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Fraction of Photosynthetically Active Radiation for Africa September, 2000, through May, 2001

MODIS' observations also allow scientists to track two 'vital signs' of Earth's vegetation. At Boston University, a team of researchers is using MODIS data to create global estimates of the green leaf area of Earth's vegetation and how much sunlight the leaves are absorbing. Called LAI, for 'Leaf Area Index,' and FPAR, for 'Fraction of absorbed Photosynthetically Active Radiation,' both pieces of information are necessary for understanding how sunlight interacts with the Earth's vegetated surfaces-from the top layer, called the canopy, through the understory vegetation, and down to the ground.

This FPAR animation shows the cycle of wet and dry
seasons in Africa from September 2000 through May 2001 and the
corresponding variation in the green leaf area and how much sunlight the
leaves are absorbing over the course of a year.    This FPAR animation shows the cycle of wet and dry seasons in Africa from September 2000 through May 2001 and the corresponding variation in the green leaf area and how much sunlight the leaves are absorbing over the course of a year.
Duration: 7.0 seconds
Available formats:
  320x240 (30 fps) MPEG-1   1 MB
  320x240 (30 fps) MPEG-1   1 MB
  320x240     JPEG         12 KB
  320x240     JPEG         12 KB
  720x480 (29.97 fps) DV           28 MB
How to play our movies


April and May, 2001    April and May, 2001

Available formats:
  2880 x 1944     TIFF 4 MB
  160 x 80           PNG 13 KB
  320 x 216         JPEG 17 KB
  80 x 40             PNG   4 KB


December, 2000    December, 2000

Available formats:
  2880 x 1944     TIFF 4 MB
  320 x 216         JPEG 17 KB


September, 2000    September, 2000

Available formats:
  2880 x 1944     TIFF 5 MB
  320 x 216         JPEG 17 KB


None    None

Available formats:
  720 x 528         JPEG 132 KB
  320 x 234         PNG 278 KB

Animation Number:2316
Animators:Joycelyn Thomson (Lead)
 Lori Perkins
Studio:NASA
Completed:2001-12-13
Scientists:Ranga Myneni (Boston University)
 Yuri Knjazihhin (Boston University)
Writer:Rebecca E. Lindsey
Instrument:Terra/MODIS
Data Collected:09/2000, 12/2000, 05/2001
Video:SVS2001-0022 *
Keywords:
DLESE >> Agricultural science
DLESE >> Biology
SVS >> FPAR
SVS >> Photosynthetic
SVS >> Radiation
GCMD >> Location >> Africa
 
 
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NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center
Scientific Visualization Studio


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