MCD43D44: MODIS Daily Black-Sky Albedo for Band 3 at 1km Global Resolution

MCD43D44 Version 6.1 is a daily global black-sky albedo dataset produced by NASA using 16 days of Terra and Aqua MODIS data. The data is processed at a 30 arc second (approximately 1,000 meter) resolution and temporally weighted to the ninth day of the 16-day period. This product is part of the BRDF/Albedo suite designed for use in climate simulation models.

Use Cases

• Modeling surface energy balance in climate simulations based on black-sky albedo data.
• Analyzing land surface changes over time based on daily, globally-complete albedo observations.
• Assessing the quality of albedo retrievals for specific science applications using the band-specific quality flags mentioned in the user guide.

Strengths

• Daily temporal resolution using a 16-day rolling window of MODIS data from two satellites.
• Global coverage at a consistent 30 arc second (1,000 meter) spatial resolution.
• Version 6.1 incorporates specific calibration improvements, including RVS, crosstalk, and polarization corrections.

Limitations

• Description metadata is limited; actual data quality requires manual inspection after download.
• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• The dataset contains just one data layer per file, which may complicate multi-band analysis.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Collection Method

Produced daily using 16 days of Terra and Aqua Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) data.

Time Range

Daily production; temporal weighting to the ninth day of a 16-day period.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-12 23:48:49.222085; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Global coverage.