MCD43D35: MODIS Daily Global BRDF/Albedo Quality Data for Climate Models

MCD43D35 Version 6 is a decommissioned NASA MODIS data product providing daily quality assessment information for Bidirectional Reflectance Distribution Function (BRDF) and Albedo retrievals. The dataset is produced using 16 days of Terra and Aqua satellite observations, weighted to the ninth day, and provides a global Climate Modeling Grid at 30 arc second (approximately 1,000 meter) resolution. It specifically contains the valid observation quality layer for MODIS band 3 across the 16-day retrieval period.

Use Cases

• Filtering high-quality full inversion BRDF results for science applications based on the band-specific quality flags described in the user guide.
• Assessing observation reliability for climate simulation models using the daily, globally gridded quality information.
• Investigating known aerosol-related impacts on downstream products over arid bright surfaces, as noted in the description's known issues.

Strengths

• Provides daily global coverage at a consistent 30 arc second (1,000 meter) spatial resolution.
• Integrates 16 days of observations from two MODIS sensors (Terra and Aqua) for temporal stability.
• Includes specific guidance and known issue documentation via linked user guides and NASA assessment websites.

Limitations

• The dataset (Version 6) was officially decommissioned on July 31, 2023, with users urged to use Version 6.1.
• Known issues in Collection 6, particularly related to aerosol representation, may impact data quality over bright surfaces.
• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download or from external guides.

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, with data temporally weighted to the ninth day of a 16-day period.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-12 23:23:45.803990; freshness should be verified as the underlying product version is decommissioned.

Geography

Global coverage as a Climate Modeling Grid (CMG) product.