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Full catalog/MCD43A3
MCD43A3·v061·dataset

How much sunlight the surface reflects (Terra+Aqua, 500 m)

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

What it measures. This tells you how much sunlight the land surface reflects overall - its albedo - for several color bands plus broad visible, near-infrared and shortwave ranges, at 500-meter detail. It gives both a clear-sky and a cloudy-sky version of the reflectivity.

How it's made. Produced daily from 16 days of combined Terra and Aqua MODIS observations, with the data weighted toward the middle of that window to give a stable estimate.

How & where you'd use it. Important for climate and energy-balance studies, since how much sunlight the surface reflects versus absorbs affects warming; users are advised to check the quality flags to keep only the best estimates.

What's measured

LAND 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) MCD43A3 Version 6.1 Albedo Model 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 16 day which is reflected in the Julian date in the file name. 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/mcd43a3-albedo-product/). The MCD43A3 provides black-sky albedo (directional hemispherical reflectance) and white-sky albedo (bihemispherical reflectance) data at local solar noon for MODIS bands 1 through 7 and the visible, near infrared (NIR), and shortwave bands. Along with the albedo layers 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

mcd43a3_access.py
import earthaccess
earthaccess.login(strategy="netrc")          # free Earthdata Login

results = earthaccess.search_data(
    short_name="MCD43A3",
    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.