Earth  ID: 2315

Leaf Area Index for Africa September, 2000, through May, 2001

Visualizations by Joycelyn Thomson Released on December 20, 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.
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This LAI animation shows the cycle of wet and dry seasons in Africa with the corresponding dates 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.
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April and May, 2001
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December, 2000
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September, 2000
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Video slate reads, 'Leaf Area Index for Africa taken by Terra/MODIS; September 2000 through May 2001.'

For More Information

http://eob.gsfc.nasa.gov/Newsroom/EVI_LAI_FPAR/

Visualization Credits

Joycelyn Thomson (NASA/GSFC): Lead Animator
Lori Perkins (NASA/GSFC): Animator
Ranga Myneni (Boston University): Scientist
Yuri Knjazihhin (Boston University): Scientist
Rebecca E. Lindsey: Writer
Please give credit for this item to:
NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center Scientific Visualization Studio

Short URL to share this page:
https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/2315

Mission:
Terra

Data Used:
Terra/MODIS
09/2000, 12/2000, 05/2001
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Note: While we identify the data sets used in these visualizations, we do not store any further details nor the data sets themselves on our site.

Keywords:
DLESE >> Agricultural science
DLESE >> Biology
SVS >> LAI
SVS >> Leaf Area Index
GCMD >> Location >> Africa
NASA Science >> Earth

GCMD keywords can be found on the Internet with the following citation: Olsen, L.M., G. Major, K. Shein, J. Scialdone, S. Ritz, T. Stevens, M. Morahan, A. Aleman, R. Vogel, S. Leicester, H. Weir, M. Meaux, S. Grebas, C.Solomon, M. Holland, T. Northcutt, R. A. Restrepo, R. Bilodeau, 2013. NASA/Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Earth Science Keywords. Version 8.0.0.0.0