DSCOVR_EPIC_L2_VESDR_02 is the Deep Space Climate ObserVatoRy (DSCOVR) EPIC Level 2 Vegetation Earth System Data Record (VESDR), Version 2 data product. It provides Leaf Area Index (LAI) and diurnal courses of Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), Sunlit Leaf Area Index (SLAI), Fraction of incident Photosynthetically Active Radiation (400-700 nm) absorbed by the vegetation (FPAR), Directional Area Scattering Function (DASF), Earth Reflector Type Index (ERTI) and Canopy Scattering Coefficient at 443 nm, 551 nm, 680 nm and 779 nm. The VESDR files also include Solar Zenith Angle (SZA), Solar Azimuthal Angle (SAA), View Zenith (VZA) and Azimuthal (VAA) angles at the same temporal and spatial resolutions. The parameters are projected on 8 regional 10 km SIN grids and available at 65 to 110 min temporal frequency. The version 2 VESDR product is being generated from the upstream DSCOVR EPIC L2 MAIAC (version 2) surface reflectance product.
FPAR, LAI, SLAI are useful for monitoring variability and change in global vegetation due to climate and anthropogenic influences, modeling climate, carbon and water cycles, and improving forecasting of near surface weather. DASF provides information critical to accounting for structural contributions to measurements of leaf biochemistry from remote sensing. The canopy scattering coefficient is the fraction of intercepted radiation that has been reflected from, or diffusely transmitted through, the vegetation. This parameter is strongly correlated with leaf albedo which in turn depends on leaf biochemical constituents.
We also provide two ancillary science data products, namely, “Version 2 10 km Land Cover Type” and “Version 2 Distribution of Land Cover Types within 10 km EPIC pixel.” The products were derived from 500m MODIS land cover type 3 product (MCDLCHKM), which was generated from 2008, 2009 and 2010 land cover products (MCD12Q1, v051).
A detailed description of the VESDR and ancillary science data products can be found in “VESDR Science Data Product Guide, version 2”. Section “USER'S GUIDE” provides links to this document as well as to the two ancillary science data products.