MCD43D41: Global Daily BRDF/Albedo Uncertainty for Climate Models

MCD43D41 Version 6 was decommissioned on July 31, 2023, with users directed to the newer Version 6.1 product. This NASA dataset provides daily, global estimates of uncertainty for Bidirectional Reflectance Distribution Function and Albedo parameters at a 1,000-meter resolution, using 16 days of MODIS data from the Terra and Aqua satellites. It is produced specifically for use in climate simulation models as part of the Climate Modeling Grid.

Use Cases

• Assessing confidence in land surface albedo retrievals based on the provided pixel-level uncertainty range.
• Filtering satellite-derived BRDF data for high-quality inputs based on the band-specific quality flags described in the user guide.
• Improving climate model parameterization over bright, arid surfaces by understanding known aerosol-related issues in the data.
• Studying seasonal snow cover impacts on surface reflectance using the snow status weighted to the ninth day of the retrieval period.

Strengths

• Provides a dedicated global data layer for BRDF/Albedo uncertainty, which is critical for climate modeling.
• Uses a 16-day observation window weighted to a central day, potentially smoothing temporal noise.
• Implements improvements for high-latitude regions by using all available observations instead of a limited subset.
• Includes a documented database of archetypal BRDF parameters to supplement data in areas with insufficient high-quality reflectances.

Limitations

• The dataset is a decommissioned Version 6 product with known issues, particularly over arid bright surfaces, and users are urged to use Version 6.1.
• Description metadata is limited; actual data quality requires manual inspection after download.
• Each product file contains just one data layer, which may complicate analysis requiring multiple parameters.

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.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-12 23:40:55.293877; freshness should be verified as the underlying product version is deprecated.

Geography

Global coverage.