VNP21C: Daily Global Land Surface Temperature and Emissivity at 0.05 Degrees

25 Science Datasets provide daily, global land surface temperature and emissivity estimates at a 0.05-degree (5600 m) climate modeling grid. The dataset is compiled from VIIRS sensor observations on the Suomi NPP satellite, averaging cloud-free observations to produce Level 3 products compatible with MODIS heritage data. It supports continuity for the Earth Observation System mission, with known issues regarding temperature outliers in desert regions.

Use Cases

• Monitoring urban heat island effects using daily land surface temperature (LST) grids.
• Validating climate model surface parameterizations against observed emissivity in bands M14, M15, and M16.
• Analyzing diurnal temperature cycles using separate day and night observation times and view zenith angles.
• Assessing surface energy balance for agricultural or hydrological studies using quality-controlled LST values.
• Continuity studies comparing VIIRS LST trends with heritage MODIS (MxD11) products.

Strengths

• Contains 25 distinct Science Datasets (SDS), providing multiple layers including LST, quality control, angles, time, and emissivity.
• Designed for continuity, with algorithms compatible with MODIS Terra and Aqua to support the Earth Observation System mission.
• Cross-platform presence on Data.gov and NASA EarthData signals its importance and official curation.

Limitations

• Metadata completeness is medium; specific column names, row counts, and exact temporal coverage are not provided in the input.
• Known issues include increased extreme high temperature outliers, especially over deserts like the Sahara, due to undetected cloud and dust.
• The license is listed as 'other-license-specified' on Data.gov but is 'None' on NASA EarthData, indicating a potential conflict or access restriction.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

Collection Method

Compiled daily from VIIRS/NPP Level 2 Gridded (L2G) intermediate products, which map swath data onto a sinusoidal grid and average cloud-free observations.

Time Range

Daily compilation suggests a time-series starting from the Suomi NPP satellite's operational date, but the exact range is not specified.

Freshness

2026-03-12 20:11:54.981997

Geography

Global coverage at a 0.05-degree climate modeling grid resolution.