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

Global land surface temperature and emissivity data are provided by the Aqua MODIS MYD11A2 Version 6.1 product, offering 8-day composite averages at a 1-kilometer spatial resolution. This dataset is produced by NASA's LPCLOUD and includes daytime and nighttime temperature bands, quality assessments, observation times, and emissivity values. The product is derived from the Aqua satellite's Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer sensor.

Use Cases

• Analyzing urban heat island effects using daytime and nighttime land surface temperature bands.
• Monitoring drought and vegetation stress by correlating temperature data with emissivity values from bands 31 and 32.
• Validating climate model outputs with global, 1km resolution temperature composites over an 8-day cycle.
• Assessing surface energy balance and thermal anomalies for wildfire risk studies.
• Studying seasonal and interannual land surface temperature variability using the time-series of 8-day averages.

Strengths

• Data incorporates calibration improvements for the period 2012-2017, including corrections for optical crosstalk and look-up table updates.
• Each 8-day composite pixel is an average of corresponding daily observations, reducing gaps and providing consistent temporal coverage.
• Product includes associated quality control assessments, view zenith angles, and clear-sky coverage bands for data reliability evaluation.
• Spatial resolution is 1 kilometer within a standardized 1,200 by 1,200 km grid, facilitating large-area analysis.

Limitations

• Specific row counts, total dataset size, and complete column names are not provided by any source.
• Sources disagree on license details, with one specifying 'other-license-specified' and another listing 'None'.
• Known issues exist and require consultation of an external MODIS/VIIRS Land Quality Assessment website.

Provenance

Source

NASA LPCLOUD, from the Aqua satellite's Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) sensor.

Collection Method

Remote sensing via satellite instrument, with 8-day compositing of per-pixel land surface temperature and emissivity averages.

Time Range

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Freshness

2026-03-13 00:24:00.148873

Geography

Global coverage in a 1,200 by 1,200 km grid system.