VNP43D71: VIIRS White-Sky Albedo for Band M5 Daily Global Climate Grid

VNP43D71 Version 1 provides daily white-sky albedo values for the VIIRS M5 band at 0.672 μm wavelength, derived from 16 days of satellite data at a 30 arc-second (1,000 meter) resolution. This product is part of a global Climate Modeling Grid suite designed for climate simulation models, covering the entire globe. The dataset was decommissioned on July 31, 2025, with users directed to newer Version 2 products.

Use Cases

• Modeling surface energy budgets based on white-sky albedo values for the 0.672 μm band.
• Analyzing temporal changes in land surface reflectance using a daily, 16-day composite product.
• Incorporating VIIRS-derived albedo into global climate simulation models via the Climate Modeling Grid format.
• Comparing albedo properties across different spectral bands within the VNP43D product suite.

Strengths

• Provides a specific, physically-defined measure (white-sky albedo) for a single VIIRS spectral band (M5 at 0.672 μm).
• Offers global coverage at a consistent 1,000-meter spatial resolution suitable for climate-scale analysis.
• Data is temporally composited and weighted to reduce noise, using a 16-day window for daily production.

Limitations

• The dataset is deprecated; Version 1 was decommissioned on July 31, 2025, limiting its use for current applications.
• Metadata on row count, file size, and specific columns is missing or conflicting across sources.
• Known data quality issues are referenced but not fully detailed in the provided descriptions.

Provenance

Source

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

Collection Method

Satellite remote sensing data processed through the VNP43D BRDF/Albedo algorithm.

Time Range

Coverage is daily, but the specific date range of observations is not provided.

Freshness

Last updated metadata dates conflict between 2025-02-01 and 2026-04-09, but the core data product is deprecated.

Geography

Global coverage.