Abstract:
MODIS was launched aboard the Aqua satellite on May 04, 2002 (1:30 pm equator crossing time) as part of NASA's Earth Observing System (EOS) mission. MODIS with its 2330 km viewing swath width provides almost daily global coverage. It acquires data in 36 high spectral resolution bands between 0.415 to 14.235 micron with ... spatial resolutions of 250m(2 bands), 500m(5 bands), and 1000m (29 bands). MODIS sensor counts, calibrated radiances, geolocation products and all derived geophysical atmospheric and ocean products are archived at NASA Goddard DAAC and has been made available to public since April 2000.
MYD08_M3 is a level-3 MODIS gridded atmosphere monthly global joint product. It contains monthly 1 x 1 degree grid average values of atmospheric parameters related to atmospheric aerosol particle properties, total ozone burden, atmospheric water vapor, cloud optical and physical properties, and atmospheric stability indices. This product also provides standard deviations, quality assurance weighted means and other statistically derived quantities for each parameter.
The shortname for this level-3 MODIS atmosphere monthly global product is MYD08_M3 and the principal investigators for this product are MODIS scientists: Dr. Yoram Kaufman (kaufman@climate.gsfc.nasa.gov) for aerosol retrieval over land; Dr. Didier Tanre (didier.tanre@univ-lille1.fr) for aerosol retrieval over ocean; Dr. Bo-Cai Gao (gao@rsd.nrl.navy.mil) for cirrus cloud detection; Dr. Paul Menzel (paulm@ssec.wisc.edu) for cloud top properties; and Dr. Michael King (king@climate.gsfc.nasa.gov) for cloud optical properties.
The level-3 atmosphere monthly global product (MYD08_M3) consists of approximately 739 parameters that includes all statistically derived quantities. Essentially all level-3 MODIS atmosphere monthly global parameters are derived from the scientific parameters of MODIS Atmosphere Daily Global Joint Product (MYD08_D3). Statistics are computed over a 1 degree equal-angle lat-lon grid that spans a (calendar) monthly interval. Since the grid cells are 1 degree by 1 degree, the output grid is always 360 pixels in width and 180 pixels in length.
MYD08_M3 product files are stored in Hierarchical Data Format (HDF-EOS). Each gridded global parameter is stored as Scientific Data Sets (SDS) within the file. For browsing and extracting data from these files, some software are made available at the site.
MYD08_M3 PARAMETERS
Aerosol over Land and Ocean: Optical Depth (0.55 micron)
Aerosol over Land: Optical Depth at 0.47 and 0.66 micron (based on Continental Aerosol Model) Corrected Optical Depths at 0.47, 0.55, 0.66 micron (based on Dynamic Aerosol Model) Corrected Optical Depths at 0.47, 0.55, 0.66 micron for Smoke, Sulfate, and Dust Aerosol Mass Concentration Angstrom Exponents for Smoke, Sulfate, and Dust Aerosol Particles
Aerosol over Ocean: Effective Optical Depth at 7 bands (0.47, 0.55, 0.66, 0.87, 1.24, 1.64, 2.13 micron) Effective Radius, Mass Concentration, Cloud Condensation Nuclei Optical Depth of Small Particles relative to Effective Optical Depth Asymmetry Factor & Back Scattering Ratio at 7 bands Angstrom Exponents 1 (based on 0.55 and 0.865 micron) & 2 (based on 0.865 and 2.13 micron)
Ozone: Total Column Ozone
Water Vapor: Total Column Precipitable Water Vapor NIR based (clear, cloudy), IR based (lower, upper levels, total)
Cloud: Cloud Top Pressure, Temperature, and Effective Emissivity(day, night, all) Cloud Particle Phase (day, night, all) Cloud Optical Thickness (water, ice, water + ice, undetermined, all phases) Effective Radius (water, ice, water + ice, undetermined, all phases) Cloud Water Path (liquid, ice, liquid + ice, undetermined, all phases) Cloud Fraction based on Visible & SWIR (cirrus, contrail, water, ice, water + ice, undetermined, all phases) Cloud Fraction based on IR (day, night, all)
Atmospheric State & Stability Indices: Total-Totals, Lifted Index, K Index
Radiation Parameters: Cirrus Cloud & Contrail Reflectance Mean Surface Reflectance for Land (5 bands) & Ocean (7 bands) Normalized Reflected Flux for Land (0.47 & 0.66 micron) & Ocean (7 bands) Normalized Transmitted Flux for Land (0.47 and 0.66 micron), Ocean(7 bands) Atmospheric Scattering Angle for Land and Ocean
Quality Assurance (QA) & Statistical Parameters: Uncertainty in Derived Parameters, Minimum, Maximum, Number of Pixels, Histograms, Correlation Parameters, QA Weighted, and other Statistically Derived Parameters
More information about the atmospheric parameters and the statistically derived parameters of MYD08_M3 product listed above are available from the MYD08_M3 web site
The MODIS monthly Product will be used in the simultaneously study of clouds, water vapor, aerosol , trace gases, land surface and oceanic properties, as well as the interaction between them and their effect on the Earth's energy budget and climate. This product will also be used to investigate seasonal and inter-annual changes in cirrus (semi-transparent) global cloud cover and cloud phase with multispectral observations at high spatial resolution.
For more information about the MYD08_M3 product, please visit the MODIS-Atmosphere site at:
Description:
Access the MODIS/Aqua Aerosol Cloud Water Vapor Ozone Monthly L3 Global 1Deg CMG V004 dataset via the Giovanni MODIS Online Visualization and Analysis System (MOVAS).
Phone:
301-731-2917, 1-866-506-6347 (toll-free - US only)
Fax:
301-577-6622
Email:
modapsuso at sigmaspace.com
Contact Address:
LAADS User Support Team
4801 Forbes Boulevard
City:
Lanham
Province or State:
MD
Postal Code:
20706
Country:
USA
Publications/References
Ackerman, S. K. Strabala, P. Menzel, R. Frey, C. Moeller, and L. Gumley, 1998: Discriminating clear sky from clouds with MODIS. J. Geophys. Res., 103, 32141-32157
Ackerman, S. A., W. L. Smith and H. E. Revercomb, 1990: The 27-28 October 1986 FIRE IFO cirrus case study: spectral properties ... of cirrus clouds in the 8-12 micron window. Mon. Wea. Rev., 118, 2377-2388.
Chu, D. A., K. Strabala, S. Platnick, E. Moody, M. King, S. Mattoo, R. Hucek, and B. Ridgway, 2000: MODIS Atmosphere QA Plan. Version 2.2 , NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, 46 pp.
Chu, D. A., Y. J. Kaufman, L. A. Remer, and B. N. Holben,1998: Remote sensing of smoke from MODIS Airborne Simulator during SCAR-B experiment. Journal of Geophysical Research, 103, 31979-31988.
Gao, B. C., and Y. J. Kaufman.1998: The MODIS Near-infrared Water Vapor Algorithm, Algorithm Theoretical Basis Document,ATBD-MOD-03, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center,25 pp.
Gao, B. C. , and Y. J. Kaufman,1997: MODIS Total Precipitable Water, MTPE EOS Data Products Handbook,93-94.
Gao, B. -C, A. F. H. Goetz, and W. J. Wiscombe, 1993: Cirrus detection from Airborne Imaging Radiometer using 1.38 micron water vapor band. Geophys. Res. Letter, 4,301-304.
Gao, B. C., and Alexander F. H. Goetz,1990: Column Atmospheric Water Vapor and Vegetation Liquid Water Retrievals From Airborne Imaging Spectrometer Data, J. Geophys. Res., 95, 3549-3564.
Kaufman, Y. J., and D. Tanre,1998: Algorithm For Remote Sensing of Tropospheric Aerosol from MODIS, Algorithm Theoretical Basis Document, ATBD-MOD-02, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center,85 pp.
Kaufman, Y. J., and D. Tanre,1997: MODIS Aerosol Product, in MTPE EOS Data Products Handbook,107-108.
Kaufman, Y. J., D. Tanre, L. Remer, E. F.Vermote, A. Chu, & B. N. Holben, 1997: Operational remote sensing of tropospheric aerosol over the land from EOS-MODIS. Journal of Geophysical Research, 102(14), 17051-17068.
Kaufman, Y. J., and B.-C. Gao, Remote sensing of water vapor in the near IR from EOS/MODIS, IEEE Trans. Geosci. Remote Sensing,, 30, 871-884, 1992.
King, M., Y. Kaufman, P. Menzel, D.Tanre, B. Gao, 1999: MODIS Atmosphere Validation Plan, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, 48 pp.
King, M. D., S. C. Tsay, S. E. Platnick, M. Wang, and K. Liou, 1997: Cloud Retrieval Algorithms for MODIS: Optical Thickness, Effective Particle Radius, and Thermodynamic Phase , Algorithm Theoretical Basis Document, ATBD-MOD-05, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center,
King, M. D., W. P. Menzel, P. S. Grant, J. S. Myers, G. T. Arnold, S. E. Platnick, L. E.Gumley, S. C. Tsay, C. C. Moeller, M. Fitzgerald, K. S. Brown and F. G.Osterwisch, 1996: Airborne scanning spectrometer for remote sensing of cloud, aerosol, water vapor and surface properties. J. Atmos. Oceanic Technol.,13, 777^?794.
King, M. D., Y. J. Kaufman, W. P. Menzel and D. Tanre, 1992: Remote sensing of cloud, aerosol and water vapor properties from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (MODIS). IEEE Trans. Geosci. Remote Sens., 30, 2^?27.
King, M. D., 1987: Determination of the scaled optical thickness of clouds from re-flected solar radiation measurements. J. Atmos. Sci., 44, 1734^?1751.
King, M. D., M. G. Strange, P. Leone and L. R. Blaine, 1986: Multiwavelength scanningradiometer for airborne measurements of scattered radiation within clouds. J. Atmos. Oceanic Technol., 3, 513^?522.
King, M. D., 1981: A method for determining the single scattering albedo of clouds through observation of the internal scattered radiation field. J. Atmos.Sci., 38, 2031^?204.
Menzel, W. P., and L. E. Gumley, 1998: MODIS Atmospheric Profiles Retrieval Algorithm Theoretical Basis Document. ATBD-MOD-07, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, pp.
Menzel, W. P.,and L. E. Gumley, 1997:MODIS Atmospheric Profiles ,in MTPE EOS Data Products Handbook, pp 164-166.
Menzel, P., and M. King, 1997:MODIS Cloud Product, in MTPE EOS Data Products Handbook,109-111.
Menzel, P., and K. Strabela. 1997: Cloud Top Properties and Cloud Phase, Algorithm Theoretical Basis Document. ATBD-MOD-04, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center,56 pp.
Nakajima, T., M. D. King , J. D. Spinhirne and L. F. Radke, 1991: Determination of the optical thickness and effective particle radius of clouds from reflected solar radiation measurements. Part II: Marine stratocumulus observations. J. Atmos. Sci., 48, 728^?750.
Nakajima, T., and M. D. King, 1990: Determination of the optical thickness and effective particle radius of clouds from reflected solar radiation measurements. Part I: Theory. J. Atmos. Sci., 47, 1878^?1893.
Remer, L. A., Y. J. Kaufman, and B. N. Holben, 1996: The size distribution of ambient aerosol particles: Smoke vs. urban/industrial aerosol. Global biomass burning. Cambridge MA: MIT Press.
Rossow, W. B., and L.C. Gardner, 1993: Cloud detection using satellite measurements of infrared and visible radiances for ISCCP, J. Climate, 6, 2341-2369.
Strabala, K. I., S. A. Ackerman and W. P. Menzel, 1994: Cloud properties inferred from 8-12 micron data. J. Appl. Meteor, 33, No. 2, 212-229.
Tanre, D., Y. J. Kaufman, M. Herman, and S. Mattoo, 1997: Remote sensing of aerosol properties over oceans using the MODIS/EOS spectral radiances. Journal of Geophysical Research, 102, 16971-16988.
Tanre, D., M. Herman, and Y. J. Kaufman, 1996: Information on aerosol size distribution contained in solar reflected radiances. Journal of Geophysical Research-Atmospheres, 101, 19043-19060.
