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Full catalog/MCD43A1
MCD43A1·v061·dataset

Surface reflectance correction settings (Terra+Aqua, 500 m)

MODIS/Terra+Aqua BRDF/Albedo Model Parameters Daily L3 Global - 500m V061
land NASA LPCLOUD Level 3 active HDF-EOS2
In plain English

What it measures. Not a picture of the land itself, but the mathematical settings (three weighting numbers per color band) that describe how a surface reflects light differently depending on the angle of the sun and the satellite.

How it's made. Calculated daily from 16 days of MODIS observations off NASA's Terra and Aqua satellites, gridded at 500-meter resolution.

How & where you'd use it. A building-block input rather than a finished map: it's used to produce corrected surface-color and albedo products that most people work with instead.

What's measured

LAND SURFACE › SURFACE RADIATIVE PROPERTIES › REFLECTANCELAND SURFACE › SURFACE RADIATIVE PROPERTIES › ALBEDOLAND SURFACE › SURFACE RADIATIVE PROPERTIES › ANISOTROPY

Coverage & cadence

  • Time span2000-02-16 → ongoing
  • Measured byTerra (MODIS) · Aqua (MODIS)
  • Processing levelLevel 3
  • Spatial extent-180, -90, 180, 90
  • FormatsHDF-EOS2
  • StatusACTIVE

What you can do with it

  • Track deforestation, fire scars and land-cover change
  • Monitor crop and vegetation health (NDVI/EVI)
  • Map how built-up vs. green an area is over time
Official description

The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) MCD43A1 Version 6.1 Bidirectional Reflectance Distribution Function and Albedo (BRDF/Albedo) Model Parameters dataset is produced daily using 16 days of Terra and Aqua MODIS data at 500 meter (m) resolution. Data are temporally weighted to the ninth day of the retrieval period which is reflected in the Julian date in the file name. MCD43A1 provides the three model weighting parameters (isotropic, volumetric, and geometric) used to derive the Albedo ([MCD43A3](https://doi.org/10.5067/MODIS/MCD43A3.061)) and Nadir BRDF-Adjusted Reflectance (NBAR) ([MCD43A4](https://doi.org/10.5067/MODIS/MCD43A4.061)) products. Users are urged to use the band specific quality flags to isolate the highest quality full inversion results for their own science applications as described in the [User Guide](https://www.umb.edu/spectralmass/modis-user-guide-v006-and-v0061/mcd43a1-brdfalbedo-model-parameters-product/). The MCD43A1 provides the three model weighting parameters for MODIS spectral bands 1 through 7 as well as the visible, near infrared (NIR), and shortwave bands. Along with the three-dimensional parameter layers for these bands are the simplified mandatory quality layers for each of the 10 bands. Essential quality information provided in the corresponding [MCD43A2](https://doi.org/10.5067/MODIS/MCD43A2.061) data file should be consulted when using this product. Known Issues * For complete information about known issues please refer to the [MODIS/VIIRS Land Quality Assessment website](https://landweb.modaps.eosdis.nasa.gov/knownissue?sensor=MODIS&sat=TerraAqua&as=61).

Get the data

mcd43a1_access.py
import earthaccess
earthaccess.login(strategy="netrc")          # free Earthdata Login

results = earthaccess.search_data(
    short_name="MCD43A1",
    version="061",
    bounding_box=(-122.5, 37.2, -121.8, 37.9),  # your area (W,S,E,N)
    temporal=("2024-01-01", "2024-12-31"),       # your dates
)
files = earthaccess.open(results)   # stream straight from LPCLOUD
Browsing CMR needs no login. Downloading or streaming bytes needs a free Earthdata Login + the earthaccess package.