MCD43D64: Daily Nadir-Adjusted Reflectance for MODIS Band 3, Global 1km

Global daily nadir-adjusted reflectance data for MODIS band 3 at 1-kilometer resolution, produced by NASA using 16-day windows of Terra and Aqua satellite observations. The dataset is temporally weighted to the ninth day and is designed for use in climate simulation models. The MCD43D64 Version 6 product was decommissioned on July 31, 2023, with users encouraged to migrate to the Version 6.1 product.

Use Cases

• Modeling surface albedo for climate simulations based on the global Climate Modeling Grid (CMG) product.
• Analyzing land surface reflectance properties based on daily, nadir-adjusted observations from MODIS band 3.
• Correcting for view-angle effects in satellite imagery based on the Bidirectional Reflectance Distribution Function (BRDF) algorithm described.
• Assessing data quality for scientific applications based on the band-specific quality flags mentioned in the user guide.

Strengths

• Provides daily global coverage at 30 arc-second (approximately 1km) resolution.
• Uses a 16-day observation window weighted to the ninth day to estimate surface properties.
• Algorithm removes view angle effects to model values as if collected from a nadir view at local solar noon.

Limitations

• The Version 6 product has known issues, particularly over arid bright surfaces, and has been decommissioned; users are urged to use Version 6.1.
• Description metadata is limited; actual data quality requires manual inspection after download and use of quality assurance (QA) data.
• Each product file contains just one data layer due to large file size, which may complicate multi-band analysis.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

Collection Method

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

Time Range

Daily production, with data temporally weighted to the ninth day of a 16-day period.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-12 23:46:52.596042; freshness should be verified as the underlying Version 6 product is decommissioned.

Geography

Global coverage.