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Full catalog/SIF_SCIAMACHY_GOME2_Harmonized_2317
SIF_SCIAMACHY_GOME2_Harmonized_2317·v2·dataset

How actively plants photosynthesize (SCIAMACHY + GOME-2)

Global High-Resolution Estimates of SIF from Fused SCIAMACHY and GOME-2, V2
biosphere NASA ORNL_CLOUD Level 3 netCDF-4
In plain English

What it measures. Monthly global maps of solar-induced chlorophyll fluorescence, the faint glow plants emit during photosynthesis, used as a measure of plant activity. Cells are about 5 km across, from 2003 to 2017, with uncertainty included.

How it's made. Retrieved from the SCIAMACHY and GOME-2 instruments on the MetOp-A satellite, then sharpened to finer detail and stitched together into one consistent record using MODIS and reanalysis data plus statistical matching.

How & where you'd use it. Supports research on photosynthesis, drought, crop yields, and land degradation by offering a long, consistent record of plant activity.

What's measured

BIOSPHERE › VEGETATION › CHLOROPHYLLBIOSPHERE › VEGETATION › LEAF CHARACTERISTICSBIOSPHERE › VEGETATION › SOLAR INDUCED FLUORESCENCELAND SURFACE › SURFACE RADIATIVE PROPERTIES › REFLECTANCEBIOSPHERE › ECOLOGICAL DYNAMICS › ECOSYSTEM FUNCTIONS › PHOTOSYNTHESISBIOSPHERE › ECOLOGICAL DYNAMICS › ECOSYSTEM FUNCTIONS › PRIMARY PRODUCTION

Coverage & cadence

  • Time span2003-01-01 → 2017-12-31
  • Measured byMETOP-A (GOME-2, SCIAMACHY)
  • Processing levelLevel 3
  • Spatial extent-180, -90, 180, 90
  • FormatsnetCDF-4
  • StatusCOMPLETE

What you can do with it

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

This dataset provides global solar-induced chlorophyll fluorescence (SIF) estimates at a 0.05-degree resolution (approximately 5 km at the equator) for each month from January 2003 through December 2017. SIF data (740 nm) was retrieved from the SCanning Imaging Absorption spectroMeter for Atmospheric CHartographY (SCIAMACHY) and Global Ozone Monitoring Experiment 2 (GOME-2) instruments onboard the MetOp-A satellite. The data were downscaled to 0.05 degrees using the Random Forest algorithm and predictors from Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) and Modern-Era Retrospective analysis for Research and Applications, Version 2 (MERRA-2) reanalysis, and then harmonized with the cumulative distribution function (CDF) matching technique. The uncertainty of the harmonized SIF estimates was also quantified and provided. Validation of the harmonized product showed that it retained high spatial and temporal consistency with the original SCIAMACHY and GOME-2 SIF retrievals and had good correlations with independent airborne and ground-based SIF measurements. The dataset can inform on the synergy between satellite SIF and photosynthesis and research on drought, yield estimation, and land degradation evaluation. The data are provided in netCDF format.

Get the data

sif_sciamachy_gome2_harmonized_2317_access.py
import earthaccess
earthaccess.login(strategy="netrc")          # free Earthdata Login

results = earthaccess.search_data(
    short_name="SIF_SCIAMACHY_GOME2_Harmonized_2317",
    version="2",
    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 ORNL_CLOUD
Browsing CMR needs no login. Downloading or streaming bytes needs a free Earthdata Login + the earthaccess package.