., Miller, Matthew, Siler, Cameron, de Beurs, Kirsten Evapotranspiration, Latent Heat Flux
A Structural Equation Modeling Approach to Disentangling Regional-Scale Landscape Dynamics in Ghana Peeling, Julie A., Singh, Aditya, Judge, Jasmeet Albedo, Anisotropy, Land Surface Temperature, Emissivity, Evapotranspiration, Latent Heat Flux, Vegetation Index, Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI), Forest Management
A transiting temperate-subtropical mixed forest: carbon cycle projection Kim, JiHyun, Kim, Yeonjoo, Kim, Jeongbin, Cho, Kyeungwoo, Hong, Jinkyu, Hong, Je-Woo, Jo, Sungsoo, Park, Chanwoo, Chun, Jung Hwa Leaf Area Index (LAI), Fraction Of Absorbed Photosynthetically Active Radiation (fapar), Photosynthesis, Primary Production, Vegetation Productivity, Evapotranspiration, Latent Heat Flux
A hybrid approach for integrated surface and subsurface hydrologic Delottier, H., Therrien, R., Young, N.L., Paradis, D. Evapotranspiration, Latent Heat Flux
A multi-metric assessment of drought vulnerability across different vegetation types using high resolution remote sensing Chen, Qi, Timmermans, Joris, Wen, Wen, van Bodegom, Peter M. Evapotranspiration, Latent Heat Flux
An unmixing-based spatial downscaling fusion approach for the MODIS Lu, Han, Huang, Wei, Zeng, Yongnian, Wang, Pancheng, Pi, Xinyu, Liu, Wenjie Evapotranspiration, Latent Heat Flux
An application of improved MODIS-based potential evapotranspiration estimates in a humid tropic brantas watershedImplications for agricultural water management Astuti, Ike Sari, Wiwoho, Bagus Setiabudi, Purwanto, Purwanto, Wagistina, Satti, Deffinika, Ifan, Sucahyo, Hetty Rahmawati, Herlambang, Gilang Aulia, Alfarizi, Imam Abdul Gani Evapotranspiration, Photosynthesis, Primary Production, Latent Heat Flux
Assessing the utility of remote sensing data to accurately estimate changes in groundwater storage Ahamed, Aakash, Knight, Rosemary, Alam, Sarfaraz, Pauloo, Rich, Melton, Forrest Evapotranspiration, Latent Heat Flux, Precipitation, Precipitation Amount, Precipitation Rate, Snow, Rain
Assessing the influence of urban greenness and green stormwater infrastructure on hydrology from satellite remote sensing Conley, Gary, McDonald, Robert I., Nodine, Tyler, Chapman, Teresa, Holland, Craig, Hawkins, Christopher, Beck, Nicole Evapotranspiration, Latent Heat Flux
Assessing the physical realism of deep learning hydrologic model projections under climate change Wi, Sungwook, Steinschneider, Scott Evapotranspiration, Latent Heat Flux
Assessing the potential value of the regionalised input constraint indices for constraining hydrological model simulations in the Congo River Basin Kabuya, Pierre M., Hughes, Denis A., Tshimanga, Raphael M., Trigg, Mark A., Bates, Paul Evapotranspiration, Latent Heat Flux
Assessing drought response in the southwestern Amazon forest by remote sensing and in situ measurements Souza, Ranieli Dos Anjos De, Moura, Valdir, Paloschi, Rennan Andres, Aguiar, Renata Goncalves, Webler, Alberto Dresch, Borma, Laura De Simone Evapotranspiration, Latent Heat Flux
Areal Precipitation Coverage Ratio for Enhanced AI Modelling of Monthly Runoff: A New Satellite Data-Driven Scheme for Semi-Arid Mountainous Climate Hosseini, Seyyed Hasan, Hashemi, Hossein, Fakheri Fard, Ahmad, Berndtsson, Ronny Vegetation Index, Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI), Evapotranspiration, Latent Heat Flux, Precipitation, Precipitation Amount, Precipitation Rate, Snow, Rain
Asymmetric daytime and nighttime surface temperature feedback induced by crop greening across Northeast China Yu, Lingxue, Liu, Ye, Yang, Jiuchun, Liu, Tingxiang, Bu, Kun, Li, Guangshuai, Jiao, Yue, Zhang, Shuwen Land Surface Temperature, Emissivity, Evapotranspiration, Latent Heat Flux, Albedo, Anisotropy
Background climate conditions regulated the photosynthetic response of Amazon forests to the 2015/2016 El Nino-Southern Oscillation event Fancourt, Max, Ziv, Guy, Boersma, Klaas Folkert, Tavares, Julia, Wang, Yunxia, Galbraith, David Total Surface Precipitation Rate, Evapotranspiration, Latent Heat Flux
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