Stability, normalization and accuracy of MODIS‐derived estimates of live fuel moisture for southern California chaparral

Abstract Time series of spectral vegetation indices (SVIs) derived from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) and live fuel moisture (LFM) data for chaparral vegetation of southern California were extended to include one of the driest (2004) and one of the wettest (2005) years on record. Independent, spatially varying field‐based estimates of LFM enabled accuracy of MODIS‐derived estimates to be quantified. Pixel‐based scaling of SVI values based on maximum and minimum values of the time series reduced effects of varying vegetation cover and substantially reduced root mean square errors for two of the three SVIs tested. Acknowledgements Funding was provided by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Affiliated Research Center (NCC13‐00002) and Research, Education, and Application Solutions Network (NCC13‐03007) programs. Pete Scully, Thom Porter, Lynette Lydick, and Donna Tupper of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection provided fuel moisture data and valuable insights on fuel moisture properties and measurement techniques.