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Full catalog/MYD15A2H
MYD15A2H·v006·dataset

How dense and leafy plants are (Aqua, 8-day, 500 m)

MODIS/Aqua Leaf Area Index/FPAR 8-Day L4 Global 500m SIN Grid V006
biosphere NASA LPCLOUD Level 4 HDF-EOS2
In plain English

What it measures. Two related measures of how lush vegetation is: leaf area (how much leaf surface covers the ground) and the share of sunlight that plants absorb for photosynthesis. Mapped globally at 500-meter detail in 8-day composites.

How it's made. Derived from the MODIS sensor on NASA's Aqua satellite, picking the best-quality pixel from each 8-day window.

How & where you'd use it. Used to study plant growth, crop and forest health, and how ecosystems take in energy. Note: this version was retired in 2023, with users pointed to the newer 6.1 version.

What's measured

BIOSPHERE › VEGETATION › LEAF CHARACTERISTICSBIOSPHERE › VEGETATION › PHOTOSYNTHETICALLY ACTIVE RADIATIONBIOSPHERE › VEGETATION › LEAF CHARACTERISTICS › LEAF AREA INDEX (LAI)BIOSPHERE › VEGETATION › PHOTOSYNTHETICALLY ACTIVE RADIATION › FRACTION OF ABSORBED PHOTOSYNTHETICALLY ACTIVE RADIATION (FAPAR)

Coverage & cadence

  • Time span2002-07-04 → 2023-02-25
  • Measured byAqua (MODIS)
  • Processing levelLevel 4
  • Spatial extent-180, -90, 180, 90
  • FormatsHDF-EOS2
  • StatusDEPRECATED

What you can do with it

  • Map vegetation, forests and biomass
  • Monitor ecosystem productivity and carbon
  • Support habitat and biodiversity studies
Official description

The MYD15A2H Version 6 data product was decommissioned on July 31, 2023. Users are encouraged to use the [MYD15A2H Version 6.1](https://doi.org/10.5067/MODIS/MYD15A2H.061) data product. The MYD15A2H Version 6 Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) combined Leaf Area Index (LAI) and Fraction of Photosynthetically Active Radiation (FPAR) product is an 8-day composite dataset with 500 meter (m) pixel size. The algorithm chooses the “best” pixel available from all the acquisitions of the Aqua sensor from within the 8-day period. LAI is defined as the one-sided green leaf area per unit ground area in broadleaf canopies and as one-half the total needle surface area per unit ground area in coniferous canopies. FPAR is defined as the fraction of incident photosynthetically active radiation (400-700 nanometers (nm)) absorbed by the green elements of a vegetation canopy. Science Datasets (SDS) in the Level 4 (L4) MYD15A2H product include LAI, FPAR, two quality layers, and standard deviation for LAI and FPAR. Two low resolution browse images, LAI and FPAR, are also available for each MYD15A2H granule. Known Issues * For complete information about known issues please refer to the [MODIS/VIIRS Land Quality Assessment website](https://landweb.modaps.eosdis.nasa.gov/knownissue?sensor=MODIS&sat=Aqua&as=6).

Get the data

myd15a2h_access.py
import earthaccess
earthaccess.login(strategy="netrc")          # free Earthdata Login

results = earthaccess.search_data(
    short_name="MYD15A2H",
    version="006",
    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.