Reconstructing cloudfree NDVI composites using Fourier analysis of time series

Abstract

This paper describes the harmonic analysis of time series (HANTS) algorithm. It performs two tasks: screening and removal of cloud-affected observations, and temporal interpolation of the remaining observations to reconstruct gapless images at a prescribed time. HANTS was applied to 36 AVHRR 10-days-maximum-NDVI composites covering most of Europe. The results show that cloud-affected data are recognized successfully and replaced. Up to half the data points were rejected with no consequence for the successful reconstruction of seasonal NDVI profiles.