VNP43D88: VIIRS Band M11 Nadir-Adjusted Surface Reflectance

NASA/NOAA Suomi NPP VIIRS data provides daily, global Nadir BRDF-Adjusted Reflectance (NBAR) for the 2.25 μm infrared band at a 1,000-meter resolution. Each daily value is modeled from 16 days of observations, temporally weighted to the ninth day to represent surface reflectance as if viewed from directly overhead at local solar noon. This specific VNP43D88 product is part of a climate-modeling suite designed for global simulations but was decommissioned in July 2025 in favor of a Version 2 product.

Use Cases

• Monitoring vegetation and soil moisture changes based on corrected reflectance in the 2.25 μm shortwave infrared band.
• Inputting surface reflectance into climate simulation models based on the global Climate Modeling Grid (CMG) format.
• Studying surface anisotropy and radiative properties by using the BRDF-adjusted values to remove view-angle effects.
• Time-series analysis of land surface changes using a consistent, daily global product with a 16-day composite window.

Strengths

• Provides global coverage daily on a Climate Modeling Grid suitable for climate simulations.
• Applies a sophisticated NBAR algorithm to correct reflectance values to a standard nadir view at solar noon, improving comparability.
• Represents a specific, calibrated spectral band (M11 at 2.25 μm) from a major satellite sensor (VIIRS).

Limitations

• This Version 1 product is decommissioned (as of July 31, 2025), directing users to newer versions.
• Known data quality issues exist, such as reduced input observations due to an overly sensitive aerosol flag in upstream processing.
• Critical metadata like row count, file size, and specific column names are unavailable across all sources.

Provenance

Source

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

Collection Method

Produced daily from 16 days of VIIRS sensor data, processed using BRDF/Albedo algorithms.

Freshness

Last updated metadata appears as 2026-04-09, but the product itself is decommissioned.

Geography

Global