MAM06S0: MODIS/Aqua Cloud Properties Subset Along MLS Track

MODIS/Aqua satellite data subset to a 200-kilometer swath along the Microwave Limb Sounder field-of-view track. The Level-2 product contains cloud optical and physical parameters derived from infrared, visible, and near-infrared radiances. This dataset is produced by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and was last updated in March 2026.

Use Cases

• Modeling cloud radiative transfer based on derived cloud optical thickness and effective particle radius.
• Analyzing cloud phase distribution (ice vs. water) based on infrared and near-infrared radiance retrievals.
• Studying cloud-top properties and height based on derived cloud top temperature and height parameters.
• Investigating cloud fraction and shadow effects under daytime and nighttime conditions.

Strengths

• Data is spatially subset to a precise 200-kilometer cross-track swath along a specific satellite instrument track.
• Contains parameters derived from multiple spectral ranges (infrared, visible, near-infrared) for comprehensive cloud characterization.
• Produced by the authoritative National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count and total data volume are unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Data may reflect temporal and spatial bias inherent to the specific satellite track and observation times.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Collection Method

Remote sensing data from the MODIS instrument on the Aqua satellite, subset and processed along the MLS track.

Time Range

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Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-12 23:52:01.847154; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Global coverage along the specific MLS satellite track.