VNP43D39: VIIRS Day/Night Band BRDF Geometric Parameter

VNP43D39 Version 1 is a decommissioned NASA/NOAA Suomi NPP satellite data product providing the geometric model parameter for the Bidirectional Reflectance Distribution Function (BRDF) of the VIIRS Day/Night Band (0.7 μm). It was produced daily at a 30 arc-second (1,000-meter) global resolution using a 16-day temporal composite, weighted to the ninth day, and formatted for Climate Modeling Grids (CMG). This parameter, alongside isotropic and volumetric parameters, is used to derive BRDF and albedo values for nighttime and low-light visible observations.

Use Cases

• Modeling nighttime land surface reflectance and albedo based on the Day/Night Band geometric BRDF parameter.
• Inputting pre-calculated BRDF parameters into climate simulation models based on the global Climate Modeling Grid format.
• Analyzing temporal changes in surface radiative properties based on the daily production using a 16-day composite.
• Investigating the impact of aerosol contamination on BRDF/albedo retrievals based on the documented known issue with the high aerosol flag.

Strengths

• Provides a specific, physically-based model parameter (geometric) for a key satellite sensor band (VIIRS DNB).
• Offers global, daily coverage at a consistent 1,000-meter resolution suitable for climate-scale analysis.
• Is part of a well-documented product suite (VNP43D) with methodology described in an Algorithm Theoretical Basis Document.

Limitations

• This Version 1 product was officially decommissioned on July 31, 2025, and users are directed to newer versions.
• Metadata for row count, file size, and specific columns is unavailable across all platform entries.
• The product is affected by a known issue where an upstream high aerosol flag reduces the number of acceptable observations.

Provenance

Source

NASA/NOAA Suomi NPP satellite, Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) sensor.

Collection Method

Satellite remote sensing data processed through the VNP43 BRDF/Albedo algorithm.

Time Range

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Freshness

2026-04-09 21:04:11.498622

Geography

Global coverage.