A global annual simulated VIIRS nighttime light dataset from 1992 to 2023

Abstract

Nighttime light (NTL) data is recognized as a reliable proxy for measuring the scope and intensity of human activity, finding wide application in studies such as urbanization monitoring, socioeconomic estimation, and ecological environment assessment. However, the substantial discrepancies and limited temporal coverage of existing NTL datasets have constrained their potential for long-term research applications. To address this, a Nighttime Light U-Net super-resolution network is proposed for the cross-sensor calibration between the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program-Operational Linescan System (DMSP-OLS) NTL data and the Suomi National Polar-Orbiting Partnership-Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (NPP-VIIRS) NTL data. This network is applied to generate a continuous and consistent 500-meter global annual simulated VIIRS NTL dataset (SVNL) from 1992 to 2023. Validation results indicate a high confidence in the quality of the SVNL data, demonstrating its superiority in capturing longer NTL dynamics, maintaining higher temporal consistency, and presenting greater spatial detail compared with other NTL datasets. The SVNL could be utilized for prolonged human activities monitoring, and further research on regional or global urbanization.