Validation of global moderate-resolution LAI products: a framework proposed within the CEOS land product validation subgroup

TLDR

The CEOS WGCV and its Land Product Validation subgroup coordinate satellite calibration and validation, and the growing number of global leaf area index products creates an opportunity for efficient international collaboration. The paper aims to establish and describe an international LAI intercomparison validation activity. The study documents participants, their ground LAI measurements and scaling methods, and the metadata and infrastructure for data sharing, and outlines plans to distribute field data and high‑resolution LAI products. The authors present a framework for global LAI intercomparison that can be applied to other products.

Abstract

Initiated in 1984, the Committee Earth Observing Satellites' Working Group on Calibration and Validation (CEOS WGCV) pursues activities to coordinate, standardize and advance calibration and validation of civilian satellites and their data. One subgroup of CEOS WGCV, Land Product Validation (LPV), was established in 2000 to define standard validation guidelines and protocols and to foster data and information exchange relevant to the validation of land products. Since then, a number of leaf area index (LAI) products have become available to the science community at both global and regional extents. Having multiple global LAI products and multiple, disparate validation activities related to these products presents the opportunity to realize efficiency through international collaboration. So the LPV subgroup established an international LAI intercomparison validation activity. This paper describes the main components of this international validation effort. The paper documents the current participants, their ground LAI measurements and scaling techniques, and the metadata and infrastructure established to share data. The paper concludes by describing plans for sharing both field data and high-resolution LAI products from each site. Many considerations of this global LAI intercomparison can apply to other products, and this paper presents a framework for such collaboration