VNP43D44: VIIRS/NPP Valid Observation Quality for Band M3

VNP43D44 Version 1 was a daily, global satellite data product providing a valid observation quality layer for VIIRS band M3. It was generated at a 30 arc-second (1,000 meter) resolution using 16 days of data, temporally weighted to the ninth day, and formatted for climate simulation models. The product was decommissioned on July 31, 2025, with users directed to newer Version 2 data products.

Use Cases

• Filtering input observations for surface anisotropy characterization based on the valid observation quality layer.
• Assessing data quality for climate model inputs over the global Climate Modeling Grid (CMG).
• Monitoring temporal changes in surface reflectance quality for VIIRS band M3 across a 16-day retrieval period.

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.
• Explicitly designed for integration into climate simulation models via the Climate Modeling Grid format.

Limitations

• Product is decommissioned (as of July 31, 2025), indicating it is not current for new analyses.
• Known data quality issue: an abnormally high aerosol flag in upstream data reduced the number of high-quality BRDF model inversions, particularly over arid bright surfaces.
• Metadata on specific columns, row counts, and file sizes is unavailable across all sources.

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) sensor data using a 16-day retrieval algorithm.

Time Range

Daily production, but specific start and end dates for the Version 1 series are not provided.

Freshness

Last platform update noted as 2026-04-09, but the product itself was decommissioned in 2025.

Geography

Global coverage.