MCD43D32: Daily Global BRDF/Albedo QA Data for Climate Models

Daily global data at 30 arc second (1,000 meter) resolution, produced using 16 days of Terra and Aqua MODIS observations. The MCD43D32 Version 6 product from NASA was decommissioned on July 31, 2023, with users directed to the Version 6.1 update. It provides local solar noon information, specifically the solar zenith angle, for the Bidirectional Reflectance Distribution Function and Albedo Climate Modeling Grid product.

Use Cases

• Assessing data quality for albedo retrievals based on the provided band-specific quality flags.
• Incorporating local solar noon geometry into climate model parameterizations based on the solar zenith angle layer.
• Analyzing surface reflectance properties over time using the 16-day temporally weighted observation period.
• Investigating known aerosol-related impacts on downstream products over bright surfaces as noted in the description.

Strengths

• Global spatial coverage designed for climate simulation models.
• Daily production with data temporally weighted to the ninth day of a 16-day period.
• Corrections for known issues, such as aerosol representation, were implemented in the Collection 6.1 reprocessing.

Limitations

• The specific Version 6 dataset is decommissioned; users must migrate to the newer Version 6.1 product.
• Known issues in Collection 6, particularly over arid bright surfaces, suggest users avoid substantive use of this version.
• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Collection Method

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

Time Range

Daily coverage.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-12 23:40:45.647616; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Global.