MODIS Daily Downward Shortwave Radiation at 0.05-Degree Resolution

Version 6.1 of the MCD18C1 dataset provides daily and 3-hourly estimates of downward shortwave radiation (DSR) over global land surfaces at a 0.05-degree (5,600-meter) Climate Modeling Grid resolution. The data product was generated by NASA's LPCLOUD using a combined algorithm from MODIS Terra and Aqua satellite observations, incorporating multi-temporal signatures and look-up tables for aerosols and clouds. This dataset was officially decommissioned on June 1, 2024, with users directed to the newer Version 6.2 product.

Use Cases

• Validating and calibrating land-surface models that simulate energy and water fluxes using the 3-hour DSR array.
• Studying the impact of aerosol and cloud loading on surface solar radiation using the algorithm's look-up table approach.
• Assessing solar energy potential and variability over land surfaces with daily DSR estimates.
• Analyzing diurnal cycles of solar radiation for agricultural or hydrological applications using the 3-hourly data layers.

Strengths

• Provides high-temporal-resolution data with 3-hourly estimates of downward shortwave radiation.
• Utilizes a combined algorithm from both MODIS Terra and Aqua satellites, enhancing data coverage.
• Features a specific spatial resolution of 0.05 degrees (approximately 5,600 meters at the equator).

Limitations

• This specific version (6.1) has been decommissioned, indicating it is not the current operational product.
• Sources disagree on the last updated date, with one listing 2024-06-01 and another listing 2026-03-12.
• Key metadata such as row count, column names, and specific file size are unknown across all platforms.

Provenance

Source

NASA LPCLOUD, generated from MODIS Terra and Aqua satellite data.

Collection Method

Derived using a prototyping algorithm that applies multi-temporal MODIS signatures and a look-up table (LUT) approach for aerosols and clouds.

Freshness

Last updated dates conflict: one source states 2024-06-01, another states 2026-03-12.

Geography

Global land surfaces.