VJ143C3: Daily Global Albedo and BRDF for Climate Models

NOAA-20 VIIRS VJ143C3 provides daily global albedo and bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF) data at a 0.05-degree resolution. The dataset contains white-sky and black-sky albedos for 13 spectral bands, derived using a semi-empirical kernel-driven model over a 16-day moving window. It includes ancillary layers for uncertainty, quality, local solar noon, percent inputs, and snow cover to support climate simulation models.

Use Cases

• Modeling surface radiative forcing in climate simulations based on daily albedo data.
• Monitoring land surface anisotropy and reflectance properties using the BRDF model outputs.
• Assessing snow cover impact on surface albedo using the provided snow cover percentage layer.
• Validating higher-resolution land surface models with the 0.05-degree Climate Modeling Grid product.

Strengths

• Provides data for 13 spectral bands, including the Day/Night Band and multiple moderate resolution bands.
• Includes five ancillary variables for quality assessment, such as uncertainty and inversion status.
• Offers daily global coverage at a consistent 0.05-degree (approx. 5.6 km) resolution.

Limitations

• Metadata completeness is low; specific column names, row counts, and file sizes are not provided across platforms.
• The dataset's generation relies on a 16-day moving window, which may smooth out very short-term surface changes.
• Users must assess provided quality information before use, indicating potential data artifacts.

Provenance

Source

LPCLOUD / NASA Earthdata, derived from NOAA-20 VIIRS sensor data.

Collection Method

Generated daily from high-quality reflectance data using the RossThick/Li-Sparse-Reciprocal (RTLSR) BRDF model.

Freshness

2026-04-09 21:08:11.660727

Geography

Global coverage at 0.05-degree Climate Modeling Grid resolution.