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.

Dataset	Geographic Region	Temporal Extent	Data Format	Potential Application Areas	Related Subtopics
ALOS-2 PALSAR-2 Level 1 ScanSAR Product	Global	2014-08-01 to Present		Wide-area monitoring of land surface changes Regional vegetation and forest monitoring Large wetland area mapping and monitoring Continental-scale land use change detection Regional soil moisture assessment Broad geological feature identification	ecosystems, vegetation
ATLAS/ICESat-2 L2A Global Geolocated Photon Data V006	Global	2018-10-13 to Present	HDF5	Vegetation structure analysis High-precision elevation measurement Ground truth for other elevation datasets Fine-scale topographic change detection	vegetation
ATLAS/ICESat-2 L3A Land and Vegetation Height V006	Global	2018-10-14 to Present	HDF5	Precise forest canopy height mapping Biomass estimation and carbon stock assessment Habitat structure characterization Forest degradation and regrowth monitoring Urban tree canopy assessment Forest inventory support Vegetation structure biodiversity studies	vegetation
Daymet: Annual Climate Summaries on a 1-km Grid for North America, Version 4 R1	North America, Atlantic Ocean	1950-01-01 to 2023-12-31	GeoTiff	Ecological research on climate impacts Forest management and planning Wildlife habitat suitability modeling Disease vector habitat potential mapping Natural resource conservation planning	ecosystem, vegetation
ECOSTRESS Land Surface Temperature and Emissivity Daily L2 Global 70m V001	Global Land	2018-07-09 to 2025-01-06	HDF5	Plant water stress detection at field scale High-resolution thermal mapping Microclimate analysis in complex landscapes Ecosystem function monitoring	vegetation
ECOSTRESS Tiled Land Surface Temperature and Emissivity Instantaneous L2 Global 70 m	Global Land	2018-07-09 to Present	Cloud Optimized GeoTIFF (COG)	Plant water stress monitoring Ecosystem thermodynamics research Environmental temperature extremes monitoring	vegetation
GEDI L2A Elevation and Height Metrics Data Global Footprint Level V002	Global Land	2019-04-04 to 2023-03-16 2024-04-04 to Present	HDF5	Forest canopy structure characterization Biomass estimation for carbon accounting Biodiversity habitat structure assessment Ecosystem structure monitoring Terrain model refinement under vegetation Carbon sequestration potential assessment	ecological dynamics, vegetation
GEDI L4A Footprint Level Aboveground Biomass Density, Version 2.1	Global	2019-04-17 to 2024-11-27	HDF5	Carbon stock assessment in forests Forest management planning Biodiversity habitat structure analysis Sustainable forestry certification support Forest degradation assessment Ecosystem service valuation	ecosystems, terrestrial ecosystems, vegetation
GEDI L4C Footprint Level Waveform Structural Complexity Index, Version 2	Global	2019-04-17 to 2023-03-16	Binary	Habitat complexity analysis for biodiversity Old-growth forest identification Forest succession stage mapping Wildlife habitat quality assessment Forest management impact evaluation Forest restoration planning Canopy architecture research	ecosystems, terrestrial ecosystems, vegetation
Global Aboveground and Belowground Biomass Carbon Density Maps for the Year 2010	Global Land	2010-01-01 to 2010-12-31	GeoTIFF	Global carbon stock accounting Forest conservation priority setting Carbon offset project development Ecosystem service valuation Land use policy development Biodiversity conservation planning	ecosystems, ecological dynamics, vegetation
HLS Landsat Operational Land Imager Surface Reflectance and TOA Brightness Daily Global 30m v2.0	Global	2013-04-11 to Present	Cloud Optimized GeoTiff (COG)	Land cover and land use change monitoring Forest disturbance detection Ecosystem service assessment Environmental impact monitoring	vegetation
HLS Sentinel-2 Multi-spectral Instrument Surface Reflectance Daily Global 30m v2.0	Global	2013-04-11 to Present	Cloud Optimized GeoTiff (COG)	High temporal frequency vegetation monitoring Forest health assessment Biodiversity and habitat monitoring	vegetation
MAIAC Daily V01	Global	2015-06-13 to Present	PNG	Enhanced retrieval of surface reflectance for vegetation studies	vegetation
MODIS/Terra Land Surface Temperature/Emissivity Daily L3 Global 1 km SIN Grid	Global	2000-02-24 to Present	HDF-EOS2	Climate model validation for land surface processes Wildlife habitat thermal condition assessment Land surface process energy balance studies	ecological dynamics
MODIS/Terra Surface Reflectance Daily L2G Global 250m SIN Grid V061	Global	2000-02-24 to Present	HDF-EOS2	Vegetation condition monitoring Land cover change detection Drought impact evaluation on vegetation	vegetation
SENTINEL-1A_SLC	Global	2014-04-03 to Present		Interferometric analysis for surface deformation detection Coherence-based change detection Phase-based classification of land cover Development of advanced SAR processing algorithms Time-series analysis for subtle change detection	terrestrial ecosystems
SENTINEL-1B_DUAL_POL_GRD_HIGH_RES	Global	2016-04-25 to 2021-12-24		Forest disturbance monitoring Land subsidence detection in urban areas	terrestrial ecosystems, vegetation
SENTINEL-1B_SLC	Global	2016-04-25 to 2021-12-24		Complex coherence analysis for vegetation structure Time-series analysis for seasonal change patterns	terrestrial ecosystems, vegetation
VIIRS/JPSS1 Land Surface Temperature/Emissivity Daily L3 Global 1km SIN Grid Day V002	Global	2018-01-01 to Present	HDF-EOS5	Daily thermal environment monitoring Ecological habitat thermal characterization	ecological dynamics
VIIRS/NPP Burned Area Monthly L4 Global 500m SIN Grid V002	Global	2012-03-01 to Present	HDF-EOS5	Ecosystem disturbance tracking Protected area management Forest management and restoration planning Biodiversity impact assessment after fires	ecological dynamics, vegetation
VIIRS/JPSS1 Land Surface Temperature/Emissivity Daily L3 Global 1 km SIN Grid Day	Global	2018-01-01 to Present	HDF-EOS5	Climate change impact studies on land surface Wildlife habitat thermal condition assessment	ecological dynamics

Biosphere Datasets

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Dataset Sort descending	Version	Platform	Instrument	Temporal Extent	Spatial Extent	Data Format
ABoVE: MODIS-Derived Daily Mean Blue Sky Albedo for Northern North America, 2000-2017	1.1	SATELLITES	MODIS	2000-02-24 to 2017-04-22	N: 79.0819 S: 41.6809 E: -52.6184 W: -173.089	multiple
ABoVE: MODIS-derived Maximum NDVI, Northern Alaska and Yukon Territory for 2002-2017	1	Terra, Aqua	MODIS	2002-06-01 to 2017-08-30	N: 68.9658 S: 52.1694 E: -97.9305 W: -175.762	GeoTIFF
ABoVE: Multi-model Uncertainty of Carbon Stocks and Fluxes across ABoVE Domain, 2003	1	MODELS	Computer	2003-01-01 to 2003-12-31	N: 81.4094 S: 39.4094 E: -67.1247 W: -176.125	GeoTIFF
ABoVE: NDVI Trends across Alaska and Canada from Landsat, 1984-2012	1	LANDSAT-5, LANDSAT-7	TM, ETM+	1984-01-01 to 2012-12-31	N: 80.5083 S: 41.61 E: -50.1694 W: -169.966	GeoTIFF
ABoVE: Needle-Level Chlorophyll Fluorescence, Alaska and Idaho, USA, 2017 and 2019	1	FIELD SURVEYS, MODELS	FLUOROMETERS, PYRANOMETERS, Computer	2017-07-07 to 2019-07-06	N: 67.9947 S: 44.9061 E: -116.067 W: -149.754	CSV
ABoVE: Peak Greenness for Canadian Boreal Forest from Landsat 5 TM Imagery, 1984-2011	1	LANDSAT-5	TM	1970-01-01 to 2014-12-31	N: 63.4406 S: 45.3217 E: -53.9102 W: -124.474	multiple
ABoVE: Permafrost Measurements and Distribution Across the Y-K Delta, Alaska, 2016	1	IKONOS, FIELD SURVEYS, Airplane	Schmidt-Cassegrain Telescope, SOIL DEPTH PROBE, LIDAR	2009-06-27 to 2016-07-17	N: 61.2881 S: 61.1694 E: -165.03 W: -165.69	multiple
ABoVE: Photochemical Reflectance and Tree Growth, Brooks Range, Alaska, 2018-2019	1	FIELD INVESTIGATION	DENDROMETERS, RADIOMETERS	2018-05-01 to 2019-09-13	N: 68.0194 S: 67.9721 E: -149.718 W: -149.76	CSV
ABoVE: Post-Fire and Unburned Field Site Data, Anaktuvuk River Fire Area, 2008-2017	1	FIELD SURVEYS	SOIL DEPTH PROBE, VISUAL OBSERVATIONS	2008-07-03 to 2017-07-23	N: 69.359 S: 69.0189 E: -150.034 W: -151.176	CSV
ABoVE: Post-Fire and Unburned Vegetation Community and Field Data, NWT, Canada, 2017	1	FIELD INVESTIGATION	VISUAL OBSERVATIONS, SOIL MOISTURE PROBE	2015-07-13 to 2017-08-10	N: 62.5827 S: 60.5236 E: -111.367 W: -117.379	multiple
ABoVE: Post-Fire and Unburned Vegetation Community and Field Data, NWT, Canada, 2018	1	FIELD SURVEYS	SOIL MOISTURE PROBE, STEEL MEASURING TAPE	2018-08-12 to 2018-08-22	N: 62.5658 S: 60.4524 E: -113.42 W: -117.425	CSV
ABoVE: Post-Fire and Unburned Vegetation Community and Field Data, NWT, Canada, 2019	1	FIELD INVESTIGATION	SOIL MOISTURE PROBE, SOIL TEMPERATURE PROBE, SOIL DEPTH PROBE	2018-08-16 to 2019-09-05	N: 62.5658 S: 60.9206 E: -113.016 W: -117.425	CSV
ABoVE: Reflectance Spectra of Tundra Plant Communities across Northern Alaska	1	LABORATORY, FIELD SURVEYS	SPECTROMETERS	2017-07-18 to 2018-08-14	N: 71.3462 S: 65.4349 E: -145.515 W: -157.412	CSV
ABoVE: Riverbank Erosion and Vegetation Changes, Yukon River Basin, Alaska, 1984-2017	1	LANDSAT-5, LANDSAT-7, LANDSAT-8	TM, ETM+, OLI	1984-01-01 to 2017-12-31	N: 68.1463 S: 61.9076 E: -143.305 W: -161.459	multiple
ABoVE: Soil Active Layer Thaw Depths at CRREL sites near Fairbanks, Alaska, 2014-2018	1	FIELD SURVEYS, FIELD INVESTIGATION	SOIL DEPTH PROBE, VISUAL OBSERVATIONS	2014-10-15 to 2018-10-15	N: 64.9511 S: 64.8677 E: -147.612 W: -147.74	CSV
ABoVE: Spatial Estimates of Carbon Combustion from Wildfires across SK, Canada, 2015	1	MODELS	Computer	2015-04-06 to 2015-08-11	N: 61.2389 S: 51.1943 E: -100.168 W: -116.055	GeoTIFF
ABoVE: Study Domain and Standard Reference Grids	1	FIELD SURVEYS	Computer	2014-01-01 to 2021-12-31	N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180
ABoVE: Study Domain and Standard Reference Grids, Version 2	2.1	FIELD SURVEYS	Computer	2014-01-01 to 2023-04-20	N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180	multiple
ABoVE: Subsistence Resource Use Areas of Interior Alaskan Communities, 2011-2017	1	FIELD SURVEYS	VISUAL OBSERVATIONS	2011-01-01 to 2017-12-31	N: 70.1477 S: 51.7133 E: -131.525 W: -176.646	Shapefile
ABoVE: Synthesis of Burned and Unburned Forest Site Data, AK and Canada, 1983-2016	1	MODELS, FIELD INVESTIGATION	Computer, PROBES, SOIL SAMPLER	1983-01-01 to 2016-08-08	N: 67.2297 S: 53.1911 E: -88.612 W: -150.902	CSV
ABoVE: Synthesis of Post-Fire Regeneration Across Boreal North America	1.1	FIELD SURVEYS	VISUAL OBSERVATIONS, Computer	1989-01-01 to 2018-12-31	N: 66.9617 S: 49.1156 E: -71.0133 W: -152.2	CSV
ABoVE: Terrestrial Lidar Scanning Forest-Tundra Ecotone, Brooks Range, Alaska, 2016	1	FIELD SURVEYS	LIDAR	2016-06-14 to 2016-06-25	N: 68.0204 S: 67.9704 E: -149.715 W: -149.765	multiple
ABoVE: Thaw Depth at Selected Unburned and Burned Sites Across Alaska	1.0	FIELD SURVEYS	PROBES	2016-08-09 to 2018-08-28	N: 68.9911 S: 61.27 E: -146.558 W: -163.239	CSV
ABoVE: Tree Canopy Cover and Stand Age from Landsat, Boreal Forest Biome, 1984-2020	1	LANDSAT-8, LANDSAT-7, LANDSAT-5, COMPUTERS	OLI, TIRS, ETM+, MSS, TM, Computer	1984-01-01 to 2020-12-31	N: 73 S: 45 E: 180 W: -180	COG
ABoVE: Tundra Plant Functional Type Continuous-Cover, North Slope, Alaska, 2010-2015	1	LANDSAT-5, LANDSAT-7, LANDSAT-8	TM, ETM+, OLI	2010-07-01 to 2015-08-31	N: 73.8004 S: 65.5858 E: -143.978 W: -167.476	multiple

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

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Biosphere Data Access and Tools

Commonly Used Datasets for Applications in the Biosphere

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