MODIS/Aqua Near-Real-Time Snow Cover Swath Data

Satellite-derived snow cover data from the MODIS/Aqua sensor, available in near-real-time. The dataset includes binary snow cover classification and fractional snow cover percentages for each pixel over land and inland water bodies. Data is provided by the LANCEMODIS organization and spans from July 2002 to the present.

Use Cases

• Model snowmelt runoff by analyzing fractional_snow_cover changes over time in a watershed.
• Validate regional climate models by comparing their snow cover predictions against the binary snow_cover field.
• Monitor seasonal snow extent dynamics using the time-series of Quality_Assessment (QA) and geolocation fields.
• Study the relationship between land surface temperature and snow persistence using co-located pixel data from the swath.

Strengths

• Provides near-real-time (NRT) data availability for current monitoring.
• Offers dual snow metrics: binary classification and fractional percentage per pixel.
• Continuous temporal coverage from July 2002 to present.

Limitations

• Spatial resolution is mixed, with geolocation at 5km and snow data at 500m, complicating precise pixel alignment.
• Cloud cover obstructs observations, creating data gaps in the snow cover field.
• Algorithm-derived classifications may contain errors in complex terrain or forested areas.

Provenance

Source

NASA MODIS/Aqua satellite sensor, processed by LANCEMODIS.

Collection Method

Generated from a snow mapping algorithm using the Normalized Difference Snow Index (NDSI) and other criteria tests on Level 1B radiance data.

Time Range

July 2002 to present

Freshness

Near-real-time

Geography

Global swath coverage from the Aqua satellite orbit.