• NDVI uses visible and near‑infrared reflectance to gauge plant health from space. • Dr. Jim Tucker pioneered linking chlorophyll to specific light wavelengths in the 1980s. • First space‑borne NDVI instrument launched aboard AVHRR in 1981, expanding Earth observation. • Collaboration with Piers Sellers scaled measurements, enabling continent‑wide vegetation monitoring. • Satellite data now tracks crop fields, forests, and global photosynthetic activity. • Tucker remains passionate, continuing research to better understand Earth’s green cover.
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