VNP43D11: VIIRS BRDF Volumetric Parameter for Band M4

NASA/NOAA's VNP43D11 Version 1 dataset provided the volumetric model parameter for deriving Bidirectional Reflectance Distribution Function (BRDF) and albedo for the Suomi NPP VIIRS sensor's M4 band (0.555 μm). It was produced daily at a 30 arc-second (1,000 meter) global Climate Modeling Grid (CMG) resolution, using a 16-day rolling composite weighted to the ninth day. This product was part of a larger suite of 39 separate files, each containing a single BRDF model parameter for different spectral bands.

Use Cases

• Modeling land surface albedo for climate simulations based on the BRDF parameters.
• Analyzing temporal changes in surface reflectance anisotropy using the daily, 16-day composite data.
• Integrating volumetric scattering parameters into radiative transfer models for the VIIRS green band (M4).

Strengths

• Provides a specific, physically-based parameter (volumetric) for BRDF modeling of a key visible band (0.555 μm).
• Offers global, daily coverage at a consistent 1-kilometer resolution in a Climate Modeling Grid format.
• Cross-platform presence on NASA Earthdata and Data.gov signals its importance and official provenance.

Limitations

• The dataset (Version 1) was officially decommissioned on July 31, 2025, limiting its use for current analysis.
• Metadata is incomplete: specific column names, row counts, and file sizes are not provided across sources.
• The product description notes a known issue where high aerosol flags in upstream data reduced the number of acceptable observations used as input.

Provenance

Source

NASA/NOAA Suomi NPP VIIRS sensor, processed by LPCLOUD.

Collection Method

Derived from 16 days of VIIRS observations using a BRDF/albedo algorithm, with data temporally weighted to the ninth day.

Time Range

Daily production, but the specific date range of available files is not stated.

Freshness

2026-04-09 20:52:29.782150

Geography

Global coverage.