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VIIRS/NPP BRDF/Albedo Quality Daily L3 Global 500m SIN Grid NRT

Published by NASA/GSFC/EOS/ESDIS/LANCE MODIS | National Aeronautics and Space Administration | Catalog Last Checked: June 23, 2026 at 08:35 PM | Dataset Last Updated: June 23, 2026
The VIIRS/JPSS1 Level 3 16-Day BRDF/Albedo - 500m Near Real Time (NRT), short-name VNP43IA2N product provides BRDF and Albedo quality at 500 meter (m) resolution. The VNP43IA2N product is produced daily using 16-day VIIRS data (i.e., the current day and the previous 15 days to produce 16-day product). The VNP43 algorithm uses the RossThick/Li-Sparse-Reciprocal (RTLSR) semi-empirical kernel-driven BRDF model, with the three kernel weights from VNP43IA1N to reconstruct surface anisotropic effects, correcting the directional reflectance to a common view geometry (VNP43IA4N), while also computing integrated black-sky albedo (BSA) at local solar noon and white-sky albedo (WSA) (VNP43IA3N). Researchers can use the BRDF model parameters with a simple polynomial, to obtain black-sky albedo at any solar illumination angle. Likewise, both the BSA and WSA Science Dataset (SDS) layers can be used with a simple polynomial, to manually estimate instantaneous actual albedo (blue-sky albedo). The VNP43IA2N data product provides a total of 11 SDS layers including: BRDF/Albedo band quality (inversion information) and days of valid observation within a 16-day period for VIIRS imagery bands I1, I2, and I3, as well as land water type class flag, snow BRDF albedo class flag, local solar noon, and the platform name.

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Complete Metadata
@type dcat:Dataset
accessLevel public
bureauCode 
[
  "026:00"
]
contactPoint 
{
  "fn": "Earthdata Forum",
  "@type": "vcard:Contact",
  "hasEmail": "mailto:earthdata-support@nasa.gov"
}
description The VIIRS/JPSS1 Level 3 16-Day BRDF/Albedo - 500m Near Real Time (NRT), short-name VNP43IA2N product provides BRDF and Albedo quality at 500 meter (m) resolution. The VNP43IA2N product is produced daily using 16-day VIIRS data (i.e., the current day and the previous 15 days to produce 16-day product). The VNP43 algorithm uses the RossThick/Li-Sparse-Reciprocal (RTLSR) semi-empirical kernel-driven BRDF model, with the three kernel weights from VNP43IA1N to reconstruct surface anisotropic effects, correcting the directional reflectance to a common view geometry (VNP43IA4N), while also computing integrated black-sky albedo (BSA) at local solar noon and white-sky albedo (WSA) (VNP43IA3N). Researchers can use the BRDF model parameters with a simple polynomial, to obtain black-sky albedo at any solar illumination angle. Likewise, both the BSA and WSA Science Dataset (SDS) layers can be used with a simple polynomial, to manually estimate instantaneous actual albedo (blue-sky albedo). The VNP43IA2N data product provides a total of 11 SDS layers including: BRDF/Albedo band quality (inversion information) and days of valid observation within a 16-day period for VIIRS imagery bands I1, I2, and I3, as well as land water type class flag, snow BRDF albedo class flag, local solar noon, and the platform name.
distribution 
[
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    "title": "Original Metadata",
    "format": "ISO",
    "mediaType": "text/xml",
    "conformsTo": "http://www.isotc211.org/2005/gmi",
    "description": "The metadata's original source.",
    "downloadURL": "https://cmr.earthdata.nasa.gov/search/concepts/C2807586151-LANCEMODIS.iso19115"
  },
  {
    "@type": "dcat:Distribution",
    "format": "BIN",
    "mediaType": "application/octet-stream",
    "downloadURL": "https://nrt3.modaps.eosdis.nasa.gov/archive/allData/5200/VNP43IA2N/"
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    "downloadURL": "https://www.earthdata.nasa.gov/data/instruments/viirs/land-near-real-time-data"
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    "@type": "dcat:Distribution",
    "format": "PDF",
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]
identifier 10.5067/VIIRS/VNP43IA2N.002
keyword 
[
  "earth-science-surface-radiative-properties-land-surface-albedo",
  "earth-science-surface-radiative-properties-land-surface-anisotropy",
  "earth-science-surface-radiative-properties-land-surface-reflectance"
]
license https://www.usa.gov/government-works
modified 2026-06-23
programCode 
[
  "026:000"
]
publisher 
{
  "name": "NASA/GSFC/EOS/ESDIS/LANCE MODIS",
  "@type": "org:Organization"
}
spatial 
"["CARTESIAN", [{"NorthBoundingCoordinate": 90, "WestBoundingCoordinate": -180, "EastBoundingCoordinate": 180, "SouthBoundingCoordinate": -90}]]"
temporal 2023-11-20/2026-06-15
theme 
[
  "Earth Science"
]
title VIIRS/NPP BRDF/Albedo Quality Daily L3 Global 500m SIN Grid NRT

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