MODIS-Derived Spatially Complete Surface Albedo Products Spatial and Temporal Pixel Distribution and Zonal Averages

• Published in: Journal of applied meteorology and climatology Vol. 47; no. 11; pp. 2879 - 2894
• Main Authors: Moody, Eric G., King, Michael D., Schaaf, Crystal B., Platnick, Steven
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Boston, MA American Meteorological Society 01-11-2008
• Subjects: Aerosols; Albedo; Behavior; Climatic zones; Climatology; Climatology. Bioclimatology. Climate change; Clouds; Earth, ocean, space; Exact sciences and technology; External geophysics; Geophysics. Techniques, methods, instrumentation and models; Imaging; Interpolation; Land; Meteorology; Optical properties; Phenology; Pixels; Preserves; Sky; Snow; Spectroradiometers; Temporal distribution; Temporal logic; Tropical regions; time series analysis; Climatology; Terra satellite; temporal distribution; Spectroradiometry; Space remote sensing; data processing; Satellite observation; Polar orbiting satellite; Interannual variation; Missing data; interpolation; annual variations; Spatial distribution; Phenology; Ground surface; Planetary scale; Observation data; albedo
• ISSN: 1558-8424; 1558-8432
• DOI: 10.1175/2008jamc1795.1

Five years (2000–04) of spatially complete snow-free land surface albedo data have been produced using high-quality-flagged diffuse bihemispherical (white sky) and direct-beam directional hemispherical (black sky) land surface albedo data derived from observations taken by the Moderate-Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) instrument aboard the NASATerrasatellite platform (MOD43B3, collection 4). In addition, a spatially complete snow-free aggregate albedo climatological product was generated. These spatially complete products were prepared using an ecosystem-dependent temporal interpolation technique that retrieves missing data within 3%–8% error. These datasets have already been integrated into research and operational projects that require snow-free land surface albedo. As such, this paper provides details regarding the spatial and temporal distribution of the filled versus the original MOD43B3 data. The paper also explores the intra- and interannual variation in the 5-yr data record and provides a qualitative comparison of zonal averages and annual cycles of the filled versus the original MOD43B3 data. The analyses emphasize the data’s inter- and intraannual variation and show that the filled data exhibit large- and small-scale phenological behavior that is qualitatively similar to that of the original MOD43B3. These analyses thereby serve to showcase the inherent spectral, spatial, and temporal variability in the MOD43B3 data as well as the ability of the fill technique to preserve these unique regional and pixel-level phenological characteristics.