Global Daily Albedo Data for Climate Modeling

Albedo data provides daily global black-sky and white-sky albedo values at local solar noon across 20 spectral and broadband layers. The dataset is produced daily using 16 days of MODIS data from NASA's Terra and Aqua satellites on a 0.05-degree Climate Modeling Grid. It is generated by LPCLOUD using Version 6.1 of the MODIS MCD43C3 algorithm.

Use Cases

• Model surface energy budgets using black-sky albedo and white-sky albedo layers for MODIS spectral bands 1-7.
• Assess snow cover dynamics by integrating the snow cover ancillary layer with albedo values.
• Filter data quality for analysis by applying the band-specific quality flags to isolate full inversion results.
• Evaluate uncertainty in albedo estimates using the provided uncertainty ancillary layer.
• Analyze temporal trends in surface reflectance by leveraging the daily production and 16-day retrieval window.

Strengths

• Provides 20 distinct albedo layers covering spectral bands 1-7 and three broadbands.
• Data is produced daily on a global 0.05-degree Climate Modeling Grid.
• Includes ancillary layers for quality, local solar noon, percent finer resolution inputs, snow cover, and uncertainty.

Limitations

• The temporal value for each daily file is a weighted composite from a 16-day retrieval period, not an instantaneous measurement.
• Known issues exist and require consultation of external MODIS/VIIRS Land Quality Assessment resources.
• Specific sample size, row count, and geographic bias details are unavailable.

Provenance

Source

LPCLOUD using NASA MODIS data from Terra and Aqua satellites.

Collection Method

Produced daily using 16 days of MODIS data processed with the MCD43C3 Version 6.1 algorithm.

Freshness

daily

Geography

global