VJ143D66: Black-Sky Albedo for the VIIRS Day/Night Band

NOAA-20 VIIRS satellite data provides daily global black-sky albedo measurements for the Day/Night Band at a 1-kilometer resolution. Each daily product synthesizes 16 days of observations, temporally weighted to the ninth day, and is formatted specifically for climate simulation models on a Climate Modeling Grid. This dataset extends standard albedo products by including the unique 0.7 μm Day/Night Band, which is sensitive to low-light conditions.

Use Cases

• Modeling surface radiative forcing in climate simulations based on the Climate Modeling Grid (CMG) format.
• Analyzing diurnal and seasonal albedo changes using the Day/Night Band (DNB) feature.
• Studying land surface anisotropy and reflectance properties with black-sky albedo (BSA) data.
• Integrating satellite-derived albedo into energy balance studies for the visible and near-infrared spectrum.

Strengths

• Provides global coverage on a Climate Modeling Grid designed for direct use in climate models.
• Offers daily temporal resolution by synthesizing a 16-day observation window, weighted to a central day.
• Includes albedo for the unique VIIRS Day/Night Band (0.7 μm), not available in standard moderate-resolution band products.

Limitations

• Metadata completeness is low; specific column names, row counts, and file sizes are not provided across platforms.
• Each product file contains only one data layer due to large file sizes, which may complicate multi-band analysis.
• Known issues exist and require external consultation of the MODIS/VIIRS Land Quality Assessment website for full details.

Provenance

Source

NOAA-20 satellite's Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) sensor.

Collection Method

Produced daily using a 16-day data composite, with algorithms detailed in the VJ143MA3 product page and an Algorithm Theoretical Basis Document (ATBD).

Time Range

Daily production suggests a continuous time series, but specific start date is not provided.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-04-09 according to nasa_earthdata and datagov.

Geography

Global coverage.