Reconstruction of dense time series high spatial resolution NDVI data using a spatiotemporal optimal weighted combination estimation model based on Sentinel-2 and MODIS

Abstract

A regular, dense time series of the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) is a crucial remote sensing parameter that provides insights into the growth status of plants across different temporal and spatial scales. However, the production of high-resolution, equal-interval, and dense-time-series NDVI products currently faces technical challenges, limiting their application in agriculture and forestry-related fields. This study proposes a new method for reconstructing a dense Sentinel-2 NDVI time series based on the spatiotemporal optimal weighted combination estimation model (SOWCEM). The SOWCEM is developed using state-of-the-art spatial and temporal reconstruction algorithms. This model considers the distribution characteristics of errors in spatiotemporal dimensions, allowing for adaptive determination of the optimal combination weight at the pixel level. Then, the reconstructed regular dense-time-series NDVI data covering the region for five days/time are evaluated through a comparative analysis. The experimental results demonstrate that the regional NDVI reconstruction image based on the SOWCEM algorithm has a determination coefficient (R2) of 0.9082, a root mean square error (RMSE) of 0.0403, and a comprehensive overall error (ERGAS) of 5.7726. Compared with single spatiotemporal dimension models, the SOWCEM algorithm shows an average improvement of 5.78% in R2, while the RMSE and ERGAS decrease by 6.5% and 6.86%, respectively. Moreover, the stability and robustness of the models are also enhanced. These results indicate that the SOWCEM algorithm can effectively achieve a high-quality fusion reconstruction of regional images, significantly enhancing the accuracy of high-spatial-resolution NDVI dense temporal spectral reconstruction. Furthermore, it exhibits clear superiority and good applicability. This algorithmic framework provides a feasible approach for the dense reconstruction of high-spatial-resolution regular time-series NDVI data, enabling more accurate and efficient high-resolution NDVI remote sensing monitoring services in related field applications. The core code of SOWCEM is available at https://github.com/GISerZkun/SOWCEM.