VJ143D56: Black-Sky Albedo for VIIRS Band M3 at 1km Daily Global

VJ143D56 provides daily black-sky albedo values for the VIIRS band M3 at a 0.488 μm wavelength, derived from 16 days of satellite data composited to a 30 arc-second (1,000 meter) global Climate Modeling Grid. This dataset is part of a suite of albedo products covering nine VIIRS moderate resolution bands and the Day/Night Band, designed for use in climate simulation models. Data are temporally weighted to the ninth day of the 16-day composite period.

Use Cases

• Parameterizing land surface albedo in climate simulation models based on the global Climate Modeling Grid (CMG) format.
• Analyzing directional hemispherical reflectance (black-sky albedo) as a function of solar zenith angle for band M3.
• Comparing surface reflectance anisotropy across the nine VIIRS moderate bands and the Day/Night Band (DNB) included in the product suite.
• Monitoring temporal changes in land surface properties using the daily product with a 16-day composite window.

Strengths

• Provides global coverage at a consistent 1km resolution in a Climate Modeling Grid, suitable for direct model ingestion.
• Dataset is produced daily using a 16-day composite, offering a balance between temporal frequency and data stability.
• Cross-platform presence on Data.gov and NASA EarthData signals its importance and validation within the scientific community.

Limitations

• Each product file contains only one data layer due to large file sizes, requiring multiple files for a full spectral analysis.
• Metadata for row count, file size, and specific columns is unavailable across all sources.
• The 'last updated' date on Data.gov is in the future (2026), indicating a potential metadata conflict or error.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

Collection Method

Produced daily from NOAA-20 VIIRS sensor data using a BRDF/Albedo algorithm.

Time Range

Daily production with a 16-day composite window; specific date range not provided.

Freshness

2026-04-09 21:08:21.595620

Geography

Global