MCD43D37: Daily Global BRDF/Albedo Quality Data for Climate Models

MCD43D37 Version 6.1 provides daily global Bidirectional Reflectance Distribution Function and Albedo quality information for MODIS band 5 at 30 arc second (1,000 meter) resolution. The dataset is produced by NASA using 16 days of combined Terra and Aqua MODIS data, temporally weighted to the ninth day. It is designed as a Climate Modeling Grid product for use in climate simulation models.

Use Cases

• Filtering high-quality full inversion results for albedo studies based on the band-specific quality flags.
• Assessing data reliability for climate model inputs based on the valid observation quality layer for MODIS band 5.
• Analyzing temporal consistency in surface reflectance based on the 16-day retrieval period information.

Strengths

• Daily production using 16 days of combined Terra and Aqua MODIS data provides temporal stability.
• Global coverage at 30 arc second (1,000 meter) resolution suitable for climate-scale modeling.
• Version 6.1 incorporates specific calibration improvements, including polarization correction and RVS changes.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Each product file contains just one data layer, which may require combining multiple files for a complete analysis.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Collection Method

Produced daily using 16 days of Terra and Aqua Moderate Resolution Spectroradiometer (MODIS) data.

Time Range

Daily production; temporal weighting to the ninth day of a 16-day period.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-12 23:41:04.662220; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Global coverage.