Antarctic Snow Grain Size and Surface Morphology Maps from MODIS

2003-2004 austral summer season data includes two geospatial image maps: snow grain size and surface morphology, covering Antarctica. The maps were produced by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration from composited Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) swath data. They are provided at two spatial resolutions, 125 meters and 750 meters.

Use Cases

• Analyzing spatial distribution of snow grain size across the Antarctic continent.
• Classifying and mapping surface morphology features such as sastrugi or blue ice.
• Validating snow property models using 125-meter resolution imagery.
• Conducting broad-scale continent-wide studies with the 750-meter resolution product.
• Investigating seasonal surface changes during the austral summer.

Strengths

• Provides continent-wide coverage of Antarctica.
• Offers data at two specific resolutions: 125 m and 750 m.
• Derived from composited MODIS satellite swath data, ensuring systematic collection.

Limitations

• Conflicting last updated dates: Data.gov lists 2026-03-13, while NASA Earthdata lists 2004-02-29.
• Specific column names, row counts, and file sizes are not documented across sources.
• License is specified as 'other-license-specified' without clear definition.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Collection Method

Produced from composited image swath data acquired by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS).

Time Range

2003-2004 austral summer season

Freshness

2026-03-13 00:26:51.630149 (Data.gov)

Geography

Antarctica