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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
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
70071
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 [Data set]. NASA Land Processes Distributed Active Archive Center. https://doi.org/10.5067/MODIS/MOD16A2.061 Date Accessed: 2026-05-24

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
Estimation of actual evapotranspiration and water stress in the Lijiang River Basin, China using a modified Operational Simplified Surface Energy Balance (SSEBop) model Yao, Yuefeng, Mallik, Azim U. Evapotranspiration, Latent Heat Flux
Irrigation estimates from spaceImplementation of different approaches to model the evapotranspiration contribution within a soil-moisture-based inversion algorithm Dari, Jacopo, Quintana-Segui, Pere, Morbidelli, Renato, Saltalippi, Carla, Flammini, Alessia, Giugliarelli, Elena, Escorihuela, Maria Jose, Stefan, Vivien, Brocca, Luca Evapotranspiration, Latent Heat Flux
Inter-annual and inter-species tree growth explained by phenology of xylogenesis Chen, Yizhao, Rademacher, Tim, Fonti, Patrick, EckesShephard, Annemarie H., LeMoine, James M., Fonti, Marina V., Richardson, Andrew D., Friend, Andrew D. Evapotranspiration, Photosynthesis, Primary Production, Latent Heat Flux
Interactions between precipitation, evapotranspiration and soil-moisture-based indices to characterize drought with high-resolution remote sensing and land ... Gaona, Jaime, Quintana-Segui, Pere, Escorihuela, Maria Jose, Boone, Aaron, Llasat, Maria Carmen Evapotranspiration, Latent Heat Flux
Increasing shrinkage risk of endorheic lakes in the middle of farming-pastoral ecotone of Northern China Wang, Yanfang, Shen, Yanjun, Guo, Ying, Li, Bohao, Chen, Xiaolu, Guo, Xiaonan, Yan, Haiming Vegetation Index, Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI), Reflectance, Evapotranspiration, Latent Heat Flux
Machine-Learning-Based Regional Yield Forecasting for Sugarcane Crop in Uttar Pradesh, India Nihar, Ashmitha, Patel, N. R., Danodia, Abhishek Land Surface Temperature, Emissivity, Vegetation Index, Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI), 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
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
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
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
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 comparative analysis of MODIS-derived drought indices for Northern and Central Namibia Wyss, Daniel, Negussie, Kaleb, Staacke, Antonia, Karnagel, Amade, Engelhardt, Malin, Kappas, Martin Reflectance, Land Surface Temperature, Emissivity, Evapotranspiration, Latent Heat Flux, Vegetation Index, Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI)
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
GIS-Based Water Budget Estimation of the Kizilirmak River Basin using GLDAS-2.1 Noah and CLSM Models and Remote Sensing Observations Deliry, Sayed Ishaq, Pekkan, Emrah, Avdan, Ugur 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
Global gridded products efficiency in closing water balance models: various modeling scenarios for behavioral assessments Mousavi, Rahimeh, Nasseri, Mohsen, Abbasi, Saeed, Taheri, Mercedeh, Shamsi Anboohi, Milad Total Surface Precipitation Rate, Evapotranspiration, Latent Heat Flux
Expansion of biofuel cash-crops and its geoethical implications in the scope of groundwater governance Manzione, Rodrigo Lilla, Silva, Cesar de Oliveira Ferreira Total Surface Precipitation Rate, Evapotranspiration, Latent Heat Flux
Exploring water use and production dynamics of an indigenous African dry forest in south-western Zimbabwe Gwate, Onalenna, Ndou, Graham Evapotranspiration, Latent Heat Flux, Photosynthesis, Primary Production
Biophysical feedback of forest canopy height on land surface temperature over contiguous United States Zhang, Zhijiang, Li, Xinxin, Liu, Hongguang Land Surface Temperature, Emissivity, Evapotranspiration, Latent Heat Flux
BushfireInduced Water Balance Changes Detected by a Modified Paired Catchment Method Xu, Zhenwu, Zhang, Yongqiang, Zhang, Xuanze, Ma, Ning, Tian, Jing, Kong, Dongdong, Post, David 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, Leaf Area Index (LAI), Fraction Of Absorbed Photosynthetically Active Radiation (fapar), Latent Heat Flux, Albedo, Anisotropy
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
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
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
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