VNP43D43: VIIRS Band M2 Valid Observation Quality for Global Climate Models

NASA/NOAA Suomi NPP VIIRS data product VNP43D43 provides a daily, global layer of valid observation quality for the M2 spectral band at 1,000-meter resolution. Each daily file synthesizes 16 days of observations, temporally weighted to the ninth day, and is formatted for the Climate Modeling Grid (CMG). This product was decommissioned on July 31, 2025, with users directed to newer Version 2 data products.

Use Cases

• Assessing data input quality for BRDF model inversions based on the valid observation layer.
• Monitoring temporal changes in surface reflectance using the 16-day rolling composite window.
• Validating climate model surface parameterizations over arid, bright surfaces where known aerosol flag issues exist.
• Integrating moderate-resolution VIIRS band data into global climate modeling grids (CMG).

Strengths

• Provides global coverage at a consistent 30 arc-second (1,000 meter) spatial resolution.
• Offers daily temporal granularity, synthesized from a 16-day observation window for stability.
• Explicitly documented known issues, such as the impact of high aerosol flags on data quality over arid surfaces.

Limitations

• The dataset is deprecated; Version 1 was 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.
• Contains a documented artifact from upstream processing that reduces high-quality BRDF inversions over certain surfaces.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

Collection Method

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

Freshness

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

Geography

Global