Think of EVI as NDVI’s smarter cousin. It does two extra tricks:

Uses the blue band to subtract atmospheric haze that fools NDVI on smoggy days.
Adds a soil-adjustment factor so dry dirt doesn’t artificially inflate the score.

Use EVI when NDVI flatlines — i.e., over thick rainforest canopy where every leaf already maxes NDVI out. EVI keeps climbing where NDVI gets stuck.

🔬 Science / formula

EVI = [(NIR − Red) / (NIR + C₁·Red − C₂·Blue + L)] · (1 + L)

C₁ = 6.0, C₂ = 7.5, L = 1.0 (MODIS standard). Corrects NDVI for atmosphere (blue band) and soil (L).

💡

EVI = Enhanced with the Blue band. Coefficients 6-7-1 (six-seven-one). Doesn't saturate in dense canopy like NDVI does.

veg/evi-formula