Terra Satellite Sea Ice Reflectance and Temperature Measurements

MODIS/Terra satellite data provides sea ice extent, reflectance, and ice surface temperature fields at 1 km resolution. Version 4 data spans from 24 February 2000 to present, though the full V004 dataset is limited to a Golden Month sample from August to October 2002. The data is produced by NASA's MODIS instrument team.

Use Cases

• Mapping sea ice extent using the combined sea ice field.
• Analyzing ice surface temperature (IST) variations across polar regions.
• Assessing pixel-level quality for sea ice by reflectance using its QA field.
• Distinguishing sea ice from open ocean using the modified Normalized Difference Snow Index (NDSI) algorithm.
• Correlating geolocation data (latitudes, longitudes) with other ice parameters.

Strengths

• Data fields are provided at a 1 km spatial resolution.
• Time series extends from February 2000 to present.
• Algorithm uses both reflective and thermal characteristics for classification.

Limitations

• The available Version 4 (V004) dataset is limited to a 40-day Golden Month sample.
• Latitude and longitude geolocation fields are at a lower 5 km resolution.
• Version 4 data is superseded by higher-quality Version 5 data.

Provenance

Source

NASA Earthdata, MODIS/Terra instrument.

Collection Method

Satellite remote sensing using a modified Normalized Difference Snow Index (NDSI) algorithm.

Time Range

24 February 2000 to present (V004 series); Golden Month sample: 29 August 2002 to 7 October 2002.

Freshness

Near Real Time (NRT) product.

Geography

Global, with focus on polar sea ice regions.