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Description

The MOD13A3 Version 6 data product was decommissioned on July 31, 2023. Users are encouraged to use the MOD13A3 Version 6.1 data product.

The Terra Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) Vegetation Indices (MOD13A3) Version 6 data are provided monthly at 1 kilometer (km) spatial resolution as a gridded Level 3 product in the sinusoidal projection. In generating this monthly product, the algorithm ingests all the MOD13A2 products that overlap the month and employs a weighted temporal average.

The MODIS Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) complements NOAA's Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) NDVI products and provides continuity for time series historical applications. MODIS also includes an Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI) that minimizes canopy background variations and maintains sensitivity over dense vegetation conditions. The EVI uses the blue band to remove residual atmosphere contamination caused by smoke and sub-pixel thin clouds. The MODIS NDVI and EVI products are computed from surface reflectances corrected for molecular scattering, ozone absorption, and aerosols.

Vegetation indices are used for global monitoring of vegetation conditions and are used in products displaying land cover and land cover changes. These data may be used as input for modeling global biogeochemical and hydrologic processes as well as global and regional climate. Additional applications include characterizing land surface biophysical properties and processes, such as primary production and land cover conversion.

Provided along with the vegetation layers and the two quality assurance (QA) layers are reflectance bands 1 (red), 2 (near-infrared), 3 (blue), and 7 (mid-infrared), as well as three observation layers.

Known Issues

  • The incorrect representation of the aerosol quantities (low, average, high) in the Collection 6 MOD09 surface reflectance products may have impacted MOD13 Vegetation Index data products particularly over arid bright surfaces.
  • Corrections were implemented in Collection 6.1 reprocessing.
  • For complete information about known issues please refer to the MODIS/VIIRS Land Quality Assessment website.

Version Description

The following changes and improvements were implemented for inputs to MODIS Version 6 vegetation index data products: (1) The 16-day composite VI is generated using the two 8-day composite surface reflectance granules (MOD09A1) in the 16-day period, (2) This surface reflectance input is based on the minimum blue compositing approach used to generate the 8-day surface reflectance product, (3) The product format is consistent with the Version 5 product generated using the Level 2 gridded daily surface reflectance product, and (4) A frequently updated long-term global Climate Modeling Grid (CMG) Average Vegetation Index product database is used to fill the gaps in the CMG product suite.

Product Summary

Platforms
Terra
Instruments
MODIS
Spatial Extent

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

Spatial Resolution
1000 Meters x 1000 Meters
Spatial Reference System(s)
MODIS Sinusoidal Tiling System
Location
GLOBAL
Coordinate System
CARTESIAN
Granule Spatial Representation
GEODETIC
Temporal Extent
2000-02-01 to 2023-01-31
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
C2763297270-LPCLOUD
Data State
DEPRECATED
Number of Files/Granules
0
Processing Level
3
Published
Updated
Science Keywords
Vegetation Index ,
Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) ,
Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI)

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

Didan, K. (2015). MOD13A3 MODIS/Terra vegetation Indices Monthly L3 Global 1km SIN Grid V006 [Data set]. NASA Land Processes Distributed Active Archive Center. https://doi.org/10.5067/MODIS/MOD13A3.006 Date Accessed: 2026-05-17

File Naming Convention

MOD13A3.A2002244.h00v10.006.2015151082733.hdf

The file name begins with the Product Short Name (MOD13A3) followed by the Julian Date of Acquisition formatted as AYYYYDDD (A2002244), the Tile Identifier which is horizontal tile and vertical tile provided as hXXvYY (h00v10), the Version of the data collection (006), the Julian Date and Time of Production designated as YYYYDDDHHMMSS (2015151082733), and the Data Format (hdf).

Documents

Publications Citing This Dataset

Filters
Title Year Author Topic
Evaluating eco-environment in urban agglomeration from a vegetation-impervious surface-soil-air framework: an example in Ningxia, China Sun, Hao, Wu, Ling, Hu, Jiaqi, Ma, Liru, Li, Huan, Wu, Dan Aerosol Optical Depth/Thickness, Vegetation Index, Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI), Land Use/Land Cover Classification, Land Surface Temperature, Emissivity, Reflectance, Albedo, Anisotropy
Estimation of evapotranspiration and its components across China based on a modified Priestley-Taylor Algorithm using monthly multi-layer soil moisture data Xing, Wanqiu, Wang, Weiguang, Shao, Quanxi, Song, Linye, Cao, Mingzhu Leaf Characteristics, Photosynthetically Active Radiation, Leaf Area Index (LAI), Fraction Of Absorbed Photosynthetically Active Radiation (fapar), Vegetation Index, Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI)
Evaluation of satellite land surface albedo products over China using ground-measurements Lu, Yunbo, Wang, Lunche, Hu, Bo, Zhang, Ming, Qin, Wenmin, Zhou, Jiaojiao, Tao, Minghui Albedo, Anisotropy, Reflectance, Vegetation Index, Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI)
Evaluation of gap-filling approaches in satellite-based daily PM2.5 prediction models Xiao, Qingyang, Geng, Guannan, Cheng, Jing, Liang, Fengchao, Li, Rui, Meng, Xia, Xue, Tao, Huang, Xiaomeng, Kan, Haidong, Zhang, Qiang, He, Kebin Vegetation Index, Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI)
Evolution of winter molting strategies in European and North American Pageau, Claudie, Sonnleitner, Jared, Tonra, Christopher M., Shaikh, Mateen, Reudink, Matthew W. Vegetation Index, Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI)
FLUXNET-CH4: a global, multi-ecosystem dataset and analysis of methane seasonality from freshwater wetlands Delwiche, Kyle B., Knox, Sara Helen, Malhotra, Avni, Fluet-Chouinard, Etienne, McNicol, Gavin, Feron, Sarah, Ouyang, Zutao, Papale, Dario, Trotta, Carlo, Canfora, Eleonora, Cheah, You-Wei, Christianson, Danielle, Alberto, Ma. Carmelita R., Alekseychik, Pavel, Aurela, Mika, Baldocchi, Dennis, Bansal, Sheel, Billesbach, David P., Bohrer, Gil, Bracho, Rosvel, Buchmann, Nina, Campbell, David I., Celis, Gerardo, Chen, Jiquan, Chen, Weinan, Chu, Housen, Dalmagro, Higo J., Dengel, Sigrid, Desai, Ankur R., Detto, Matteo, Dolman, Han, Eichelmann, Elke, Euskirchen, Eugenie, Famulari, Daniela, Fuchs, Kathrin, Goeckede, Mathias, Gogo, Sebastien, Gondwe, Mangaliso J., Goodrich, Jordan P., Gottschalk, Pia, Graham, Scott L., Heimann, Martin, Helbig, Manuel, Helfter, Carole, Hemes, Kyle S., Hirano, Takashi, Hollinger, David, Hortnagl, Lukas, Iwata, Hiroki, Jacotot, Adrien, Jurasinski, Gerald, Kang, Minseok, Kasak, Kuno, King, John, Klatt, Janina, Koebsch, Franziska, Krauss, Ken W., Lai, Derrick Y. F., Lohila, Annalea, Mammarella, Ivan, Belelli Marchesini, Luca, Manca, Giovanni, Matthes, Jaclyn Hatala, Maximov, Trofim, Merbold, Lutz, Mitra, Bhaskar, Morin, Timothy H., Nemitz, Eiko, Nilsson, Mats B., Niu, Shuli, Oechel, Walter C., Oikawa, Patricia Y., Ono, Keisuke, Peichl, Matthias, Peltola, Olli, Reba, Michele L., Richardson, Andrew D., Riley, William, Runkle, Benjamin R. K., Ryu, Youngryel, Sachs, Torsten, Sakabe, Ayaka, Sanchez, Camilo Rey, Schuur, Edward A., Schafer, Karina V. R., Sonnentag, Oliver, Sparks, Jed P., Stuart-Haentjens, Ellen, Sturtevant, Cove, Sullivan, Ryan C., Szutu, Daphne J., Thom, Jonathan E., Torn, Margaret S., Tuittila, Eeva-Stiina, Turner, Jessica, Ueyama, Masahito, Valach, Alex C., Vargas, Rodrigo, Varlagin, Andrej, Vazquez-Lule, Alma, Verfaillie, Joseph G., Vesala, Timo, Vourlitis, George L., Ward, Eric J., Wille, Christian, Wohlfahrt, Georg, Wong, Guan Xhuan, Zhang, Zhen, Zona, Donatella, Windham-Myers, Lisamarie, Poulter, Benjamin, Jackson, Robert B. Reflectance, Vegetation Index, Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI)
Greening of the qinghaitibet plateau and its response to climate variations along elevation gradients Wang, Zhaoqi, Cui, Guolong, Liu, Xiang, Zheng, Kai, Lu, Zhiyuan, Li, Honglin, Wang, Gaini, An, Zhifang Vegetation Index, Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI)
Greenspace and human health: An umbrella review Yang, Bo-Yi, Zhao, Tianyu, Hu, Li-Xin, Browning, Matthew H.E.M., Heinrich, Joachim, Dharmage, Shyamali C., Jalaludin, Bin, Knibbs, Luke D., Liu, Xiao-Xuan, Luo, Ya-Na, James, Peter, Li, Shanshan, Huang, Wen-Zhong, Chen, Gongbo, Zeng, Xiao-Wen, Hu, Li-Wen, Yu, Yunjiang, Dong, Guang-Hui Vegetation Index, Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI)
Grassland ecological compensation policy in China improves grassland quality and increases herders' income Hou, Lingling, Xia, Fang, Chen, Qihui, Huang, Jikun, He, Yong, Rose, Nathan, Rozelle, Scott Vegetation Index, Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI)
Impacts of underlying surface on the dusty weather in Central Inner Mongolian Steppe, China Bao, Chunling, Yong, Mei, Bi, Lige, Gao, Hailin, Li, Jun, Bao, Yuhai, Gomboludev, Purevjav Vegetation Index, Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI)
Informal institutions and grassland protection: Empirical evidence from pastoral regions in China Li, Dongqing, Hou, Lingling, Zuo, Alec Vegetation Index, Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI)
A 1-km hourly air-temperature model for 13 northeastern US states using remotely sensed and ground-based measurements Carrion, Daniel, Arfer, Kodi B., Rush, Johnathan, Dorman, Michael, Rowland, Sebastian T., Kioumourtzoglou, Marianthi-Anna, Kloog, Itai, Just, Allan C. Air Temperature, Carbon Monoxide, Cloud Fraction, Cloud Height, Cloud Top Pressure, Cloud Top Temperature, Cloud Vertical Distribution, Emissivity, Geopotential Height, Methane, Outgoing Longwave Radiation, Atmospheric Ozone, Total Precipitable Water, Sea Surface Temperature, Surface Pressure, Skin Temperature, Surface Temperature, Sulfur Dioxide, Tropopause, Tropospheric Ozone, Upper Air Temperature, Water Vapor Profiles, Cloud Liquid Water/Ice, Land Surface Temperature, Vegetation Index, Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI)
A data-driven approach to assessing the impact of water harvesting structures on regional water storage in East Africa Eisma, J. A., Merwade, V. Vegetation Index, Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI)
Easy-to-use spatial random-forest-based downscaling-calibration method for producing precipitation data with high resolution and high accuracy Chen, Chuanfa, Hu, Baojian, Li, Yanyan Land Surface Temperature, Emissivity, Vegetation Index, Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI), Precipitation, Rain, Precipitation Amount, Precipitation Rate, Snow, Total Surface Precipitation Rate
Enhanced drought resistance of vegetation growth in cities due to urban heat, CO<SUB>2</SUB> domes and O<SUB>3</SUB> troughs Fu, Peng, Hu, Leiqiu, Ainsworth, Elizabeth A, Tai, Xiaonan, Myint, Soe W, Zhan, Wenfeng, Blakely, Bethany J, Bernacchi, Carl J Land Use/Land Cover Classification, Vegetation Index, Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI)
Climate Change and Ecological Projects Jointly Promote Vegetation Restoration in Three-River Source Region of China He, Xiaohui, Yu, Yipin, Cui, Zepeng, He, Tian Vegetation Index, Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI)
Classification of homogeneous regions of vegetation cover in the state of rio grande do sul, brazil and its temporal dynamics, using avhrr gimms and modis data sets CORDEIRO, ANA PAULA A., ALVES, RITA DE CASSIA M., STEFFLER, ANA PAULA L.W., MENGUE, VAGNER P., FONTANA, DENISE C., ROGLIO, VINICIUS S., GUASSELLI, LAURINDO A. Vegetation Index, Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI)
Changes in the concentration of air pollutants before and after the COVID-19 blockade period and their correlation with vegetation coverage Zhou, Manguo, Huang, Yanguo, Li, Guilan Vegetation Index, Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI)
CCAM: China Catchment Attributes and Meteorology dataset Hao, Zhen, Jin, Jin, Xia, Runliang, Tian, Shimin, Yang, Wushuang, Liu, Qixing, Zhu, Min, Ma, Tao, Jing, Chengran, Zhang, Yanning Terrain Elevation, Digital Elevation/Terrain Model (DEM), Topographical Relief Maps, Vegetation Index, Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI), Evapotranspiration, Latent Heat Flux, Leaf Characteristics, Photosynthetically Active Radiation, Leaf Area Index (LAI), Fraction Of Absorbed Photosynthetically Active Radiation (fapar)
Characteristics of NDVI temporal and spatial variation in the source area of the Yangtze river and its response to hydrothermal conditions Dai, Xitong, Yao, Liqiang, Yuan, Zhe, Sun, Keke Vegetation Index, Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI)
Monitoring vegetation change and its potential drivers in inner mongolia from 2000 to 2019 Kang, Yao, Guo, Enliang, Wang, Yongfang, Bao, Yulong, Bao, Yuhai, Mandula, Naren RADAR IMAGERY, Terrain Elevation, Digital Elevation/Terrain Model (DEM), Vegetation Index, Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI)
Monitoring vegetation greenness in response to climate variation along the elevation gradient in the three-river source region of China Wang, Zhaoqi, Liu, Xiang, Wang, Hao, Zheng, Kai, Li, Honglin, Wang, Gaini, An, Zhifang Reflectance, Vegetation Index, Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI)
Multiyear ndvi values as indicator of the relationship between spatiotemporal vegetation dynamics and environmental factors in the qaidam basin, china Lou, Junpeng, Xu, Guoyin, Wang, Zhongjing, Yang, Zhigang, Ni, Sanchuan Vegetation Index, Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI), Total Surface Precipitation Rate
Meteorological controls on daily variations of nighttime surface urban heat islands Lai, Jiameng, Zhan, Wenfeng, Voogt, James, Quan, Jinling, Huang, Fan, Zhou, Ji, Bechtel, Benjamin, Hu, Leiqiu, Wang, Kaicun, Cao, Chang, Lee, Xuhui Aerosol Optical Depth/Thickness, Land Surface Temperature, Emissivity, Vegetation Index, Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI), Albedo, Anisotropy
Mapping impervious surface areas using time-series nighttime light and MODIS imagery Tang, Yun, Shao, Zhenfeng, Huang, Xiao, Cai, Bowen Reflectance, Land Surface Temperature, Emissivity, Vegetation Index, Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI)
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