VIIRS/NPP Terrain-Corrected Geolocation Swath Data

VNP03IMG provides geolocation data for the VIIRS/NPP satellite's 375-meter imagery bands. The dataset contains derived line-of-sight vectors and geodetic coordinates for each pixel, calculated using Earth ellipsoid, geoid, digital terrain model, and spacecraft ephemeris and attitude data. It is produced by the LAADS organization.

Use Cases

• Precise georeferencing of VIIRS imagery using latitude and longitude columns.
• Calculating solar illumination conditions for reflectance analysis using solar zenith and azimuth angles.
• Correcting for terrain effects in satellite imagery analysis using the surface height above geoid.
• Masking land and water pixels for focused environmental studies using the land/water mask.
• Assessing data quality for downstream processing using the per-pixel quality flag.

Strengths

• Provides high-resolution 375-meter geolocation for VIIRS imagery bands.
• Includes multiple validated geophysical parameters like sensor and solar angles.
• Terrain correction uses a digital terrain model for improved accuracy.

Limitations

• Specific row count, file size, and complete column list are unavailable from all sources.
• License information conflicts between 'other-license-specified' and 'None' across platforms.

Provenance

Source

LAADS

Collection Method

Derived from SNPP platform ephemeris, attitude data, and sensor geometry using a geolocation algorithm.

Freshness

2026-03-12 20:14:07.171963

Geography

Global swath coverage from the VIIRS/NPP satellite.