MODIS/Aqua Atmospheric Data for 445 Global Validation Sites

A global dataset of MODIS/Aqua Atmosphere and Ancillary Products subset over 445 BELMANIP validation sites. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration provides one file per site containing 55 Science Data Sets, including at-aperture radiances for 36 bands, cloud mask, and water vapor. Data is extracted as 0.5 x 0.5 degree cutouts from Level 2 MODIS granules.

Use Cases

• Validating MODIS atmospheric retrievals against ground measurements from networks like AERONET and FLUXNET.
• Analyzing spatial and temporal patterns of water vapor and cloud properties across diverse ecosystems.
• Comparing at-aperture radiances across 36 spectral bands for specific benchmark sites.
• Supporting the intercomparison of land surface products from different satellite instruments.

Strengths

• Provides data for approximately 445 globally distributed validation sites, ensuring broad geographic representation.
• Each site file contains 55 distinct Science Data Sets, offering a multi-parameter atmospheric snapshot.
• Integrates data from established networks like AERONET and FLUXNET, supporting cross-validation.

Limitations

• Specific column names, row counts, and exact file sizes are not provided across any platform.
• The license is ambiguously listed as 'other-license-specified' on Data.gov, with no details provided on NASA Earthdata.
• A future 'last updated' date of 2026-03 12 appears on Data.gov, which is a conflict or error.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Collection Method

Subsets generated by locating BELMANIP sites within MODIS Level 2 granule coverage and extracting 0.5 x 0.5 degree cutouts.

Time Range

null

Freshness

2026-03-12 23:52:26.449786

Geography

Global coverage across 445 benchmark land sites.