Global Daily Snow Status for Albedo Retrieval

Daily snow status data is produced using 16 days of MODIS observations from NASA's Terra and Aqua satellites at 30 arc-second resolution. The LPCLOUD organization provides this Climate Modeling Grid product for global climate simulation models. Data are temporally weighted to the ninth day of the 16-day acquisition period.

Use Cases

• Classify pixels as 'Snow-free Albedo Retrieved' or 'Snow Albedo Retrieved' for climate model parameterization.
• Integrate the snow status quality layer with other MCD43D albedo products for surface energy balance studies.
• Use the band-specific quality flags to isolate high-quality full inversion results for regional snow cover analysis.
• Assess daily snow albedo retrieval conditions globally at 1km resolution for hydrological modeling.

Strengths

• Daily temporal resolution using a 16-day MODIS observation window.
• Global spatial coverage at 30 arc-second (approximately 1km) resolution.
• Provides a specific quality layer for snow status within the broader MCD43D albedo product suite.

Limitations

• Each project file contains only one data layer, limiting immediate multi-variable analysis.
• Known issues exist, requiring users to consult external quality assessment resources.
• The temporal weighting to a central day may reduce precision for strictly daily analysis.

Provenance

Source

NASA Terra and Aqua MODIS instruments.

Collection Method

Produced daily using 16 days of MODIS data, temporally weighted to the ninth day.

Freshness

Daily

Geography

Global