Global Land Surface Temperature 8-Day Averages at 1km Resolution

MODIS/Terra satellite data provides average 8-day per-pixel land surface temperature and emissivity globally at a 1-kilometer spatial resolution. The dataset was produced by LPCLOUD from NASA's Terra platform observations. Production of this Version 6 data product was discontinued in November 2022.

Use Cases

• Model urban heat island effects using daytime and nighttime surface temperature bands across cities.
• Analyze seasonal land temperature cycles from the 8-day composite time-series data.
• Assess data quality for downstream applications using the provided quality control assessment bands.
• Estimate surface emissivity for energy balance models using bands 31 and 32 emissivity values.
• Correlate land surface temperature with land cover types using the associated emissivity bands.

Strengths

• Global spatial coverage in a 1200km by 1200km grid system.
• Provides both daytime and nighttime surface temperature measurements.
• Includes auxiliary data layers for quality control, view zenith angles, and clear-sky coverage.

Limitations

• Data production was discontinued in November 2022, limiting temporal recency.
• The 8-day composite is an average, which may smooth out high-frequency temperature variations.
• Known issues with data retrieval following satellite maneuvers may affect some records.

Provenance

Source

NASA Earthdata via LPCLOUD, from the MODIS instrument on the Terra satellite.

Collection Method

Remote sensing data from the MODIS instrument, composited into 8-day averages.

Time Range

Coverage ended in 2022; specific start date is unknown.

Freshness

Final update was on 2022-11-16; the dataset is decommissioned.

Geography

Global land surface coverage.