CEOS EO HANDBOOK – INSTRUMENT SUMMARY - VEGETATION -
Full Name VEGETATION Status No longer operational
Instrument Agencies CNES, SNSA, COM Maturity
Instrument Type Imaging multi-spectral radiometers (vis/IR) Geometry Cross-track scanning
Instrument Technology Multi-purpose imaging Vis/IR radiometer Sampling Imaging
Data Access Open Access Data Format
Measurements and Applications Data of use for crop forecast and monitoring, vegetation monitoring, and biosphere/ geosphere interaction studies.
Resolution Summary 1.15 km at nadir - minimal variation for off-nadir viewing
[Best Resolution: 1150m]
Swath Summary 2200 km
Accuracy Summary
Waveband Summary Operational mode: VIS: 0.61 - 0.68 µm, NIR: 0.78 - 0.89 µm, SWIR: 1.58 - 1.75 µm, Experimental mode: VIS: 0.43 - 0.47 µm
VIS (~0.40 µm - ~0.75 µm)
NIR (~0.75 µm - ~1.3 µm)
SWIR (~1.3 µm - ~3.0 µm)
Instrument Measurements
Measurements Overview
CategoryParameter
Albedo and reflectancePhotosynthetically Active Radiation (PAR)
Fraction of Absorbed PAR (FAPAR)
Earth surface albedo
Multi-purpose imagery (land)Land surface imagery
Multi-purpose imagery (ocean)Ocean imagery and water leaving spectral radiance
VegetationNormalized Differential Vegetation Index (NDVI)
Leaf Area Index (LAI)
Vegetation type
Land cover
Thematic Links Global Climate Observing System Essential Climate Variables (GCOS ECVs)
ECVDescriptionProduct(s)ECV Inventory 3.0 Record(s)
Albedo click here click here Copernicus Global Land Service Albedo Co...
Copernicus Global Land Service Albedo Co...
Fraction of Absorbed Photosynthetically Active Radiation (FAPAR) click here click here Copernicus Global Land Service FAPAR Col...
Copernicus Global Land Service FAPAR Col...
Land cover click here click here Record ID: 11520
ESA Land Cover Climate Change Initiative...
Leaf Area Index (LAI) click here click here Copernicus Global Land Service LAI Colle...
Copernicus Global Land Service LAI Colle...
Ocean Colour click here click here search ECV Inventory records
Instrument Missions
SPOT-4 - Satellite Pour l'Observation de la Terre - 4 (1998 - 2013)
SPOT-5 - Satellite Pour l'Observation de la Terre - 5 (2002 - 2015)