Real-time daily rolling weekly Green Vegetation Fraction (GVF) derived from the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) sensor onboard the SNPP satellite

Green Vegetation fraction (GVF) is defined as the fraction of a pixel covered by green vegetation when viewed from nadir. Real-time GVF is needed in numerical weather, climate and hydrological models. The current NOAA operational GVF product is derived from AVHRR top of atmosphere NDVI data at 16-km resolution. The new GVF product is derived from data from the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) on board the Suomi National Polar-Orbiting Partnership (SNPP) satellite. GVF is a NOAA-Unique Product (NUP) for applications in numerical weather and seasonal climate prediction models at the National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP). The retrieval algorithm uses VIIRS red (I1), near-infrared (I2) and blue (M3) bands centered at 0.640 μm, 0.865 μm and 0.490 μm, respectively, to calculate the Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI), and derive GVF from EVI. To meet the data needs of NCEP and other potential users, GVF maps are produced as daily rolling weekly composites at 4-km resolution (global scale) and 1-km resolution (regional scale).