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Description

The VNP18C2 Version 2 is a NASA/NOAA Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership (Suomi NPP) Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) Photosynthetically Active Radiation (PAR) Level 3 CMG product produced at 0.05 degree pixel resolution at daily intervals. PAR is incident solar radiation in the visible spectrum (400-700 nanometers) and is an important variable in land-surface models that address a variety of scientific and application issues.

The VNP18 algorithm adapts the narrowband look-up table (LUT) approach to estimate DSR. The LUTs consider different types of loadings of aerosols and clouds at a variety of illumination/viewing geometry. Additional details regarding the methodology used to create the data are available in the Algorithm Theoretical Basis Document (ATBD).

The VNP18C2 product is aggregated from VNP18A2 files and includes one set of global 3-hour PAR layers and one set of daily mean PAR.

Product Summary

Platforms
Suomi-NPP
Instruments
VIIRS
Spatial Extent
N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180
Spatial Resolution
5600 Meters x 5600 Meters
Geographic Region
GLOBAL
Coordinate System
CARTESIAN
Granule Spatial Representation
GEODETIC
Temporal Extent
2012-01-19 to Present
Temporal Resolution
1 Day
Data Partner
Land Processes Distributed Active Archive Center (LP DAAC)
Land Science Investigator-led Processing System, Terrestrial Information Systems Laboratory, Earth Sciences Division, Sciences and Exploration Directorate, Goddard Space Flight Center, NASA (NASA/GSFC/SED/ESD/TISL/LandSIPS)
Concept ID
c2631841574-lpcloud
Data State
ACTIVE
Processing Level
3
Published
Updated

Citation

Citation is critically important for dataset documentation and discovery. This dataset is openly shared, without restriction, in accordance with the EOSDIS Data Use and Citation Guidance.

Copy Citation

Wang, D. (2025). VIIRS/NPP Photosynthetically Active Radiation Daily L3 Global 0.05Deg CMG V002 [Data set]. NASA Land Processes Distributed Active Archive Center. https://doi.org/10.5067/VIIRS/VNP18C2.002 Date Accessed: 2025-08-30

Data Center Citation

Dongdong Wang. 2025. VIIRS/NPP Photosynthetically Active Radiation Daily L3 Global 0.05Deg CMG V002 . Sioux Falls, South Dakota, USA: NASA Land Processes Distributed Active Archive Center. https://doi.org/10.5067/VIIRS/VNP18C2.002.

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