Spatial mapping of growing degree days: an application of MODIS-based surface temperatures and enhanced vegetation index

Quazi K. Hassan; Charles P.A. Bourque; Fan-Rui Meng; William Richards

doi:10.1117/1.2740040

1 April 2007 Spatial mapping of growing degree days: an application of MODIS-based surface temperatures and enhanced vegetation index

Quazi K. Hassan, Charles P.A. Bourque, Fan-Rui Meng, William Richards

Author Affiliations +

Journal of Applied Remote Sensing, Vol. 1, Issue 1, 013511 (April 2007). https://doi.org/10.1117/1.2740040

Abstract

Growing degree days (GDD) is a simple temperature-based index of biological development. In this paper we evaluated the potential of using 2003-2005 MODIS-based 8-day and 16-day composites of daytime surface temperature (TS) and enhanced vegetation index (EVI) values at 250 m resolution for mapping GDD. The work was applied to the Canadian Atlantic Maritime Ecozone as a demonstration of the methodology. The work proceeded by establishing an empirical relationship between mean tower-based estimates of TS for the MODIS-acquisition period of 10:30 am-12:00 pm and the daily mean TS calculated from half-hourly emitted infrared/longwave radiation measurements taken from four flux sites in southern commercial forests of Canada. The relationship revealed a strong correlation between variables (r2=98.4%) and was central to the calculation of daily mean TS from MODIS-based estimates of TS. Since seasonally-based estimates of GDD and EVI were strongly correlated (r2=87%), data fusion techniques were applied to enhance the GDD map originally produced at 1 km resolution (from infrared emission band data), to 250 m. In general, the MODIS-derived map of GDD showed a positive constant offset of about 511 degree days from calculated long-term averages (1971 2000) based on temperatures collected at 101 Environment Canada climate stations.

Citation Download Citation

Quazi K. Hassan, Charles P.A. Bourque, Fan-Rui Meng, and William Richards "Spatial mapping of growing degree days: an application of MODIS-based surface temperatures and enhanced vegetation index," Journal of Applied Remote Sensing 1(1), 013511 (1 April 2007). https://doi.org/10.1117/1.2740040

Published: 1 April 2007

ACCESS THE FULL ARTICLE

INSTITUTIONAL
Select your institution to access the SPIE Digital Library.

SELECT YOUR INSTITUTION

PERSONAL
Sign in with your SPIE account to access your personal subscriptions or to use specific features such as save to my library, sign up for alerts, save searches, etc.

PERSONAL SIGN IN

No SPIE Account? Create one

PURCHASE THIS CONTENT

SUBSCRIBE TO DIGITAL LIBRARY

50 downloads per 1-year subscription

Members: $195

Non-members: $335 ADD TO CART

25 downloads per 1 - year subscription

Members: $145

Non-members: $250 ADD TO CART

PURCHASE SINGLE ARTICLE

Includes PDF, HTML & Video, when available