VNP43D45: VIIRS/NPP Valid Observations for Albedo Band M4

Global satellite data provides a daily quality layer for valid observations used in albedo and BRDF calculations. The dataset is produced from 16 days of VIIRS sensor data at 1,000-meter resolution, temporally weighted to the ninth day and formatted for climate models. It specifically tracks the quality of observations for the M4 spectral band over each 16-day retrieval period.

Use Cases

• Assessing data quality for albedo retrievals based on the valid observation layer for band M4.
• Inputting pre-processed, quality-screened data into global climate simulation models (CMG).
• Monitoring surface radiative properties over time using the 16-day composite, daily-updated time series.
• Validating downstream products like vegetation indices (VNP13) and BRDF/Albedo (VNP43) that depend on this quality flag.

Strengths

• Provides global coverage at a consistent 30 arc-second (1,000 meter) Climate Modeling Grid (CMG) resolution.
• Incorporates improvements from a specific version, including a better calibration algorithm and corrected aerosol flags for brighter surfaces.
• Is part of a multi-platform, well-documented product suite (VNP43) from NASA/NOAA, indicating established provenance.

Limitations

• Key metadata such as row count, column names, and exact file size are unavailable across all sources.
• The dataset's description references known issues, directing users to an external website for complete details.
• The 'last updated' date of 2026-04-09 appears to be a future or placeholder date, casting doubt on temporal metadata accuracy.

Provenance

Source

NASA/NOAA Suomi NPP satellite, VIIRS sensor, processed by LPCLOUD.

Collection Method

Daily production using a 16-day data composite, temporally weighted to the ninth day.

Freshness

2026-04-09 21:03:03.041858

Geography

Global