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

Released Thursday, December 20, 2001

ID: 2316

- Visualizations by:
- Joycelyn Thomson

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.