Reflected light maps Earth's vegetation

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Though 75 percent of the planet is a relatively unchanging ocean of blue, the remaining 25 percent of Earth's surface is a dynamic green.

(Credit: NASA/NOAA) New satellite imagery from the NASA/NOAA Suomi NPP satellite shows the lush green vegetation covering our planet -- along with the changes in geography and climate as the landscape transitions into sparse growth and rock; or hot, dry, barren deserts.

The Visible and Infrared Imaging and Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) sensor, which is sensitive to different types of visible and near-infrared light, collected data from April 2012 through April 2013, allowing NOAA to create what it's calling a "vegetation index" identifying how much of the sun's energy is absorbed by plant life on Earth and how much is reflected back into space.

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