MCD43D41: Daily Global BRDF/Albedo Uncertainty Data for Climate Models

MCD43D41 Version 6.1 provides daily global maps of uncertainty for land surface reflectance and albedo at 1,000-meter resolution. The dataset is produced by NASA using 16 days of combined MODIS data from the Terra and Aqua satellites, temporally weighted to a central date. This Climate Modeling Grid product is designed for use in climate simulation models.

Use Cases

• Assessing the reliability of albedo inputs for climate models based on the provided pixel uncertainty range.
• Filtering satellite-derived land surface data for high-quality results based on the band-specific quality flags mentioned in the user guide.
• Analyzing temporal changes in surface reflectance uncertainty for climate trend studies based on the daily production cycle.

Strengths

• Produced daily using data from two satellite platforms (Terra and Aqua MODIS), suggesting frequent temporal coverage.
• Global coverage at a consistent 30 arc-second (approximately 1,000-meter) spatial resolution.
• Version 6.1 incorporates specific calibration improvements, including polarization correction and RVS approach changes.

Limitations

• Description metadata is limited; actual data quality requires manual inspection after download.
• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Each product file contains just one data layer, which may complicate multi-band analysis.

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 coverage is not explicitly stated but implied to be ongoing.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-12 23:24:21.110247; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Global