VNP03MOD_NRT: VIIRS Satellite Geolocation for Land Products

VNP03MOD_NRT provides terrain-corrected geolocation data for the VIIRS/NPP satellite's moderate resolution bands at a 750-meter nominal resolution. The dataset includes geodetic latitude, longitude, surface height, solar and satellite viewing angles, and a land/water mask for each sample. This product serves as a foundational input for generating subsequent VIIRS land surface data products.

Use Cases

• Precise georeferencing of VIIRS moderate resolution imagery based on latitude, longitude, and surface height fields.
• Atmospheric correction and surface reflectance modeling using solar and satellite zenith/azimuth angles.
• Land/water classification and masking for environmental monitoring based on the included land/water mask.
• Sensor fusion and data integration by providing a common geolocation reference for multiple VIIRS spectral bands.

Strengths

• Provides high-precision geolocation corrected with a digital terrain model, as described in the input sources.
• Supports near real-time (NRT) data acquisition, enabling time-sensitive applications.
• Serves as a critical input for official NASA VIIRS land products, indicating a trusted source and methodology.

Limitations

• Key metadata such as row count, file size, and specific column names are not provided across any source.
• The license is ambiguously listed as 'other-license-specified' on one platform and is null on others, creating uncertainty for reuse.
• The 'last updated' date of 2026-04-09 appears to be a future date, which may indicate a metadata error or placeholder value.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

Collection Method

Calculated from spacecraft attitude, orbit ephemeris, instrument telemetry, and a digital elevation model.

Freshness

2026-04-09 21:13:21.608460 (Note: This is a future date, which may be an error)

Geography

Global coverage from VIIRS/NPP satellite orbits.