Moderate-Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer

Ash plumes on Kamchatka Peninsula, eastern Russia.

Hurricane Katrina near Florida peninsula.

Solar irradiance spectrum and MODIS bands.

Detailed, photo-like view of Earth is based largely on observations from MODIS.

The Moderate-resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) is a payload scientific instrument launched into Earth orbit by NASA in 1999 on board the Terra (EOS AM) Satellite, and in 2002 on board the Aqua (EOS PM) satellite. The instruments capture data in 36 spectral bands ranging in wavelength from 0.4 µm to 14.4 µm and at varying spatial resolutions (2 bands at 250 m, 5 bands at 500 m and 29 bands at 1 km). Together the instruments image the entire Earth every 1 to 2 days. They are designed to provide measurements in large-scale global dynamics including changes in Earth's cloud cover, radiation budget and processes occurring in the oceans, on land, and in the lower atmosphere. Three on-board calibrators (a solar diffuser combined with a solar diffuser stability monitor, a spectral radiometric calibration assembly, and a black body) provide in-flight calibration. MODIS has used the Marine Optical Buoy for vicarious calibration.

The MODIS Characterization Support Team (MCST) is dedicated to the production of high quality MODIS calibrated product which is a precursor to every geophysical science product. A detailed description of the MCST mission statement and other details can be found at MCST Web.

MODIS Bands

MODIS data

MODIS Level 3 datasets

The following MODIS Level 3 (L3) datasets are available from NASA, as processed by the Collection 5 software.^[1]

Availability

Raw MODIS data stream could be received in real-time using a tracking antenna, thanks to the instrument's direct broadcast capability.^[2]

Alternatively, the scientific data is made available to the public via several World Wide Web sites and FTP archives, such as:

• ECHO Reverb — the next generation metadata and service discovery tool,^[3] which has replaced the former Warehouse Inventory and Search Tool (WIST);
• LAADS Web — Level 1 and Atmosphere Archive and Distribution System (LAADS) web interface;
• ftp://ladsftp.nascom.nasa.gov/ — LAADS underlying FTP server;
• ftp://e4ftl01.cr.usgs.gov/ — Earth land surface datasets;
• ftp://n4ftl01u.ecs.nasa.gov/ — snow and ice datasets.

Most of the data is available in the HDF-EOS format — a variant of Hierarchical Data Format prescribed for the data derived from Earth Observing System missions.^[4]

Image based on observations from MODIS.

See also

• Imaging spectroscopy
• NASA World Wind

References

1. ^ "MODIS Products Table". Retrieved 2011-06-12. 
2. ^ "Direct Broadcast at MODIS Website". Retrieved 2009-06-02. 
3. ^ "About Reverb". Retrieved 2011-11-07. 
4. ^ "HDF-EOS Tools and Information Center". Retrieved 2009-06-02. 

External links

• Official NASA site
• MODIS bands and spectral ranges (broken link)
• MODIS Images of the Day
• MODIS Image of the Day - Google Gadget referring to MODIS image of the day.
• Gallery of Images of Interest
• MODIS Land Product Subsetting Tool for North America from Oak Ridge National Laboratory
• MODIS Rapid Response system (near real time images)
• NASA OnEarth (Web service for MODIS imagery)
• Visible Earth: Latest MODIS images
• MODIS Sinusoidal: Projection 6842 - MODIS Sinusoidal
• Python: accessing near real-time MODIS images and fire data from NASA’s Aqua and Terra satellites (Python)