VJ143D39: VIIRS DNB BRDF Geometric Parameter for Global Climate Modeling

Global daily data provides the geometric model parameter for the VIIRS Day/Night Band (0.7 μm) at 30 arc-second (1,000 meter) resolution. This parameter, part of a suite of 39 files, is used with isotropic and volumetric parameters to derive Bidirectional Reflectance Distribution Function (BRDF) and albedo values. The product is generated on a Climate Modeling Grid (CMG) using a 16-day rolling window of observations, temporally weighted to the ninth day.

Use Cases

• Modeling global surface albedo for climate simulations based on the VIIRS Day/Night Band BRDF parameters.
• Analyzing diurnal and seasonal changes in Earth's radiative properties using the geometric model parameter.
• Improving nighttime environmental monitoring by integrating DNB-derived BRDF into land surface models.

Strengths

• Provides global coverage on a Climate Modeling Grid (CMG) suitable for climate simulation models.
• Offers daily temporal resolution with a 16-day data composite, balancing recency with data stability.
• Cross-platform presence on NASA Earthdata and Data.gov indicates established importance and accessibility.

Limitations

• Metadata completeness is low; specific column names, row counts, and file sizes are not provided.
• Each of the 39 product files contains only one data layer, requiring multiple file downloads for a complete analysis.
• The license is listed as 'other-license-specified' without explicit details on reuse terms.

Provenance

Source

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

Collection Method

Produced daily using 16 days of VIIRS data, processed with algorithms detailed in the VJ143MA1 product documentation and Algorithm Theoretical Basis Document (ATBD).

Freshness

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

Geography

Global