VNP43D50: VIIRS/NPP BRDF/Albedo Valid Observation Band M11 Daily Global 1km

VNP43D50 Version 1 is a decommissioned NASA/NOAA Suomi NPP satellite product providing daily valid observation quality layers for VIIRS band M11. It uses 16 days of data at 30 arc-second (1,000 meter) resolution, temporally weighted to the ninth day, and is formatted in a global Climate Modeling Grid. The product is affected by known issues with aerosol flag activation that reduce high-quality BRDF inversions over arid surfaces.

Use Cases

• Assessing input data quality for BRDF/Albedo model inversions based on the valid observation quality layer.
• Monitoring temporal changes in surface reflectance using the 16-day rolling composite.
• Integrating satellite-derived surface parameters into global climate simulation models based on the Climate Modeling Grid format.
• Analyzing the impact of aerosol contamination on land surface retrievals based on the documented known issue.

Strengths

• Provides global coverage at a consistent 30 arc-second (1km) resolution.
• Offers daily temporal granularity synthesized from a 16-day observation window.
• Is part of a well-documented NASA/NOAA product suite with referenced methodology.

Limitations

• The Version 1 product was decommissioned on July 31, 2025, limiting current utility.
• Metadata lacks concrete size, row count, and column details.
• Contains a known quality issue where high aerosol flag activation reduces acceptable observations, particularly over arid bright surfaces.

Provenance

Source

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

Collection Method

Produced daily from Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) sensor data.

Freshness

Last updated metadata on 2026-04-09, but the dataset itself is decommissioned.

Geography

Global coverage in a Climate Modeling Grid.