MISR Satellite Cloud Height and Motion Parameters

Nine cameras on the MISR instrument capture each point on Earth's surface from multiple angles in four spectral bands. This dataset provides stereo-derived cloud heights, a cloud mask, and cloud motion vectors for analyzing atmospheric trends. The data is produced by NASA and monitors long-term changes in aerosols, clouds, and land surface cover.

Use Cases

• Analyzing stereoscopically derived cloud height and motion vectors to model atmospheric circulation.
• Using the four spectral bands (blue, green, red, near-infrared) to distinguish aerosol types and land surface properties.
• Monitoring monthly and seasonal trends in cloud amount, type, and distribution from the nine camera angles.
• Applying the Stereoscopically Derived Cloud Mask (SDCM) for cloud detection and scene classification in climate models.

Strengths

• Data is captured from nine distinct view angles (0 to 70.5 degrees), enabling 3D stereo analysis of atmospheric features.
• Provides global coverage with a revisit time of nine days, supporting trend analysis over time.
• Measures radiance in four specific spectral bands centered at 443, 555, 670, and 865 nm for detailed spectral discrimination.

Limitations

• Specific row counts, file sizes, and a complete column schema are not provided by any source.
• The license is ambiguously listed as 'other-license-specified' without explicit terms.
• One source describes an ancillary radiometric product (MIANCARP_2), which may indicate related but distinct data files exist.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

Collection Method

Data gathered by the Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MISR) instrument's nine pushbroom cameras on a satellite platform.

Time Range

Designed to monitor monthly, seasonal, and long-term trends; specific start date not provided.

Freshness

2026-03-13 00:39:28.078194

Geography

Global coverage.