Daily Global Albedo at 500m Resolution from VIIRS/NPP

This dataset provides daily, near-real-time global land surface albedo values at a 500-meter resolution. It is produced by NASA's LANCEMODIS team using the VIIRS/NPP satellite and the RossThick/Li-Sparse-Reciprocal BRDF model, integrating data from a rolling 16-day window to generate black-sky and white-sky albedo for three imagery bands. The product includes 9 science data layers with associated quality flags.

Use Cases

• Modeling surface energy balance by analyzing Black-Sky Albedo (BSA) and White-Sky Albedo (WSA) layers.
• Tracking seasonal vegetation and snow cover changes using daily albedo values across VIIRS bands I1, I2, and I3.
• Estimating instantaneous 'blue-sky' albedo by applying a polynomial to the provided BSA and WSA science dataset layers.
• Studying surface anisotropy and bidirectional reflectance effects using the underlying RTLSR BRDF model parameters.
• Assessing data quality for albedo-based studies using the mandatory quality layers accompanying each albedo measurement.

Strengths

• Provides daily, near-real-time global coverage with a consistent 500-meter spatial resolution.
• Uses a sophisticated, documented RTLSR BRDF model to correct for surface anisotropic effects across a 16-day data window.
• Includes 9 distinct science data layers, offering both primary albedo values (BSA, WSA) and mandatory quality assurance information.

Limitations

• Specific row counts, dataset size, and detailed column names are not provided by any source.
• Sources conflict on license information, with some specifying 'other-license-specified' and others listing 'None'.
• The methodology relies on a 16-day rolling window, which may smooth over very rapid surface changes.

Provenance

Source

LANCEMODIS (NASA)

Collection Method

Satellite remote sensing data from the VIIRS/NPP sensor, processed using the RTLSR BRDF model.

Time Range

Daily production, using a rolling 16-day window of VIIRS data.

Freshness

2026-03-12 19:59:08.784330

Geography

Global