VNP43D70: VIIRS/NPP White-Sky Albedo for Band M4 Daily Global 1km

Global daily white-sky albedo data for the 0.555 μm wavelength (VIIRS band M4) is produced at 30 arc-second (1,000 meter) resolution. The dataset is generated from 16 days of observations, temporally weighted to the ninth day, and formatted on a Climate Modeling Grid for climate simulations. It is part of a larger BRDF/Albedo product suite providing spectral albedo values for multiple VIIRS bands.

Use Cases

• Modeling surface energy balance in climate simulations based on the provided white-sky albedo values.
• Monitoring seasonal changes in land surface reflectance using the daily, globally-complete Climate Modeling Grid.
• Assessing vegetation health and land cover by analyzing spectral albedo in the green wavelength (0.555 μm).
• Validating and improving land surface models using the algorithmically-derived bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF) parameters.

Strengths

• Provides global coverage on a Climate Modeling Grid (CMG) designed specifically for climate simulation models.
• Offers daily temporal resolution synthesized from a 16-day observation window, balancing noise reduction and temporal sensitivity.
• Algorithm improvements include enhanced calibration and geolocation accuracy for the entire Suomi NPP mission.

Limitations

• Metadata completeness is low: specific column names, row counts, file sizes, and precise temporal coverage are not provided in the sources.
• Each product file contains only one data layer due to large file sizes, which may complicate multi-band analysis.
• Documentation for known issues is external, requiring users to consult a separate website for complete quality assessment.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) / NOAA Suomi NPP satellite.

Collection Method

Produced daily from Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) sensor data using BRDF/Albedo modeling algorithms.

Time Range

Covers the entire Suomi NPP mission, but specific start and end dates are not provided.

Freshness

2026-03-12 20:31:11.335024

Geography

Global