VNP43D77: VIIRS/NPP White-Sky Albedo for Near-Infrared Band

VNP43D77 provides daily white-sky albedo values for the VIIRS near-infrared broadband (0.865 μm) at a 30 arc-second (1,000 meter) resolution. This product is generated using 16 days of data from the Suomi NPP satellite, temporally weighted to the ninth day, and is formatted on a global Climate Modeling Grid for use in simulations. It is part of a suite of albedo products that includes values for nine moderate resolution bands and the Day/Night Band.

Use Cases

• Parameterizing climate models based on the near-infrared white-sky albedo layer.
• Analyzing temporal trends in land surface reflectance using the daily, 16-day composite data.
• Studying surface anisotropy and radiative properties as part of the broader VNP43D BRDF/Albedo product suite.
• Incorporating albedo data for the VIIRS Day/Night Band into night-time light or extended spectral range studies.

Strengths

• Provides a specific, single data layer (white-sky albedo for the 0.865 μm NIR band) optimized for climate modeling grids.
• Cross-platform presence on Data.gov and NASA EarthData signals its importance and official curation.
• The dataset incorporates improvements from a previous version, including an enhanced calibration algorithm for the entire Suomi NPP mission.

Limitations

• Critical metadata is missing or conflicting: no row/column counts, file sizes, or explicit license details are provided across sources.
• The dataset's structure suggests each global file contains only one data layer, which may limit immediate multi-band analysis without accessing the full product suite.
• Documentation for known issues is referenced but not directly included, requiring users to consult an external website.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Collection Method

Produced daily from 16 days of VIIRS sensor data on the Suomi NPP satellite, temporally weighted to the ninth day.

Time Range

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

Freshness

2026-04-09 21:15:01.236038

Geography

Global coverage on a Climate Modeling Grid (CMG).