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Description

The VIIRS/SNPP Cloud Properties 6-min L2 Swath 750m product is designed to facilitate continuity in cloud properties between the MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) on the Aqua and Terra platforms and the series of VIIRS (Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite) instruments, beginning with the Suomi NPP spacecraft. The VIIRS Cloud Properties product consists of cloud optical and physical parameters. These parameters are derived using observations in visible through infrared spectral channels. VIIRS infrared channel radiances are primarily used to derive cloud top temperature, cloud top height, effective emissivity, an infrared cloud phase product (ice vs. water, opaque vs. non-opaque) and cloud fraction under both daytime and nighttime conditions. The VIIRS solar reflectance channels are primarily used to derive cloud optical thickness, particle effective radius, water path, and to inform the phase used in the optical retrievals. The VIIRS Cloud Properties product is a Level-2 product generated at 750 m (at nadir) spatial resolution.

The current version-1.1 of the Level-2 CLDPROP product collection is corrected to address an issue with the cloud optical properties’ thermodynamic phase that caused erroneous liquid water cloud phase results.

Version Description

SUOMI-NPP VIIRS Version 1.1 Data

Product Summary

Platforms
Suomi-NPP
Instruments
VIIRS
Projects
Suomi-NPP
Spatial Extent

N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180

Location
GLOBAL
Coordinate System
CARTESIAN
Granule Spatial Representation
GEODETIC
Temporal Extent
2012-03-01 to Present
Data Partner
L1 and Atmosphere Archive and Distribution System,Biospheric Information Systems Branch, Hydrospheric and Biospheric Sciences Laboratory, Earth Sciences Division, Science and Exploration Directorate, Goddard Space Flight Center, NASA (NASA/GSFC/SED/ESD/H ,
MODIS Adaptive Processing System, Biospheric Information Systems Branch, Hydrospheric and Biospheric Sciences Laboratory, Earth Sciences Division, Science and Exploration Directorate, Goddard Space Flight Center, NASA (NASA/GSFC/SED/ESD/HBSL/BISB/MODAPS) ,
Atmosphere Science Investigator-led Processing System, Space Science and Engineering Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison (UWI-MAD/SSEC/ASIPS)
Concept ID
C1643492740-LAADS
Data State
ACTIVE
Number of Files/Granules
1227877
Processing Level
2
Published
Science Keywords
Clouds ,
Cloud Frequency ,
Cloud Height ,
Infrared Radiance ,
REFLECTED INFRARED ,
Visible Radiance ,
Cloud Properties ,
Cloud Fraction ,
Cloud Top Height ,
Cloud Top Temperature ,
Cloud Emissivity

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

VIIRS Atmosphere Science Team SSEC University Of Wisconsin-Madison. (2019). VIIRS/Suomi-NPP Cloud Properties 6-Min L2 Swath 750 m [Data set]. NASA Level 1 and Atmosphere Archive and Distribution System Distributed Active Archive Center. https://doi.org/10.5067/VIIRS/CLDPROP_L2_VIIRS_SNPP.011 Date Accessed: 2026-06-10

Documents

Publications Citing This Dataset

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Title Year Author Topic
Estimation of Entrainment and Detrainment Rates in Cumulus Clouds Using Global Satellite Observations Zhu, Lei, Wang, Yichuan, Zhu, Yannian, He, Xin, Li, Junjun, Wang, Yuan, Zhou, Yue, Lu, Chunsong Clouds, Cloud Frequency, Cloud Height, Infrared Radiance, REFLECTED INFRARED, Visible Radiance, Cloud Properties, Cloud Fraction, Cloud Top Height, Cloud Top Temperature, Cloud Emissivity
Parameterization of shallow cumulus entrainment and detrainment rates using global satellite observations: Physical and machine learning approaches Zhu, Lei, Lu, Chunsong, Xiao, Dezhi, Gao, Sinan, Wang, Yichuan, Zhu, Yannian, He, Xin, Li, Yubin, Yang, Jing Clouds, Cloud Frequency, Cloud Height, Infrared Radiance, REFLECTED INFRARED, Visible Radiance, Cloud Properties, Cloud Fraction, Cloud Top Height, Cloud Top Temperature, Cloud Emissivity
Diffuse solar radiation and canopy photosynthesis in a changing environment Durand, Maxime, Murchie, Erik H., Lindfors, Anders V., Urban, Otmar, Aphalo, Pedro J., Robson, T. Matthew Clouds, Cloud Frequency, Cloud Height, Infrared Radiance, REFLECTED INFRARED, Visible Radiance, Cloud Properties, Cloud Fraction, Cloud Top Height, Cloud Top Temperature, Cloud Emissivity
A machine-learning-based cloud detection and thermodynamic-phase classification algorithm using passive spectral observations Wang, Chenxi, Platnick, Steven, Meyer, Kerry, Zhang, Zhibo, Zhou, Yaping Sea Ice Concentration, Snow Cover, Clouds, Cloud Frequency, Cloud Height, Infrared Radiance, REFLECTED INFRARED, Visible Radiance, Cloud Properties, Cloud Fraction, Cloud Top Height, Cloud Top Temperature, Cloud Emissivity, Atmospheric Emitted Radiation, Emissivity, Optical Depth/Thickness, Radiative Flux, Reflectance, Transmittance, Cloud Condensation Nuclei, Cloud Droplet Concentration/Size, Cloud Liquid Water/Ice, Cloud Optical Depth/Thickness, Cloud Precipitable Water, Cloud Asymmetry, Cloud Ceiling, Cloud Top Pressure, Cloud Vertical Distribution, Cloud Radiative Forcing, Cloud Reflectance, Cloud Types, Surface Temperature, Skin Temperature, Upper Air Temperature, Air Temperature, Atmospheric Winds, Surface Winds, U/V Wind Components, Atmospheric Pressure, Sea Level Pressure, Surface Pressure, Specific Humidity, Total Precipitable Water, Atmospheric Water Vapor, Atmospheric Ozone, Oxygen Compounds, Altitude, Boundary Layer Winds
Changes in the surface broadband shortwave radiation budget during the Wen, Guoyong, Marshak, Alexander, Tsay, Si-Chee, Herman, Jay, Jeong, Ukkyo, Abuhassan, Nader, Swap, Robert, Wu, Dong Albedo, Anisotropy, Atmospheric Emitted Radiation, Emissivity, Optical Depth/Thickness, Radiative Flux, Reflectance, Transmittance, Clouds, Cloud Condensation Nuclei, Cloud Droplet Concentration/Size, Cloud Liquid Water/Ice, Cloud Optical Depth/Thickness, Cloud Precipitable Water, Cloud Asymmetry, Cloud Ceiling, Cloud Frequency, Cloud Height, Cloud Top Pressure, Cloud Top Temperature, Cloud Vertical Distribution, Cloud Emissivity, Cloud Radiative Forcing, Cloud Reflectance, Cloud Types, Infrared Radiance, REFLECTED INFRARED, Visible Radiance, Cloud Properties, Cloud Fraction, Cloud Top Height
Particle aging and aerosol-radiation interaction affect volcanic plume Muser, Lukas O., Hoshyaripour, Gholam Ali, Bruckert, Julia, Horvath, Akos, Malinina, Elizaveta, Wallis, Sandra, Prata, Fred J., Rozanov, Alexei, von Savigny, Christian, Vogel, Heike, Vogel, Bernhard Atmospheric Emitted Radiation, Emissivity, Optical Depth/Thickness, Radiative Flux, Reflectance, Transmittance, Clouds, Cloud Condensation Nuclei, Cloud Droplet Concentration/Size, Cloud Liquid Water/Ice, Cloud Optical Depth/Thickness, Cloud Precipitable Water, Cloud Asymmetry, Cloud Ceiling, Cloud Frequency, Cloud Height, Cloud Top Pressure, Cloud Top Temperature, Cloud Vertical Distribution, Cloud Emissivity, Cloud Radiative Forcing, Cloud Reflectance, Cloud Types, Infrared Radiance, REFLECTED INFRARED, Visible Radiance, Cloud Properties, Cloud Fraction, Cloud Top Height
Sensitivity of Multispectral Imager Liquid Water Cloud Microphysical Platnick, Steven, Meyer, Kerry, Amarasinghe, Nandana, Wind, Galina, Hubanks, Paul A., Holz, Robert E. Atmospheric Emitted Radiation, Emissivity, Optical Depth/Thickness, Radiative Flux, Reflectance, Transmittance, Clouds, Cloud Condensation Nuclei, Cloud Droplet Concentration/Size, Cloud Liquid Water/Ice, Cloud Optical Depth/Thickness, Cloud Precipitable Water, Cloud Asymmetry, Cloud Ceiling, Cloud Frequency, Cloud Height, Cloud Top Pressure, Cloud Top Temperature, Cloud Vertical Distribution, Cloud Emissivity, Cloud Radiative Forcing, Cloud Reflectance, Cloud Types, Infrared Radiance, REFLECTED INFRARED, Visible Radiance, Cloud Properties, Cloud Fraction, Cloud Top Height
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