A Global 9-yr Biophysical Land Surface Dataset from NOAA AVHRR Data

Global, monthly, 1° by 1° biophysical land surface datasets for 1982–90 were derived from data collected by the Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) on board the NOAA-7, -9, and -11 satellites. The AVHRR data are adjusted for sensor degradation, volcanic aerosol effects, cloud contamination, short-term atmospheric effects (e.g., water vapor and aerosol effects ⩽2 months), solar zenith angle variations, and missing data. Interannual variation in the data is more realistic as a result. The following biophysical parameters are estimated: fraction of photosynthetically active radiation absorbed by vegetation, vegetation cover fraction, leaf area index, and fraction of green leaves. Biophysical retrieval algorithms are tested and updated with data from intensive remote sensing experiments. The multiyear vegetation datasets are consistent spatially and temporally and are useful for studying spatial, seasonal, and interannual variability in the biosphere related to the hydrological cycle, the energy balance, and biogeochemical cycles. The biophysical data are distributed via the Internet by the Goddard Distributed Active Archive Center as a precursor to the International Satellite Land Surface Climatology Project (ISLSCP) Initiative II. Release of more extensive, higher-resolution datasets (0.25° by 0.25°) over longer time periods (1982–97/98) is planned for ISLSCP Initiative II.