Monitoring land ecosystems using the NOAA Global Vegetation Index data set

The Global Vegetation Index (GVI) data set produced by NOAA from Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer measurements for 1985–1988 was used to derive the temporal variability of surface characteristics of diverse ecosystems over the globe. The GVI data were screened for residual cloud contamination and haze. The viewing geometry was restricted to within 25° of nadir. The results are demonstrated using monthly means of the satellite derived parameters spatially averaged over 250 km × 250 km. Phenology of land ecosystems as manifested by the surface albedo, greenness and temperature is analyzed. A color-composite technique for mapping global ecosystems is introduced.