VNP43D51: VIIRS/NPP Daily Global Albedo Valid Observation Data

NASA/NOAA's Suomi NPP VIIRS VNP43D51 product provides a daily global layer of valid observation quality for the Day/Night Band (DNB). It is generated using 16 days of data at a 30 arc-second (1,000 meter) resolution, temporally weighted to the ninth day, and formatted on a Climate Modeling Grid (CMG). This dataset is part of the BRDF/Albedo product suite used for climate simulation and downstream products like vegetation indices.

Use Cases

• Assessing data quality for nighttime light studies based on the Day/Night Band (DNB) valid observation layer.
• Inputting validated surface reflectance into climate simulation models based on the Climate Modeling Grid (CMG) format.
• Improving retrieval algorithms for vegetation indices (VNP13) using the corrected aerosol quantity flags described in the version improvements.
• Monitoring surface radiative properties over a 16-day composite period for trend analysis.

Strengths

• Provides daily global coverage at a consistent 30 arc-second (1,000 meter) spatial resolution.
• Incorporates version improvements including an enhanced calibration algorithm and better geolocation accuracy for the entire Suomi NPP mission.
• Designed specifically for use in climate simulation models via the Climate Modeling Grid (CMG).

Limitations

• Metadata completeness is low: specific column names, row counts, and file sizes are not provided across any source.
• The license is ambiguously listed as 'other-license-specified' without explicit terms.
• Documentation for known issues is external, requiring users to visit a separate website for complete information.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

Collection Method

Satellite remote sensing from the Suomi NPP spacecraft's Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS).

Time Range

Covers the entire Suomi NPP mission with daily production; specific start date not provided.

Freshness

2026-04-09 (from datagov platform)

Geography

Global coverage.