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

NASA/NOAA Suomi NPP VIIRS VNP43D71 provides daily white-sky albedo values for the M5 band (0.672 μm) at a 30 arc-second (1,000 meter) resolution. The data is produced using a 16-day temporal window weighted to the ninth day and is formatted on a global Climate Modeling Grid (CMG). This product is part of a larger suite of BRDF and albedo data designed for use in climate simulation models.

Use Cases

• Modeling surface energy balance in climate simulations based on the provided white-sky albedo values.
• Analyzing temporal changes in land surface reflectance using the daily, 16-day composite data.
• Integrating VIIRS-derived albedo into broader Earth system models based on the global Climate Modeling Grid format.
• Studying the anisotropy of land surface reflectance as part of the broader BRDF/Albedo product suite.

Strengths

• Provides a specific, physically-defined measure (white-sky albedo) for a key VIIRS spectral band (M5 at 0.672 μm).
• Offers global coverage at a consistent 1,000-meter resolution on a Climate Modeling Grid.
• Cross-platform presence on Data.gov and NASA Earthdata signals its importance and official provenance.
• Algorithm improvements noted, including enhanced calibration and geolocation accuracy for the entire Suomi NPP mission.

Limitations

• Critical metadata is missing from all sources: no row/record count, file size, column names, or explicit temporal coverage range.
• The dataset contains only a single data layer per file, limiting immediate multi-band analysis.
• License is ambiguously listed as 'other-license-specified' without explicit terms.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

Collection Method

Satellite remote sensing data from the Suomi NPP VIIRS instrument, processed through the VNP43D BRDF/Albedo algorithm.

Time Range

Daily production using a 16-day composite window; specific start date not provided.

Freshness

2026-03-12 20:31:02.695795

Geography

Global