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.
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
Bitmask for FparLai_QC
Bit 0: MODLAND_QC bits
0: Good quality (main algorithm with or without saturation)
1: Other quality (back-up algorithm or fill values)
Bit 1: Sensor
0: Terra
1: Aqua
Bit 2: Dead detector
0: Detectors apparently fine for up to 50% of channels 1, 2
1: Dead detectors caused >50% adjacent detector retrieval
Bits 3-4: Cloud state
0: Significant clouds NOT present (clear)
1: Significant clouds WERE present
2: Mixed cloud present in pixel
3: Cloud state not defined, assumed clear
Bits 5-7: SCF_QC
0: Main (RT) method used with no saturation, best result possible
1: Main (RT) method used with saturation, good and very usable
2: Main (RT) method failed due to bad geometry, empirical algorithm used
3: Main (RT) method failed due to problems other
than geometry, empirical algorithm used
4: Pixel not produced at all, value couldn''t
be retrieved (possible reasons: bad L1B data, unusable
MOD09GA data)
FparExtra_QC
meters
None
Extra detail quality for LAI and FPAR
Bitmask for FparExtra_QC
Bits 0-1: Land-sea pass-thru
0: LAND
1: SHORE
2: FRESHWATER
3: OCEAN
Bit 2: Snow ice
0: No snow/ice detected
1: Snow/ice detected
Bit 3: Aerosol
0: No or low atmospheric aerosol levels detected
1: Average or high aerosol levels detected
Bit 4: Cirrus
0: No cirrus detected
1: Cirrus detected
Bit 5: Internal cloud mask
0: No clouds
1: Clouds were detected
Bit 6: Cloud shadow
0: No cloud shadow detected
1: Cloud shadow detected
Bit 7: SCF biome mask
0: Biome outside interval <1,4>
1: Biome in interval <1,4>
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.
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 …
[[["Easy to understand","easyToUnderstand","thumb-up"],["Solved my problem","solvedMyProblem","thumb-up"],["Other","otherUp","thumb-up"]],[["Missing the information I need","missingTheInformationINeed","thumb-down"],["Too complicated / too many steps","tooComplicatedTooManySteps","thumb-down"],["Out of date","outOfDate","thumb-down"],["Samples / code issue","samplesCodeIssue","thumb-down"],["Other","otherDown","thumb-down"]],[],[[["\u003cp\u003eMCD15A3H V6.1 provides a 4-day composite of global Leaf Area Index (LAI) and Fraction of Photosynthetically Active Radiation (FPAR) data at 500m resolution.\u003c/p\u003e\n"],["\u003cp\u003eThe dataset utilizes data from both MODIS sensors on NASA's Terra and Aqua satellites, selecting the best pixel within the 4-day period.\u003c/p\u003e\n"],["\u003cp\u003eLAI represents the one-sided green leaf area per unit ground area, while FPAR quantifies the fraction of photosynthetically active radiation absorbed by vegetation.\u003c/p\u003e\n"],["\u003cp\u003eData quality information is provided through separate bands indicating cloud state, sensor, and retrieval algorithm details for both LAI and FPAR.\u003c/p\u003e\n"],["\u003cp\u003eThe dataset is freely available for use, redistribution, and sale through the NASA Land Processes Distributed Active Archive Center (LP DAAC).\u003c/p\u003e\n"]]],[],null,["Dataset Availability\n: 2002-07-04T00:00:00Z--2025-08-29T00:00:00Z\n\nDataset Provider\n:\n\n\n [NASA LP DAAC at the USGS EROS Center](https://doi.org/10.5067/MODIS/MCD15A3H.061)\n\nCadence\n: 4 Days\n\nTags\n:\n [fpar](/earth-engine/datasets/tags/fpar) [global](/earth-engine/datasets/tags/global) [lai](/earth-engine/datasets/tags/lai) [modis](/earth-engine/datasets/tags/modis) [nasa](/earth-engine/datasets/tags/nasa) [plant-productivity](/earth-engine/datasets/tags/plant-productivity) [usgs](/earth-engine/datasets/tags/usgs) [vegetation](/earth-engine/datasets/tags/vegetation) \n 4-day \nmcd15a3h \n\nDescription \nThe 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.\n\nDocumentation:\n\n- [User's Guide](https://lpdaac.usgs.gov/documents/624/MOD15_User_Guide_V6.pdf)\n\n- [Algorithm Theoretical Basis Document (ATBD)](https://lpdaac.usgs.gov/documents/90/MOD15_ATBD.pdf)\n\n- [General Documentation](https://ladsweb.modaps.eosdis.nasa.gov/filespec/MODIS/61/MCD15A3H)\n\nBands\n\n\n**Pixel Size**\n\n500 meters\n\n**Bands**\n\n| Name | Min | Max | Scale | Pixel Size | Wavelength | Description |\n|----------------|-----|-----|-------|------------|------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|\n| `Fpar` | 0 | 100 | 0.01 | meters | 400-700nm | FPAR absorbed by the green elements of a vegetation canopy |\n| `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 |\n| `FparLai_QC` | | | | meters | None | Quality for Lai and Fpar |\n| Bitmask for FparLai_QC - Bit 0: MODLAND_QC bits - 0: Good quality (main algorithm with or without saturation) - 1: Other quality (back-up algorithm or fill values) - Bit 1: Sensor - 0: Terra - 1: Aqua - Bit 2: Dead detector - 0: Detectors apparently fine for up to 50% of channels 1, 2 - 1: Dead detectors caused \\\u003e50% adjacent detector retrieval - Bits 3-4: Cloud state - 0: Significant clouds NOT present (clear) - 1: Significant clouds WERE present - 2: Mixed cloud present in pixel - 3: Cloud state not defined, assumed clear - Bits 5-7: SCF_QC - 0: Main (RT) method used with no saturation, best result possible - 1: Main (RT) method used with saturation, good and very usable - 2: Main (RT) method failed due to bad geometry, empirical algorithm used - 3: Main (RT) method failed due to problems other than geometry, empirical algorithm used - 4: Pixel not produced at all, value couldn''t be retrieved (possible reasons: bad L1B data, unusable MOD09GA data) ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||\n| `FparExtra_QC` | | | | meters | None | Extra detail quality for LAI and FPAR |\n| Bitmask for FparExtra_QC - Bits 0-1: Land-sea pass-thru - 0: LAND - 1: SHORE - 2: FRESHWATER - 3: OCEAN - Bit 2: Snow ice - 0: No snow/ice detected - 1: Snow/ice detected - Bit 3: Aerosol - 0: No or low atmospheric aerosol levels detected - 1: Average or high aerosol levels detected - Bit 4: Cirrus - 0: No cirrus detected - 1: Cirrus detected - Bit 5: Internal cloud mask - 0: No clouds - 1: Clouds were detected - Bit 6: Cloud shadow - 0: No cloud shadow detected - 1: Cloud shadow detected - Bit 7: SCF biome mask - 0: Biome outside interval \\\u003c1,4\\\u003e - 1: Biome in interval \\\u003c1,4\\\u003e ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||\n| `FparStdDev` | 0 | 100 | 0.01 | meters | None | Standard deviation of Fpar |\n| `LaiStdDev` | 0 | 100 | 0.1 | meters | None | Standard deviation for Lai |\n\nTerms of Use\n\n**Terms of Use**\n\nMODIS data and products acquired through the LP DAAC\nhave no restrictions on subsequent use, sale, or redistribution.\n\nCitations \nCitations:\n\n- Please visit [LP DAAC 'Citing Our Data' page](https://lpdaac.usgs.gov/citing_our_data)\n for information on citing LP DAAC datasets.\n\nDOIs\n\n- \u003chttps://doi.org/10.5067/MODIS/MCD15A3H.061\u003e\n\nExplore with Earth Engine **Important:** Earth Engine is a platform for petabyte-scale scientific analysis and visualization of geospatial datasets, both for public benefit and for business and government users. Earth Engine is free to use for research, education, and nonprofit use. To get started, please [register for Earth Engine access.](https://console.cloud.google.com/earth-engine)\n\nCode Editor (JavaScript) \n\n```javascript\nvar dataset = ee.ImageCollection('MODIS/061/MCD15A3H');\nvar defaultVisualization = dataset.first().select('Fpar');\nvar defaultVisualizationVis = {\n min: 0.0,\n max: 100.0,\n palette: ['e1e4b4', '999d60', '2ec409', '0a4b06'],\n};\nMap.setCenter(6.746, 46.529, 6);\nMap.addLayer(\n defaultVisualization, defaultVisualizationVis, 'Default visualization');\n```\n[Open in Code Editor](https://code.earthengine.google.com/?scriptPath=Examples:Datasets/MODIS/MODIS_061_MCD15A3H) \n[MCD15A3H.061 MODIS Leaf Area Index/FPAR 4-Day Global 500m](/earth-engine/datasets/catalog/MODIS_061_MCD15A3H) \nThe 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 ... \nMODIS/061/MCD15A3H, fpar,global,lai,modis,nasa,plant-productivity,usgs,vegetation \n2002-07-04T00:00:00Z/2025-08-29T00:00:00Z \n-90 -180 90 180 \nGoogle Earth Engine \nhttps://developers.google.com/earth-engine/datasets\n\n- [https://doi.org/10.5067/MODIS/MCD15A3H.061](https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.5067/MODIS/MCD15A3H.061)\n- [https://doi.org/10.5067/MODIS/MCD15A3H.061](https://doi.org/https://developers.google.com/earth-engine/datasets/catalog/MODIS_061_MCD15A3H)"]]
