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Downscaling 250-m MODIS growing season NDVI based on multiple-date landsat images and data mining approaches

March 24, 2015

The satellite-derived growing season time-integrated Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (GSN) has been used as a proxy for vegetation biomass productivity. The 250-m GSN data estimated from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) sensors have been used for terrestrial ecosystem modeling and monitoring. High temporal resolution with a wide range of wavelengths make the MODIS land surface products robust and reliable. The long-term 30-m Landsat data provide spatial detailed information for characterizing human-scale processes and have been used for land cover and land change studies. The main goal of this study is to combine 250-m MODIS GSN and 30-m Landsat observations to generate a quality-improved high spatial resolution (30-m) GSN database. A rule-based piecewise regression GSN model based on MODIS and Landsat data was developed. Results show a strong correlation between predicted GSN and actual GSN (r = 0.97, average error = 0.026). The most important Landsat variables in the GSN model are Normalized Difference Vegetation Indices (NDVIs) in May and August. The derived MODIS-Landsat-based 30-m GSN map provides biophysical information for moderate-scale ecological features. This multiple sensor study retains the detailed seasonal dynamic information captured by MODIS and leverages the high-resolution information from Landsat, which will be useful for regional ecosystem studies.

Publication Year 2015
Title Downscaling 250-m MODIS growing season NDVI based on multiple-date landsat images and data mining approaches
DOI 10.3390/rs70403489
Authors Yingxin Gu, Bruce K. Wylie
Publication Type Article
Publication Subtype Journal Article
Series Title Remote Sensing
Index ID 70148094
Record Source USGS Publications Warehouse
USGS Organization Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center