MCD43D25: Daily Global NIR Albedo Parameter for Climate Models at 1km Resolution

Global daily estimates of the Bidirectional Reflectance Distribution Function (BRDF) isotropic parameter for the Near-Infrared (NIR) broadband, produced by NASA using Terra and Aqua MODIS satellite data. The dataset is generated daily at a 30 arc-second (approximately 1km) resolution, temporally weighted to a central ninth day, and formatted for Climate Modeling Grids (CMG). MCD43D25 Version 6.1 incorporates calibration improvements including response-versus-scan angle and polarization corrections.

Use Cases

• Modeling surface energy balance in climate simulations based on the NIR broadband albedo parameter.
• Analyzing daily changes in land surface reflectance properties based on the temporally weighted 16-day MODIS data.
• Integrating isotropic BRDF parameters with volumetric and geometric parameters to derive full BRDF/Albedo values.
• Assessing data quality for scientific applications using the band-specific quality flags mentioned in the user guide.

Strengths

• Data is produced daily using 16 days of observations from two MODIS sensors (Terra and Aqua), providing temporal stability.
• Version 6.1 includes specific calibration improvements such as RVS and polarization corrections for reflective solar bands.
• Covers the entire globe at a consistent 30 arc-second (1km) Climate Modeling Grid (CMG) resolution.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Data quality is dependent on the user applying band-specific quality flags as described in the guide.

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 a central ninth day.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-12 23:44:45.703668; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Global coverage.