VJ103MODLL: Terrain-Corrected Geolocation for VIIRS Satellite Swaths

Global data from 60° North to 60° South provides terrain-corrected geolocation for the NOAA-20 VIIRS sensor. The dataset contains layers for height, latitude, and longitude at a 750-meter resolution, generated in 6-minute swaths approximately 3,060 km wide. It is based on the SRTM30 Version 2 digital elevation model and is used to provide accurate spatial location for other VIIRS data products.

Use Cases

• Correcting geometric distortion in VIIRS imagery based on terrain height data.
• Co-registering VIIRS swath products (e.g., VJ114) using the provided latitude and longitude layers.
• Improving downstream product accuracy (e.g., vegetation indices, albedo) through enhanced geolocation.
• Analyzing satellite sensor line-of-sight intersections with Earth's geoid and ellipsoid.

Strengths

• Provides a specific 750-meter spatial resolution for geolocation data.
• Covers a wide geographic swath of approximately 3,060 by 3,060 kilometers per 6-minute acquisition.
• Version 2.1 includes documented improvements to calibration, geolocation accuracy, and cloud masking.

Limitations

• Key metadata is missing or conflicting: row count, size, and author are not specified across sources.
• Spatial coverage is limited to areas between 60° North and 60° South latitude.
• Known issues exist but require external website consultation for complete details.

Provenance

Source

NOAA-20 VIIRS sensor, processed by LPCLOUD (as per nasa_earthdata).

Collection Method

Satellite remote sensing; intersection of VIIRS line-of-sight vector with Earth's geoid and WGS ellipsoid.

Freshness

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

Geography

Global coverage from 60° North to 60° South latitude.