VNP43D41: Local Solar Zenith Angle for Global Climate Modeling

NASA/NOAA Suomi NPP VIIRS VNP43D41 provides the local solar zenith angle at local solar noon, a parameter derived from the Bidirectional Reflectance Distribution Function (BRDF) and Albedo model. This daily product is generated using a 16-day rolling window of data, temporally weighted to the ninth day, and is projected on a global 30 arc-second (1,000 meter) Climate Modeling Grid (CMG). It is part of a suite of BRDF/Albedo quality, snow status, and uncertainty layers designed for use in climate simulation models.

Use Cases

• Parameterizing surface energy balance in climate models based on the local solar zenith angle.
• Analyzing temporal trends in surface reflectance anisotropy using the 16-day composite methodology.
• Assessing retrieval quality for downstream albedo products (e.g., VNP13) using the associated BRDF/Albedo quality flags.
• Studying snow-covered surface radiative properties in conjunction with the snow status layer.

Strengths

• Provides daily, global coverage at a consistent 1,000-meter resolution suitable for climate-scale analysis.
• Data incorporates improvements from the entire Suomi NPP mission, including enhanced calibration and geolocation accuracy.
• Product is part of a standardized, multi-parameter suite (VNP43D40-VNP43D53) facilitating integrated analysis.

Limitations

• Critical metadata such as row count, file size, and specific column names are unavailable across all platforms.
• The dataset's temporal coverage and exact update frequency are not explicitly stated.
• Relies on a 16-day composite window, which may smooth out rapid surface changes.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

Collection Method

Produced from Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) sensor data aboard the Suomi NPP satellite.

Time Range

Covers the entire Suomi NPP mission, with daily production using a 16-day data window.

Freshness

2026-04-09 20:57:25.193912

Geography

Global coverage on a Climate Modeling Grid (CMG).