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Full catalog/LPJ_L2_SSREF
LPJ_L2_SSREF·v002·dataset

Simulated surface colors from a plant-growth model (LPJ)

LPJ-PROSAIL L2 Global Simulated Dynamic Surface Reflectance V002
land NASA LPCLOUD Level 2 netCDF-4
In plain English

What it measures. Simulated (not real) surface reflectance, meaning how much light surfaces would bounce back across 211 narrow color bands from visible to shortwave infrared, generated for the whole globe at about 50-kilometer detail.

How it's made. Produced by coupling a plant-growth model (LPJ) with a light-scattering model (PROSAIL) to mimic what a future imaging-spectroscopy satellite might see.

How & where you'd use it. A test-bed dataset for developing and checking software and algorithms ahead of future spaceborne missions, rather than a record of actual observations.

What's measured

LAND SURFACE › SURFACE RADIATIVE PROPERTIES › REFLECTANCE

Coverage & cadence

  • Time span2000-01-01 → 2022-12-31
  • Measured byLPJ-PROSAIL
  • Processing levelLevel 2
  • Spatial extent-180, -90, 180, 90
  • FormatsnetCDF-4
  • StatusACTIVE

What you can do with it

  • Track deforestation, fire scars and land-cover change
  • Monitor crop and vegetation health (NDVI/EVI)
  • Map how built-up vs. green an area is over time
Official description

[LPJ-PROSAIL](https://www.greencurrey.com/lpj-prosail) simulated data products are produced through the coupling of the Lund-Potsdam-Jena dynamic global vegetation model (LPJ) and PROSAIL, a radiative transfer model. The simulated imaging spectroscopy data were produced to aid in the development of workflows, algorithm testing, and other activities during the lead up to future global spaceborne imaging spectroscopy missions such as NASA’s Surface Biology and Geology ([SBG](https://sbg.jpl.nasa.gov/)). The LPJ-PROSAIL Level 2 Global Simulated Dynamic Surface Reflectance (LPJ_L2_SSREF) Version 2 data product provides simulated dynamic surface reflectance data in five Network Common Data Format Version 4 (netCDF-4) files, each containing a different reflectance stream at a spatial resolution of 0.5 degrees (~50 kilometers): bidirectional (BDR), bi-hemispherical (BHR), hemispherical-directional (HDR), directional-hemispherical (DHR), and directional (DR). Each reflectance file within a granule contains simulated surface reflectance measurements of 211 bands with 10 nanometer (nm) spectral resolution across a spectral range of 400 to 2500 nm for the entire globe. The data are presented with four dimensions: latitude, longitude, bands (wavelength), and time. Each netCDF-4 file holds a one-dimensional list for each of the four dimensions containing the values that are associated with those dimensions. LPJ_L2_SSREF Version 2 is composed of data for the years 2000 to 2022 with monthly time increments. Known Issues * Data Usage Warning: These data are meant to be used in development of workflows, algorithms, and other instances where large imaging spectroscopy datasets are needed for testing. Due to the simulated nature of these data, these data are not intended for scientific use and should not be used for any real-world scientific analyses or conclusions.

Get the data

lpj_l2_ssref_access.py
import earthaccess
earthaccess.login(strategy="netrc")          # free Earthdata Login

results = earthaccess.search_data(
    short_name="LPJ_L2_SSREF",
    version="002",
    bounding_box=(-122.5, 37.2, -121.8, 37.9),  # your area (W,S,E,N)
    temporal=("2024-01-01", "2024-12-31"),       # your dates
)
files = earthaccess.open(results)   # stream straight from LPCLOUD
Browsing CMR needs no login. Downloading or streaming bytes needs a free Earthdata Login + the earthaccess package.