MAC06S0: MODIS/Aqua Cloud Properties Subset Along CloudSat Track

MAC06S0 is a narrow-swath subset of MODIS/Aqua Level-2 cloud data, collocated with the CloudSat satellite track. The dataset contains cloud optical and physical parameters derived from infrared, visible, and near-infrared radiances, including cloud top temperature, height, optical thickness, and effective particle radius. It is produced by NASA scientists and was last updated in March 2026.

Use Cases

• Analyzing cloud optical thickness and effective particle radius based on visible and near-infrared radiance retrievals.
• Studying cloud top properties like temperature and height based on infrared channel data.
• Investigating cloud phase (ice vs. water) and cloud fraction under day and night conditions.
• Fusing high-resolution (1km/5km) cloud data with complementary measurements from the CloudSat track.

Strengths

• Data is spatially collocated with CloudSat observations, enabling direct comparison and fusion.
• Derives multiple cloud parameters (optical thickness, particle radius, top temperature/height, phase) from multiple spectral bands.
• Last updated in March 2026, suggesting ongoing maintenance.

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 (NASA)

Collection Method

Remotely sensed data from the MODIS/Aqua satellite instrument, subset to a narrow swath along the CloudSat field of view.

Time Range

null

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-12 23:51:16.155972; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Global coverage along CloudSat satellite tracks.