A framework for the validation of MODIS Land products

The MODIS Land team is producing a suite of global land products whose uncertainty will be estimated through validation activities. The MODIS Land team will base its validation work on the comparison of its products to similar products derived from independent sources. The independent products will be derived from a combination of in situ data and imagery from airborne and spaceborne sensors. Since in situ and image data can often serve to validate more than one product and sensor, the MODIS Land Discipline Teamʹs validation strategy has focused on data collection and analysis at the EOS Land Validation Core Sites. Initial characterization of these sites is presented, as well as an overview of the on-line access to imagery and field data collected over these sites. The data and resources available through this work are available to the science community for continued validation and scientific investigations. This paper describes the results of a 4-year effort to develop the infrastructure to allow timely and comprehensive validation of EOS land products.