VNP43D15: VIIRS BRDF Geometric Parameter for Band M5

NASA/NOAA's VNP43D15 Version 1 was a daily, global satellite data product providing the Bidirectional Reflectance Distribution Function (BRDF) geometric parameter for the Suomi NPP VIIRS sensor's M5 band (0.672 μm). It was produced at 30 arc-second (1,000 meter) resolution using a 16-day rolling composite, temporally weighted to the ninth day, and formatted for Climate Modeling Grids (CMG). The product has been decommissioned as of July 31, 2025, with users directed to Version 2 successors.

Use Cases

• Deriving surface albedo for climate models based on the geometric BRDF parameter for the red spectral band.
• Analyzing temporal changes in land surface reflectance properties using the daily, 16-day composite time series.
• Inputting pre-processed BRDF parameters into ecological or hydrological models that require VIIRS band M5 data.

Strengths

• Provides global coverage at a consistent 30 arc-second spatial resolution suitable for climate-scale modeling.
• Offers a daily temporal composite product, synthesized from 16 days of observations to reduce data gaps.
• Is part of a well-documented NASA/NOAA product suite with a defined algorithm and known issue tracking.

Limitations

• The dataset is decommissioned (as of July 31, 2025), indicating it is not for current operational use.
• Known data quality issues exist, such as reduced input observations due to an abnormally high aerosol flag in upstream Collection 1 products.
• Metadata on specific columns, row counts, and file sizes is unavailable across all platform entries.

Provenance

Source

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

Collection Method

Produced daily from Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) observations, using a 16-day data composite.

Freshness

Last updated metadata dates conflict: one source shows 2026-03-12, another shows 2025-02-01.

Geography

Global coverage in a Climate Modeling Grid (CMG).