Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS)
Please note: The FTP to HTTPS change is planned to occur in May while NRT3 and NRT4 FTP servers are planned to shut down in June 2018. So, the user will have one month to convert all scripts and other methods of access to using HTTPS. Instructions for accessing NRT data via HTTPS will be sent to known users, and made available from this webpage in May.
The following VIIRS 6-minute granule data products are available:
- Land Surface Reflectance (VNP09_NRT)
- Active Fire data / Thermal Anomalies (VNP14IMG_NRT) and
- Gridded Land Surface Reflectance (VNP09GA_NRT)
They are be available on ftp://nrt3.modaps.eosdis.nasa.gov/allData/5000/ and ftp://nrt4.modaps.eosdis.nasa.gov/allData/5000/
Other VIIRS products will follow over the next few months. More information will be posted on this page as it becomes available or sign up for the LANCE Users mailing list.
VIIRS / Suomi-NPP
Product (FTP download link) |
Description |
Volume (GB/day) |
Browse |
---|---|---|---|
VIIRS/NPP Active Fires L2 Swath 375m | N/A | ||
VIIRS Land Surface Reflectance |
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- Register to download
- VIIRS NRT FAQ
- Data outages and known issues
- VIIRS
- Suomi-NPP
It was always intended that the VIIRS instrument aboard the joint NASA/NOAA Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership (Suomi-NPP) satellite would provide a bridge between Earth Observing System (EOS) Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) and the operational Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS) (formerly NPOESS) VIIRS. In that context, the land science of VIIRS will build and expand on the heritage of land science from the NOAA AVHRR and EOS MODIS. The strength of these systems lies in their time-series of daily multi-spectral observations, which are used to characterize and monitor the land surface at regional to global scales. MODIS provided a new standard in calibrated, science-quality, coarse-resolution satellite observations which will continue with VIIRS. VIIRS data will be used to expand upon the MODIS applications to fire and air quality monitoring, agriculture monitoring and production modeling, carbon modeling and flood and sea ice mapping.
VIIRS Corrected Reflectance Imagery
The VIIRS Corrected Reflectance imagery is only produced in near real-time. It provides continuity from the MODIS Corrected Reflectance imagery which was developed to provide natural-looking images by removing gross atmospheric effects such as Rayleigh scattering from the visible bands. By contrast the Surface Reflectance product (coming soon) will be available in near real-time and as a standard product. Surface Reflectance provides a more complete atmospheric correction algorithm that includes aerosol correction and is designed to derive land surface properties. in clear atmospheric conditions the corrected reflectance product is similar to the SR product but they depart from each other in the presence of aerosols.
Band Combinations
True Color: Red = Band I1, Green = Band M4, Blue = Band M3
These images are called true-color or natural color because this combination of wavelengths is similar to what the human eye would see. The images are natural-looking images of land surface, oceanic and atmospheric features.
The Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) Corrected Reflectance imagery is available only as near real-time (NRT) imagery. The imagery can be visualized in Worldview, the Global Imagery Browse Services (GIBS) and Rapid Response. The sensor resolution is 750m and 375m (M Bands are 750m, I Bands are 375m), imagery resolution is 250m, temporal resolution is daily and temporal availability for viewing in GIBS/Worldview is November 24, 2015 - present. View in Worldview
False Color (M3, I3, M11): Red = M3, Green = I3, Blue = M11
This combination is used to map snow and ice. Snow and ice are very reflective in the visible part of the spectrum (Band M3), and very absorbent in Bands I3 and M11 (short-wave infrared, or SWIR). This band combination is good for distinguishing liquid water from frozen water, for example, clouds over snow, ice cloud versus water cloud; or floods from dense vegetation. This layer is similar to the MODIS Corrected Reflectance Bands 3, 6, 7 layer.
The Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) Corrected Reflectance imagery is available only as NRT imagery. The imagery can be visualized in Worldview, GIBS and Rapid Response. The sensor resolution is 750m and 375m (M Bands are 750m, I Bands are 375m), imagery resolution is 250m, temporal resolution is daily and temporal availability for viewing in GIBS/Worldview is November 24, 2015 - present. View in Worldview
Snow and Ice
Since the only visible light used in these images (Band M3) is assigned to red, snow and ice appear bright red. The more ice, the stronger the absorption in the SWIR bands, and the more red the color. Thick ice and snow appear vivid red (or dark pink), while small ice crystals in high-level clouds will appear pinkish.
Vegetation
Vegetation will appear green in this band combination, as vegetation is absorbent in Bands M3 and M11, but reflective in Band I3. Bare soil and deserts will appear bright cyan in the image since it much more reflective in Band I3 and M11 than Band M3.
Water
Liquid water on the ground will appear very dark since it absorbs in the red and the SWIR, but small liquid water drops in clouds scatter light equally in both the visible and the SWIR, and will therefore appear white. Sediments in water appear dark red.
False Color (M11, I2, I1): Red = M11, Green = I2, Blue = I1
This combination is most useful for distinguishing burn scars from naturally low vegetation or bare soil and enhancing floods.
This combination can also be used to distinguish snow and ice from clouds. Snow and ice are very reflective in the visible part of the spectrum (Band I1), and absorbent in Bands I2 (near infrared) and M11 (short-wave infrared, or SWIR). Thick ice and snow appear vivid sky blue, while small ice crystals in high-level clouds will also appear blueish, and water clouds will appear white. This layer is similar to the MODIS Corrected Reflectance Bands 7, 2, 1 layer.
VIIRS Corrected Reflectance imagery is available only as NRT imagery. The imagery can be visualized in Worldview, GIBS and Rapid Response. The sensor resolution is 750m and 375m (M Bands are 750m, I Bands are 375m), imagery resolution is 250m, temporal resolution is daily and temporal availability for viewing in GIBS/Worldview is November 24, 2015 - present. View in Worldview
Vegetation and bare groundVegetation is very reflective in the near infrared (Band I2), and absorbent in Band I1 and Band M11. Assigning that band to green means even the smallest hint of vegetation will appear bright green in the image. Naturally bare soil, like a desert, is reflective in all bands used in this image, but more so in the SWIR (Band M11, red) and so soils will often have a pinkish tinge.
Burned areasBurned areas or fire-affected areas are characterized by deposits of charcoal and ash, removal of vegetation and/or the alteration of vegetation structure. When bare soil becomes exposed, the brightness in Band I1 may increase, but that may be offset by the presence of black carbon residue; the near infrared (Band I2) will become darker, and Band M11 becomes more reflective. When assigned to red in the image, Band M11 will show burn scars as deep or bright red, depending on the type of vegetation burned, the amount of residue, or the completeness of the burn.
WaterLiquid water on the ground appears very dark since it absorbs in the red and the SWIR. Sediments in water appear dark blue. Ice and snow appear as bright turquoise.
Clouds comprised of small water droplets scatter light equally in both the visible and the SWIR and will appear white. These clouds are usually lower to the ground and warmer. High and cold clouds are comprised of ice crystals and will appear turquoise.
Last Updated: Aug 8, 2018 at 5:07 PM EDT