MAC04S0: Narrow-Swath MODIS/Aqua Aerosol Data Along CloudSat Track

Global satellite data from the MODIS/Aqua instrument, subset to a narrow track aligned with the CloudSat satellite's field of view. The dataset provides atmospheric aerosol optical properties, mass concentration, and derived fluxes over ocean and land. It is produced by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and was last updated in March 2026.

Use Cases

• Analyze aerosol optical thickness and size distribution based on retrieved atmospheric aerosol properties.
• Study the relationship between aerosols and clouds based on data subset along the CloudSat satellite track.
• Model atmospheric radiative fluxes based on look-up table derived reflected and transmitted flux data.
• Conduct quality assurance for aerosol retrievals based on the included quality assurance parameters.

Strengths

• Data is subset to a specific, consistent cross-track width aligned with the CloudSat satellite for coordinated analysis.
• Provides multiple aerosol parameters including optical thickness, size distribution, mass concentration, and derived fluxes.
• Produced by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, an authoritative source for satellite data.

Limitations

• Description metadata is limited; actual data quality and structure require manual inspection after download.
• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• The cross-track swath width is approximately 20 km, which is wider than the intended 10 km target stated in the description.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Collection Method

Satellite remote sensing from the MODIS/Aqua instrument, subset and processed along the CloudSat track.

Time Range

null

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-13 00:25:35.822824; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Global over ocean and near-global over land.