MCD43D33: Daily Global BRDF/Albedo Quality 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 MCD43D33 Version 6 product from NASA provides quality information for valid observations in MODIS band 1, intended for use in climate simulation models. This version was decommissioned on July 31, 2023, with users directed to the updated Version 6.1.

Use Cases

• Isolating high-quality full inversion results for science applications based on the band-specific quality flags described in the user guide.
• Assessing observation quality over the 16-day retrieval period for MODIS band 1, as the dataset contains a layer representing each day.
• Supporting climate simulation model inputs using the global Climate Modeling Grid (CMG) product format.
• Evaluating data quality over arid, bright surfaces where known aerosol representation issues in the C6 input products may have had an impact.

Strengths

• Provides global coverage at a consistent 30 arc-second (1,000-meter) spatial resolution.
• Data are produced daily using observations from two satellite platforms (Terra and Aqua MODIS).
• The product is temporally weighted to the ninth day of a 16-day period, as noted in the file naming convention.

Limitations

• The dataset is a decommissioned Version 6 product; the provider strongly encourages using the corrected Version 6.1.
• Known issues in the Collection 6 surface reflectance inputs, particularly over arid bright surfaces, may impact downstream data quality.
• 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 production; data are temporally weighted to the ninth day of a 16-day retrieval period.

Freshness

Last updated metadata date is 2026 03 12, but the underlying data product version is obsolete.

Geography

Global