The AVHRR satellite measures visible and infrared radiation reflected/emitted from Earth’s surface and at 1.1 kilometer resolution, and products include maps of vegetation-related quantities such as Normalized-Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), greenness, and land cover. From AVHRR data it is relatively easy to identify green vegetation and non-vegetated features such as water, barren land, ice, snow, and clouds. AVHRR products are useful for monitoring vegetation, land cover, and climate, and how these three elements interact.
Map data credit: Hansen, M., R. DeFries, J.R.G. Townshend, and R. Sohlberg (1998), UMD Global Land Cover Classification, 1 Kilometer, 1.0, Department of Geography, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, 1981-1994.
Associated peer-reviewed publication: Hansen, M., R. DeFries, J.R.G. Townshend, and R. Sohlberg (2000), Global land cover classification at 1km resolution using a decision tree classifier, International Journal of Remote Sensing. 21: 1331-1365.