SUOMI NPP and JPSS1 Vegetation Index EDR

Vegetation Indices from satellite instruments in polar orbits are used to monitor the environment including drought, the health of ecosystems, forest fires, crop monitoring, as well as for weather forecasting and climate research. The Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) Vegetation Index (VI) Environmental Data Record (EDR) from Suomi NPP and JPSS will provide both: continuity with vegetation indices from NOAA Polar-Orbiting Operational Environmental Satellites (POES) and the NASA Earth Observing Satellites, specifically Aqua and Terra satellites. Suomi NPP was launched in October 2011, and JPSS1 will be launched no later than the 2nd quarter of FY 2017. The Suomi NPP VIIRS Vegetation Index operational product includes two vegetation indices: the Top of the Atmosphere (TOA) Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), and the Top of the Canopy (TOC) Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI). For JPSS1, the Vegetation Index algorithm from Suomi NPP will be updated to include a third vegetation index, the TOC NDVI. The new TOC NDVI is currently under development at NOAA/STAR, and the algorithm change package will be delivered to the JPSS Ground Project's Data Product Engineering (DPE) Integrated Product Team (IPT) in early FY 2015 for further testing and implementation.