Aqua MODIS Global Land Surface Temperature and Emissivity 8-Day Composite

Eight-day composite land surface temperature and emissivity data on a 0.05-degree global climate modeling grid. The dataset provides 17 layers per composite, including daytime and nighttime LST, quality control, observation times, and emissivity from six spectral bands. It is produced by LPCLOUD from NASA's Aqua MODIS instrument.

Use Cases

• Analyze global land surface temperature trends from daytime and nighttime LST layers.
• Assess data quality for specific regions using the provided quality control assessment layers.
• Model surface emissivity properties using values from bands 20, 22, 23, 29, 31, and 32.
• Study diurnal temperature cycles by comparing daytime and nighttime observations.
• Investigate cloud cover frequency using the number of clear-sky observations per grid cell.

Strengths

• Global spatial coverage on a consistent 7,200 by 3,600 cell grid.
• Provides 17 distinct data layers including LST, quality metrics, and emissivity.
• Data is composited from eight daily files to reduce gaps from cloud cover.

Limitations

• Spatial resolution is coarse at approximately 5.6 km at the equator.
• Known data quality issues exist, requiring users to consult the MODIS Land Quality Assessment website.
• The 8-day composite period may smooth out short-term, high-frequency temperature events.

Provenance

Source

NASA Aqua MODIS instrument, processed by LPCLOUD.

Collection Method

Derived by compositing and averaging values from eight corresponding MYD11C1 daily files.

Time Range

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Freshness

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Geography

Global coverage on a 0.05-degree latitude/longitude Climate Modeling Grid (CMG).