CERES MODIS Cloud Retrievals: Monthly Gridded Cloud Averages for Aqua Satellite

Pole-to-pole coverage of monthly and 3-hourly gridded cloud properties, stratified by 18 cloud types based on pressure, optical depth, and phase. The data product is derived from CERES-FM3 and MODIS instruments on the NASA Aqua satellite, with collection now complete. It is part of the Clouds and the Earth's Radiant Energy System (CERES) program, a key component of NASA's Earth Observing System.

Use Cases

• Analyze cloud radiative forcing based on cloud properties stratified by pressure, optical depth, and phase.
• Validate and compare climate model cloud simulations using the ISCCP-D2like format.
• Study diurnal cloud cycles using the monthly 3-hourly (GMT-based) gridded data.
• Investigate cloud type distributions and fractions across 42 cloud types similar to the ISCCP D1 product.

Strengths

• Data collection is complete, providing a stable record for analysis.
• Coverage is from pole to pole, offering a global perspective.
• Cloud properties are stratified by 18 cloud types, enabling detailed analysis.
• Provides separate daytime and nighttime datasets for the Aqua-MODIS platform.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Collection Method

Collected using the CERES-FM3 and MODIS instruments on the Aqua satellite platform.

Time Range

Data collection for this product is complete; specific temporal range is not provided.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-13 05:05:25.939842; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Pole-to-pole (global).