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ICDC
CENIntegrated Climate Data Center ICDC

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Aerosol Parameters from MODIS

MODIS Aerosol
MODIS atmosphere aerosol: AOD Land Ocean 2015. Copyright: UHH/CEN/AJB

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Access

RESTRICTED:This link to the data set is only available for a restricted user group.  The data set is only accessible in CEN/MPI net or accessible from external nets with a customer account.  Please contact ICDC if you would like to access this data from outside the network.

  • View MODIS Aerosol data at LAS: AQUA | TERRA
  • Access MODIS Aerosol data via HTTP/OPeNDAP: AQUA | TERRA
  • Data access via file system:
    • /data/icdc/atmosphere/modis_aqua_aerosol
    • /data/icdc/atmosphere/modis_terra_aerosol

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Description

MODIS stands for MODerate resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer. This sensor, equipped with over 30 spectral channels from the visible into the infrared frequency range operates from aboard the EOS-TERRA and EOS-AQUA satellites since 2000 and 2002, respectively. Thanks to its high spectral resolution and the large number of different channels a large number of different atmospheric parameters can be retrieved. Here we refer to the aerosol parameter data sets.

The MODIS aerosol products are based on calibrated, geo-located reflectances of channels at wavelengths of 0.412, 0.47, 0.55, 0.65, 0.86, 1.24, 1.63, and 2.11 µm. Depending on the surface, i.e. bright or dark, ocean or land, different channels or channel combinations are used. In addition to the reflectances, information about the atmospheric temperature and moisture profiles (product MOD07/MYD07, see also MODIS Water Vapor and PWC and MODIS Temperature Profiles at ICDC), the cloud cover, and snow & ice coverage is included; over the ocean sea ice information is included. Over land in addition - depending on the parameter to be retrieved and the channels used - also information about land cover type and vegetation cover, e.g. NDVI, is included. With the aid of models for aerosol type, composition and size distribution look-up-tables (LUT) of reflectances are generated. Via a maximum likelihood or best least-square fit (or similar) method aerosol optical depth (AOD), single scattering albedo, and the number of cloud condensation nuclei that correspond to the best match between measured and LUT reflectances are retrieved.

We list the aerosol parameters which we offer via ICDC in this parameter list (txt).

More information about the data sets can be found on the MODIS-Atmosphere Group webpage and in the literature, in particular in the ATBD and in the article by Hsu et al., 2013 (see references).

This is part of the level-3 MOD08/MYD08 data set derived from MOD04/MYD04 level-2 products of the MODIS Collection 6.1.

Last update of data set at ICDC: July 11 2024.

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Parameters

Parameters of the MODIS Aerosol data set. The full description of the file content is given in the parameter list under descriptions.
Type of dataCommentnon QAQAHistograms
Solar angles Azimuth & zenith y n n
Sensor angles Azimuth & zenith y n n
Aerosol Scattering Angle   y n n
AOD land & ocean the only global product y n n
AOD land 0.47, 0.55 , 0.66 µm y y y
AOD land, deep blue 0.412, 0.47, 0.55 , 0.66 µm y n n
AOD land, combined combined dark target & deep blue y n n
Single Scattering Albedo 0.412, 0.47 , 0.66 µm, deep blue, land y n n
AOD ocean 0.47, 0.55, 0.66, 0.87, 1.24, 1.64 , 2.13 µm y y y
AOD ocean fine mode 0.47, 0.55, 0.66, 0.87, 1.24, 1.64 , 2.13 µm y y y
AOD ocean 9 different sizes small 1-4, large sea salt 5-7, large mineral dust 8-9 y y y
Cloud Condensation Nuclei 0.55 µm, ocean y y y

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Coverage, spatial and temporal resolution

Period and temporal resolution:

  • 2000-02-24 to 2024-06-30 (MODIS EOS-TERRA)
  • 2002-07-04 to 2024-06-30 (MODIS EOS-AQUA)
  • Daily

Coverage and spatial resolution:

  • Global
  • Spatial resolution: 1° x 1°, cartesian grid
  • Geographic longitude: 180°W to 180°E
  • Geographic latitude: 90°S to 90°N
  • Dimension: 360 columns x 180 rows
  • Altitude: following terrain

Format:

  • NetCDF

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Data quality

The offered aerosol optical depth and other aerosol property data contain as a measure of uncertainty on the one hand the standard deviation of all level-2 grid cells used for the computation of the level-3 product.

On the other hand, for some of the products so-called "quality assessed" level-3 data sets are offered. These are the result of a weighted averaging of the level-2 data where the confidence flags of the level-2 products are used as weights (as described in the level-3 data ATBD).

The distribution of these confidence intervals (from the level-2 data) is illustrated in the level-3 data via quality flag maps which contain the global distribution of the numbers of questionable, good, very good, and total useful level-2 pixels per level-3 grid cell. These maps or histograms are not included in the standard data files but stored in separate files which contain a "__histograms" in their name.

This data set is from Collection 6.1, t he most recent one of the MODIS Collection 6 product family. Hence a substantial number inconsistencies and potential retrieval problems, which have been identified in the past (product version 4, 5), has been taken care of in MODIS Collection 6. In particular the 2nd generation of the deep blue retrieval is used and there is one data set where deep blue and dark target approaches were combined. This newest MODIS product release, 6.1. improves over the 6.0 version by mitigating the influence of electronic cross-talk between the atmospheric bands. We refer to the documents listed in the references.

Missing days:

  • TERRA: August 7-18 2000; June 16 - July 2, 2001; March 20-27 and April 15 2002; December 21-22, 2008
  • AQUA: July 30 - August 6, 2002.

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Contact

Steve Platnick
MODIS - Atmosphere Level-3 Product Group
NASA / GSFC
email: steve.platnick (at) nasa.gov

Christina Hsu
MODIS - Aerosol Retrieval Group
NASA / GSFC
email: christina.hsu (at) nasa.gov

Rob Levy
MODIS - Aerosol Retrieval Group
NASA / GSFC
email: rob.levy (at) nasa.gov

Stefan Kern
University of Hamburg
email: stefan.kern (at) uni-hamburg.de

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References

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Data citation

Please cite the data as follows:

Platnick, S., et al., 2017. MODIS Atmosphere L3 Daily Product. NASA MODIS Adaptive Processing System, Goddard Space Flight Center, USA: http://dx.doi.org/10.5067/MODIS/MOD08_D3.061 [last access: July 3, 2024]

(if MODIS EOS-AQUA data are used accordingly: http://dx.doi.org/10.5067/MODIS/MYD08_D3.061 ).

and with the following acknowledgments:

Original MODIS collection 6.1 Aerosol parameter data provided in hdf format by https://ladsweb.modaps.eosdis.nasa.gov/ were downloaded in netCDF file format from the Integrated Climate Data Centre ICDC, CEN, University of Hamburg

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License

Please refer to the original data source for license information.