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Biosphere Data Access and Tools

NASA biosphere data range from surface reflectance data useful for measuring the greenness of vegetation to measurements of nighttime lights that disrupt the behaviors of wildlife. Our datasets and tools help researchers translate these interconnected data points into actionable knowledge.

Biosphere Datasets

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Dataset Version Platforms Instruments Temporal Extent Spatial Extent Spatial Resolution Data Format
ISLSCP II Historical Land Cover and Land Use, 1700-1990 1 FIELD INVESTIGATION, Terra, NOAA-14 STEEL MEASURING TAPE, LICOR LEAF AREA METER, MODIS, AVHRR 1700-01-01 to 1990-12-31

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

Shapefile
LBA-ECO LC-14 Biophysical Measurements, Rainfall Exclusion, Tapajos National Forest 1 FIELD INVESTIGATION STEEL MEASURING TAPE, LICOR PLANT CANOPY ANALYZER, DENDROMETERS, DENSIOMETERS, BALANCE 1998-09-28 to 2006-11-10

N: -2.857 S: -2.857 E: -54.959 W: -54.959

multiple
MODIS-derived Vegetation and Albedo Parameters for Agroecosystem-Climate Modeling 1 COMPUTERS, Aqua, Terra Computer, MODIS 2003-01-01 to 2010-12-31

N: 49.1525 S: 15.1525 E: -51.9489 W: -139.051

netCDF-4 classic
SAFARI 2000 Leaf Spectral Measurements, Kalahari Transect, Wet Season 2000 1 FIELD INVESTIGATION SPECTRORADIOMETERS 2000-03-03 to 2000-03-18

N: -15.4378 S: -24.127 E: 25.494 W: 21.709

Shapefile
Woody and Herbaceous Vegetation Change across the Savannas of West Africa, 1982-2013 1 MODELS Computer 1982-01-01 to 2013-12-31

N: 17.4148 S: 9.96476 E: 15.3068 W: -17.1432

multiple
SHIFT: AVIRIS-NG Derived Plant Functional Trait Mosaics 1 B-200 AVIRIS-NG 2022-02-24 to 2022-05-29

N: 34.9119 S: 34.3535 E: -119.866 W: -120.632

COG
Gridded GEDI-Fusion Forest Structure Metrics across Six Western US States, 2016-2020 1 ISS, COMPUTERS GEDI, Computer 2016-01-01 to 2020-12-31

N: 51.4317 S: 34.383 E: -101.728 W: -127.113

COG
LBA-ECO CD-05 Forest Understory Fuel Loads, Paragominas, Para, Brazil: 2001 1 FIELD INVESTIGATION BALANCE 2001-01-01 to 2001-01-01

N: -2.983 S: -2.983 E: -47.516 W: -47.516

CSV
Carbon Monitoring System Lake Michigan Primary Production Monthly V1 (CMSLakeMichiganPPM) at GES DISC 1 Aqua, NCEP-CFSV2, GLPPM MODIS, NOT APPLICABLE 2010-01-01 to 2013-12-31

N: 46.591 S: 43.001 E: -79.652 W: -84.762

ABoVE: Landsat Vegetation Greenness Trends, Boreal Forest Biome, 1985-2019 1 LANDSAT-5, LANDSAT-7, LANDSAT-8 TM, ETM+, OLI, TIRS 1985-01-01 to 2019-12-31

N: 72 S: 45 E: 180 W: -180

multiple
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VIIRS
Vegetation indices measure the amount of green vegetation over a given area and can be used to assess vegetation health. A commonly-used vegetation index is the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), which uses the difference between near-infrared (NIR) and red reflectance divided by their sum. NDVI values range from -1 to 1. Low values of NDVI generally correspond to barren areas of rock, sand, exposed soils, or snow, while higher NDVI values indicate greener vegetation, including forests, croplands, and wetlands.
VIIRS Vegetation Indices on Earthdata Search

Biosphere Data Tools

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Tool Description Services
STREAM STREAM is a rapid water quality monitoring tool that processes satellite imagery to create maps showing chlorophyll-a, Total Suspended Solids, and water clarity at 20-30 meter resolution. Processing
TESViS The Terrestrial Ecology Subsetting & Visualization Services Global Subsets Tool provides on-demand, customized subsets of several terrestrial ecology data products. Visualization, Subsetting
VEDA NASA's Visualization, Exploration, and Data Analysis (VEDA) project is an open-source science cyberinfrastructure for data processing, visualization, exploration, and geographic information systems (GIS) capabilities. Access, Analysis, Processing, Visualization, Geoprocessing
Vertex Vertex is a graphical search interface for finding synthetic aperture radar (SAR) data. Search and Discovery, Access, Downloading, Processing, Subsetting
Worldview Worldview offers the capability to interactively browse over 1,200 global, full-resolution satellite imagery layers and download the underlying data. Analysis, Search and Discovery, Visualization, Access, Comparison, Monitoring Natural Events
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