Normalised Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI): JNCC Sentinel-2 indices Analysis Ready Data (ARD)

NDVI is a widely used index which quantifies vegetation greenness and can provide an indication of vegetation health and vegetation density. It is calculated as the ratio between the near-infrared (NIR) and red bands. Positive values generally correspond to vegetation, with higher values reflecting healthy, dense vegetation.

NDVI = (NIR – RED) / (NIR + RED)

Sentinel-2 NDVI (Defra/JNCC ARD bands) = (B07 – B03) / (B07 + B03)

Equivalent ESA Sentinel-2 bands: B08, B04

Data are provided in EPSG: 27700 OSGB36 / British National Grid, with a pixel size of 10m, and data is pixel-aligned to the source ARD file. No-data pixels are set to a value of -9999.

These data have been created by the Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC) as part of the “Earth observation-based habitat condition change detection” project. This project is funded by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) as part of the Natural Capital and Ecosystem Assessment (NCEA) programme. The project seeks to facilitate the effective uptake and use of Earth Observation data by producing data and tools for investigating and detecting parcel-level change in habitats and habitat condition.

The dataset contains NDVI, NDMI, NDWI, NBR and EVI2 indices derived from Defra and JNCC Sentinel-2 ARD. Index files have been generated for Sentinel-2 granules covering England and Scotland for the period from 2015 to 2024. Note that new unmasked index files (v2) have superseded the previous masked index files (v1). Masked files will no longer be produced. Users can mask the new index files if required using the cloud and topographic shadow masks provided with the ARD, or masks of their choice.

Contains modified Copernicus Sentinel data 2015-2024.