VNP43C3: VIIRS/NPP Daily Global Albedo for Climate Models

NASA/NOAA's VNP43C3 Version 1 was a daily, global 0.05-degree climate modeling grid product providing white-sky and black-sky albedo derived from Suomi NPP VIIRS sensor data. It used a 16-day moving window of reflectance data and the RossThick/Li-Sparse-Reciprocal BRDF model to generate albedo for 13 spectral and broadbands, including 26 data layers with ancillary quality information. The product was decommissioned on July 31, 2025, with users directed to Version 2 data products.

Use Cases

• Parameterizing land surface albedo in climate simulation models based on the 0.05-degree global grid.
• Monitoring temporal changes in surface reflectance using the daily product generated from a 16-day moving window.
• Analyzing spectral albedo for specific land cover types using data from the VIIRS moderate resolution bands (M1-M5, M7, M8, M10, M11) and broadbands.
• Assessing data quality for albedo retrievals using the provided ancillary layers for uncertainty and pixel quality status.

Strengths

• Provides global spatial coverage at a 0.05-degree (approx. 5.6 km) resolution suitable for climate models.
• Includes 26 data layers with albedo for 13 spectral/broad bands and ancillary quality information.
• Derived from a well-defined algorithm using the RTLSR BRDF model and high-quality reflectance data.

Limitations

• The dataset is a decommissioned Version 1 product; active use requires migration to the recommended Version 2.
• Metadata for row count, file size, and specific column names is unavailable across all sources.
• Relies on a 16-day composite window, which may smooth over very short-term surface changes.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) via the Suomi NPP satellite.

Collection Method

Derived from the 30 arc-second CMG VNP43D Version 1 product suite using the VNP43 algorithm.

Freshness

Last updated metadata indicates 2026-04-09, but the product itself was decommissioned in 2025.

Geography

Global