VIIRS Cloud Properties Swath Data For Climate Continuity

This satellite-derived dataset provides a continuous record of cloud optical and physical properties, bridging observations from MODIS instruments to the VIIRS series. It is produced by NASA's LAADS organization and contains Level-2 swath data at 750-meter spatial resolution, generated every six minutes. The product is designed to sustain long-term climate records by applying a common algorithm across MODIS and VIIRS sensor inputs.

Use Cases

• Analyzing cloud optical thickness and particle effective radius for climate feedback studies.
• Deriving cloud top temperature and height to study atmospheric thermodynamics and storm development.
• Calculating cloud fraction and phase (ice vs. water) for weather forecasting and climate model validation.
• Monitoring cloud emissivity and water path for Earth's energy budget and hydrological cycle research.

Strengths

• Provides high-resolution 750-meter swath data at nadir for detailed spatial analysis.
• Enables continuity of a multi-decadal cloud property record between MODIS and VIIRS instruments.
• Algorithm corrected in version-1.1 to address erroneous liquid water cloud phase results.

Limitations

• Specific row count, total size, and complete column list are unavailable from all sources.
• License is ambiguously specified as 'other-license-specified' without detailed terms.

Provenance

Source

LAADS (Level-1 and Atmosphere Archive & Distribution System)

Collection Method

Derived from spectral channel radiances (visible to infrared) observed by the VIIRS instrument on the NOAA-20 satellite.

Freshness

2026-03-12 20:16:18.763623

Geography

Global swath coverage from a polar-orbiting satellite.