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Full catalog/MYD17A2H
MYD17A2H·v061·dataset

How much carbon plants capture (Aqua, 8-day, 500 m)

MODIS/Aqua Gross Primary Productivity 8-Day L4 Global 500m SIN Grid V061
biosphere NASA LPCLOUD Level 4 active HDF-EOS2
In plain English

What it measures. Estimates how much carbon plants pull from the air through photosynthesis (gross primary productivity), summed over 8-day periods at 500 m resolution, along with net photosynthesis.

How it's made. Derived from the MODIS instrument on NASA's Aqua satellite using a radiation-use-efficiency method, produced as an 8-day composite Level-4 product.

How & where you'd use it. Useful for tracking vegetation growth and carbon uptake, and as input to models of the carbon, water, and energy cycles.

What's measured

BIOSPHERE › ECOLOGICAL DYNAMICS › ECOSYSTEM FUNCTIONS › PHOTOSYNTHESISBIOSPHERE › ECOLOGICAL DYNAMICS › ECOSYSTEM FUNCTIONS › PRIMARY PRODUCTIONBIOSPHERE › VEGETATION › VEGETATION PRODUCTIVITY

Coverage & cadence

  • Time span2021-01-01 → ongoing
  • Measured byAqua (MODIS)
  • Processing levelLevel 4
  • Spatial extent-180, -90, 180, 90
  • FormatsHDF-EOS2
  • StatusACTIVE

What you can do with it

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

The MYD17A2H Version 6.1 Gross Primary Productivity (GPP) product is a cumulative 8-day composite of values with 500 meter (m) pixel size based on the radiation use efficiency concept that can be potentially used as inputs to data models to calculate terrestrial energy, carbon, water cycle processes, and biogeochemistry of vegetation. The Aqua Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) data product includes information about GPP and Net Photosynthesis (PSN). The PSN band values are the GPP minus the Maintenance Respiration (MR). The data product also contains a PSN Quality Control (QC) layer. The quality layer contains quality information for both the GPP and the PSN. 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=61).

Get the data

myd17a2h_access.py
import earthaccess
earthaccess.login(strategy="netrc")          # free Earthdata Login

results = earthaccess.search_data(
    short_name="MYD17A2H",
    version="061",
    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.