MCD43D56: Daily Global White-Sky Albedo for MODIS Band 5 at 1km Resolution

MCD43D56 Version 6 was decommissioned on July 31, 2023, with users directed to a newer version. This NASA product provides daily, global white-sky albedo measurements for MODIS spectral band 5, generated from 16 days of Terra and Aqua satellite observations at a 30 arc-second (1km) resolution. Data are temporally weighted to the ninth day of the 16-day period for use in climate simulation models.

Use Cases

• Parameterizing climate simulation models based on the daily, global white-sky albedo data.
• Analyzing land surface radiative properties using the band-specific white-sky albedo measurement.
• Assessing albedo changes over time using the temporally weighted, daily product.
• Incorporating satellite-derived albedo into land surface models based on the 1km Climate Modeling Grid.

Strengths

• Global coverage at a consistent 30 arc-second (approximately 1km) spatial resolution.
• Daily temporal production using 16 days of observations from two satellite platforms (Terra and Aqua).
• Data are part of a structured product suite (MCD43D42 through MCD43D61) with specific quality flags recommended for use.

Limitations

• The Version 6 product has known issues, particularly over arid bright surfaces, and has been decommissioned; substantive use is discouraged.
• Description metadata is limited; actual data quality requires manual inspection 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; data are temporally weighted to the ninth day of a 16-day period.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-12 23:23:03.474801; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Global coverage.