| Index | Formula (generic bands) | Typical usage |
|---|---|---|
| NDVI | (NIR − RED) / (NIR + RED) | Vegetation vigor/greenness |
| EVI | 2.5 × (NIR − RED) / (NIR + 6×RED − 7.5×BLUE + 1) | Vegetation (reduces soil/atmospheric effects) |
| SAVI | ((NIR − RED) / (NIR + RED + L)) × (1 + L), L ≈ 0.5 | Vegetation in sparse cover/soil backgrounds |
| MSAVI | (2×NIR + 1 − √((2×NIR + 1)² − 8×(NIR − RED))) / 2 | Vegetation with minimal soil influence |
| GNDVI | (NIR − GREEN) / (NIR + GREEN) | Chlorophyll/vegetation stress |
| NDRE | (NIR − RE) / (NIR + RE) | Canopy chlorophyll (uses Red-Edge) |
| ARVI | (NIR − (2×RED − BLUE)) / (NIR + (2×RED − BLUE)) | Vegetation with atmospheric correction |
| VARI | (GREEN − RED) / (GREEN + RED − BLUE) | Vegetation in RGB (low-cost imagery) |
| NDMI (a.k.a. NDWI-Gao) | (NIR − SWIR1) / (NIR + SWIR1) | Canopy moisture/forest drought |
| NDWI (McFeeters) | (GREEN − NIR) / (GREEN + NIR) | Open water extraction (may confuse built-up) |
| MNDWI (Xu) | (GREEN − SWIR1) / (GREEN + SWIR1) | Water extraction (better in urban) |
| NDBI | (SWIR1 − NIR) / (SWIR1 + NIR) | Built-up detection |
| BSI | ((SWIR1 + RED) − (NIR + BLUE)) / ((SWIR1 + RED) + (NIR + BLUE)) | Bare soil identification |
| NDSI (Snow) | (GREEN − SWIR1) / (GREEN + SWIR1) | Snow mapping |
| NBR | (NIR − SWIR2) / (NIR + SWIR2) | Burn severity/disturbance |
| NBR2 | (SWIR1 − SWIR2) / (SWIR1 + SWIR2) | Moisture/thermal disturbance in dry regions |
| EBBI | (SWIR1 − NIR) / √(SWIR1 + TIR) | Built-up (requires thermal) |
| SIPI | (NIR − BLUE) / (NIR − RED) | Pigment stress (carotenoid vs. chlorophyll) |
| PRI | (GREEN531 − GREEN570) / (GREEN531 + GREEN570) | Photosynthetic efficiency (narrow bands) |
| GEMI | η(1 − 0.25η) − (RED − 0.125)/(1 − RED), where η = 2((NIR² − RED²) + 1.5NIR + 0.5RED)/(NIR + RED + 0.5) | Atmospheric-resilient greenness |
Band keys (generic): BLUE (≈0.45–0.50 μm), GREEN (≈0.53–0.59 μm), RED (≈0.64–0.68 μm), RE = Red-Edge (≈0.70–0.74 μm), NIR (≈0.84–0.88 μm), SWIR1 (≈1.57–1.65 μm), SWIR2 (≈2.11–2.29 μm), TIR = Thermal (10–12 μm). For SAVI, a common soil factor is L = 0.5.
Band Numbers
| Generic Name | Sentinel-2 Band | Landsat-8/9 Band | Wavelength (µm) |
|---|---|---|---|
| BLUE | B2 | B2 | 0.45 – 0.50 |
| GREEN | B3 | B3 | 0.53 – 0.59 |
| RED | B4 | B4 | 0.64 – 0.68 |
| Red-Edge (RE) | B5, B6, B7 | – | 0.70 – 0.74 |
| NIR | B8 | B5 | 0.84 – 0.88 |
| SWIR1 | B11 | B6 | 1.57 – 1.65 |
| SWIR2 | B12 | B7 | 2.11 – 2.29 |
| TIR (Thermal) | – | B10, B11 | 10 – 12 |
