MODIS/Aqua L3 Value-added Aerosol Optical Depth - NRT is a processed satellite dataset for aerosol monitoring. The Naval Research Laboratory and University of North Dakota developed this gridded product from MODIS Level 2 aerosol data, applying filtering, bias correction, and spatial averaging. Data granules are produced every six hours through NASA's LANCE-MODIS system.
Use Cases
- Assimilating gridded aerosol optical depth (AOD) values with quantitative uncertainty estimates into atmospheric transport models.
- Validating climate and air quality model outputs against spatially averaged AOD data corrected for systematic biases over land and ocean.
- Monitoring near-real-time aerosol events like dust storms or pollution plumes using data from six-hourly granules timestamped 00:00, 06:00, 12:00, and 18:00 UTC.
- Analyzing temporal patterns in aerosol loading using the product's time-series of AOD values derived from MODIS observations within +/-3-hour windows.
Strengths
- Provides near-real-time data with granules produced every six hours.
- Includes quantitative uncertainty estimation for each aerosol optical depth data point.
- Applies empirical corrections to reduce systematic biases over land and ocean.
- Derived from MODIS sensor data with almost daily global coverage from a 2330 km viewing swath.
Limitations
- Specific row count, column details, and spatial resolution of the gridded product are unknown.
- Derived from Level 2 inputs, so dependent on the accuracy and availability of upstream MODIS processing.
- Temporal coverage is limited to the operational period of the MODIS/Aqua sensor and LANCE system availability.
Provenance
- Source
- NASA LANCE-MODIS system, based on MODIS/Aqua Level 2 aerosol products.
- Collection Method
- Value-added processing by Naval Research Laboratory and University of North Dakota, involving filtering, bias correction, spatial averaging, and uncertainty estimation.
- Time Range
- Available since the operational period of the MODIS/Aqua sensor and LANCE system; specific start date unknown.
- Freshness
- Near-real-time, with production every six hours.
- Geography
- Global coverage from MODIS observations.