MCD43D29: Daily Global Shortwave Albedo Parameters for Climate Models

Global daily estimates of the Bidirectional Reflectance Distribution Function (BRDF) volumetric parameter for the shortwave broadband, produced by NASA using 16 days of combined Terra and Aqua MODIS satellite data at 1,000-meter resolution. The data are temporally weighted to the ninth day of the 16-day period and are formatted as a Climate Modeling Grid (CMG) for use in climate simulations. The MCD43D29 Version 6 product was decommissioned on July 31, 2023, with users directed to the updated Version 6.1.

Use Cases

• Parameterizing land surface albedo in climate models based on the provided shortwave broadband volumetric parameter.
• Analyzing daily surface radiative properties for climate studies using the 30 arc-second global grid.
• Deriving BRDF/Albedo values for the MODIS shortwave broadband by combining the volumetric parameter with isotropic and geometric parameters.
• Assessing surface reflectance changes over time using the temporally weighted, 16-day observation window.

Strengths

• Global coverage at a consistent 30 arc-second (approximately 1,000-meter) resolution.
• Daily production using 16 days of observations from two MODIS sensors (Terra and Aqua) for temporal robustness.
• Data are specifically formatted as a Climate Modeling Grid (CMG) for direct use in climate simulations.

Limitations

• The Version 6 product has known issues, particularly over arid bright surfaces, and has been decommissioned; substantive use is discouraged.
• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Each product file contains just one data layer due to large file size, requiring multiple files for a complete parameter set.

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

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-12 23:25:11.728805; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Global