MCD15A3H.061 MODIS Leaf Area Index/FPAR 4-Day Global 500m

  • MCD15A3H V6.1 provides a 4-day composite of global Leaf Area Index (LAI) and Fraction of Photosynthetically Active Radiation (FPAR) data at 500m resolution.

  • The dataset utilizes data from both MODIS sensors on NASA's Terra and Aqua satellites, selecting the best pixel within the 4-day period.

  • LAI represents the one-sided green leaf area per unit ground area, while FPAR quantifies the fraction of photosynthetically active radiation absorbed by vegetation.

  • Data quality information is provided through separate bands indicating cloud state, sensor, and retrieval algorithm details for both LAI and FPAR.

  • The dataset is freely available for use, redistribution, and sale through the NASA Land Processes Distributed Active Archive Center (LP DAAC).
MODIS/061/MCD15A3H
Dataset Availability
2002-07-04T00:00:00Z–2025-09-26T00:00:00Z
Dataset Provider
Earth Engine Snippet
ee.ImageCollection("MODIS/061/MCD15A3H")
Cadence
4 Days
Tags
fpar global lai modis nasa plant-productivity usgs vegetation
4-day
mcd15a3h

Description

The MCD15A3H Version 6.1 Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) Level 4, Combined Fraction of Photosynthetically Active Radiation (FPAR), and Leaf Area Index (LAI) product is a 4-day composite data set with 500 meter pixel size. The algorithm chooses the best pixel available from all the acquisitions of both MODIS sensors located on NASA's Terra and Aqua satellites from within the 4-day period.

Documentation:

Bands

Pixel Size
500 meters

Bands

Name Min Max Scale Pixel Size Wavelength Description
Fpar 0 100 0.01 meters 400-700nm

FPAR absorbed by the green elements of a vegetation canopy
Lai 0 100 0.1 meters None

One-sided green leaf area per unit ground area in broadleaf canopies; one-half the total needle surface area per unit ground area in coniferous canopies
FparLai_QC meters None

Quality for Lai and Fpar
FparExtra_QC meters None

Extra detail quality for LAI and FPAR
FparStdDev 0 100 0.01 meters None

Standard deviation of Fpar
LaiStdDev 0 100 0.1 meters None

Standard deviation for Lai

Terms of Use

Terms of Use

MODIS data and products acquired through the LP DAAC have no restrictions on subsequent use, sale, or redistribution.

Citations

Citations:

DOIs

Explore with Earth Engine

Code Editor (JavaScript)

var dataset = ee.ImageCollection('MODIS/061/MCD15A3H');
var defaultVisualization = dataset.first().select('Fpar');
var defaultVisualizationVis = {
  min: 0.0,
  max: 100.0,
  palette: ['e1e4b4', '999d60', '2ec409', '0a4b06'],
};
Map.setCenter(6.746, 46.529, 6);
Map.addLayer(
    defaultVisualization, defaultVisualizationVis, 'Default visualization');
Open in Code Editor
The MCD15A3H Version 6.1 Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) Level 4, Combined Fraction of Photosynthetically Active Radiation (FPAR), and Leaf Area Index (LAI) product is a 4-day composite data set with 500 meter pixel size. The algorithm chooses the best pixel available from all the acquisitions of both MODIS sensors …
MODIS/061/MCD15A3H, fpar,global,lai,modis,nasa,plant-productivity,usgs,vegetation
2002-07-04T00:00:00Z/2025-09-26T00:00:00Z
-90 -180 90 180
Google Earth Engine