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Description

The Terra Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) MOD16A2GF Version 6.1 Evapotranspiration/Latent Heat Flux (ET/LE) product is a year-end gap-filled 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 MODIS remotely sensed data products such as vegetation property dynamics, albedo, and land cover.

The MOD16A2GF will be generated at the end of each year when the entire yearly 8-day MOD15A2H is available. Hence, the gap-filled MOD16A2GF is the improved MOD16, which has cleaned the poor-quality inputs from 8-day Leaf Area Index and Fraction of Photosynthetically Active Radiation (LAI/FPAR) based on the Quality Control (QC) label for every pixel. If any LAI/FPAR pixel did not meet the quality screening criteria, its value is determined through linear interpolation. However, users cannot get MOD16A2GF in near-real time because it will be generated only at the end of a given year.

Provided in the MOD16A2GF product are layers for composited ET, 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 MOD16A2GF 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. 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
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
2000-01-01 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
C2565791021-LPCLOUD
Data State
ACTIVE
Number of Files/Granules
341596
Processing Level
4
Published
Updated
Science Keywords
Evapotranspiration ,
Photosynthesis ,
Primary Production ,
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., & Moreno, A. (2021). MODIS/Terra Net Evapotranspiration Gap-Filled 8-Day L4 Global 500m SIN Grid V061 [Data set]. NASA Land Processes Distributed Active Archive Center. https://doi.org/10.5067/MODIS/MOD16A2GF.061 Date Accessed: 2026-05-24

File Naming Convention

MOD16A2GF.A2024361.h01v10.061.2025019222926.hdf

The file name begins with the Product Short Name (MOD16A2GF) followed by the Julian Date of Acquisition formatted as AYYYYDDD (A2024361), the Tile Identifier which is horizontal tile and vertical tile provided as hXXvYY (h01v10), the Version of the data collection (061), the Julian Date and Time of Production designated as YYYYDDDHHMMSS (2025019222926), 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
Streamflow estimation using satellite-retrieved water fluxes and machine learning technique over monsoon-dominated catchments of India Dayal, Deen, Gupta, Praveen K., Pandey, Ashish Evapotranspiration, Photosynthesis, Primary Production, Latent Heat Flux, RADAR IMAGERY, Terrain Elevation, Digital Elevation/Terrain Model (DEM)
Simulating future groundwater recharge in coastal and inland catchments Busico, Gianluigi, Ntona, Maria Margarita, Carvalho, Silvia C. P., Patrikaki, Olga, Voudouris, Konstantinos, Kazakis, Nerantzis Evapotranspiration, Photosynthesis, Primary Production, Latent Heat Flux
Water footprints of irrigated crop production and meteorological driving factors at multiple temporal scales Gao, Jie, Xie, Pengxuan, Zhuo, La, Shang, Kehui, Ji, Xiangxiang, Wu, Pute Evapotranspiration, Photosynthesis, Primary Production, Latent Heat Flux
Quantifying the Impact of Evapotranspiration at the Aquifer Scale via Groundwater Modelling and MODIS Data Colombani, Nicolo, Gaiolini, Mattia, Busico, Gianluigi, Postacchini, Matteo Evapotranspiration, Photosynthesis, Primary Production, Latent Heat Flux
Retrieval of daily reference evapotranspiration for croplands in South Korea using machine learning with stellite images and numerical weather prediction data Kim, Nari, Kim, Kwangjin, Lee, Soobong, Cho, Jaeil, Lee, Yangwon Total Surface Precipitation Rate, Evapotranspiration, Photosynthesis, Primary Production, Latent Heat Flux, Land Use/Land Cover Classification, Photosynthetically Active Radiation, Leaf Area Index (LAI), Leaf Characteristics, Fraction Of Absorbed Photosynthetically Active Radiation (fapar), Vegetation Index, Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI)
Validation of seven global remotely sensed ET products across Thailand using water balance measurements and land use classifications Sriwongsitanon, Nutchanart, Suwawong, Thienchart, Thianpopirug, Sansarith, Williams, James, Jia, Li, Bastiaanssen, Wim Evapotranspiration, Photosynthesis, Primary Production, Latent Heat Flux
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