VJ143IA1N: Daily BRDF/Albedo Model Parameters from VIIRS

VIIRS/JPSS1 satellite data provides daily global land surface albedo and anisotropy model parameters at a 500-meter resolution. The algorithm uses a 16-day rolling window of observations and the RossThick/Li-Sparse-Reciprocal kernel-driven model to generate three parameters (fiso, fvol, fgeo) for three spectral bands. Researchers can use these model parameters with a polynomial to derive black-sky albedo for any solar angle or estimate instantaneous blue-sky albedo.

Use Cases

• Modeling surface energy balance based on derived black-sky and white-sky albedo values.
• Correcting directional reflectance in satellite imagery using the provided BRDF model parameters.
• Monitoring seasonal changes in land surface anisotropy from the daily, global 500m data.
• Validating and improving climate models with near-real-time surface radiative property inputs.

Strengths

• Provides daily, near-real-time global coverage at a consistent 500-meter spatial resolution.
• Uses a peer-reviewed, semi-empirical BRDF model (RTLSR) detailed in a public Algorithm Theoretical Basis Document.
• Contains six Science Dataset layers, including mandatory quality bands for validation.

Limitations

• Key metadata such as row count, file size, and specific column names are unavailable across all sources.
• The dataset's future update date (2026-04-09) listed on Data.gov is inconsistent with its 'Near Real Time' nature, suggesting potential metadata errors.
• Data is provided in the specialized HDF-EOS5 format, which may require specific tools for access and analysis.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

Collection Method

Processed from 16-day rolling windows of VIIRS/JPSS1 satellite sensor data using the VJ143 algorithm.

Time Range

Daily production, using data from the current day and previous 15 days.

Freshness

Last updated metadata indicates 2026-04-09, but this appears to be a placeholder or future date.

Geography

Global coverage on a sinusoidal (SIN) grid projection.