MODIS/Terra Snow Cover Daily L3 Global 500m SIN Grid, Version 61
Data set id:
MOD10A1
DOI: 10.5067/MODIS/MOD10A1.061
This is the most recent version of these data.
Version Summary
Version Summary
1. The low visible reflectance screen for snow cover using bands 2 and 4 was lowered from 0.10 to 0.07.
2. Cloud mask algorithm flags are set for 'probably cloudy' and 'probably clear' sky conditions in the algorithm flags QA data set.
2. Cloud mask algorithm flags are set for 'probably cloudy' and 'probably clear' sky conditions in the algorithm flags QA data set.
Overview
This global Level-3 (L3) data set provides a daily composite of snow cover and albedo derived from the 'MODIS/Terra Snow Cover 5-Min L2 Swath 500m' data set (DOI:10.5067/MODIS/MOD10_L2.061). Each data granule is a 10°x10° tile projected to a 500 m sinusoidal grid.
The terms "Version 61" and "Collection 6.1" are used interchangeably in reference to this release of MODIS data.
Parameter(s):
ALBEDO
SNOW COVER
Platform(s):
Terra
Sensor(s):
MODIS
Data Format(s):
HDF-EOS2
Temporal Coverage:
24 February 2000 to present
Temporal Resolution:
1 day
Spatial Resolution:
500 m
500 m
Spatial Coverage:
N:
90
S:
-90
E:
180
W:
-180
Blue outlined yellow areas on the map below indicate the spatial coverage for this data set.
Strengths and Limitations
Strengths
- The daily snow-cover maps provide an excellent representation of the extent of snow cover at 500-m resolution in areas that are cloud-free (Hall and Riggs, 2007).
- The daily snow-cover record from MODIS begins on February 24, 2000, and thus represents more than two decades of moderate-resolution (500 m) snow-cover maps (Hall et al., 2019)
- The daily MODIS snow-cover record is useful to assess regional snow cover and trends (Riggs and Hall, 2020).
- The MODIS snow-cover products provide Normalized Difference Snow Index (NDSI) values from 0 – 100. Users can use the NDSI as is or convert it to fractional or binary snow cover (Salomonson and Appel, 2004; Riggs et al., 2019). There are flag values for other features in a scene (e.g., clouds).
- The daily snow-cover maps include cloud cover, polar darkness and other features (Riggs et al., 2019).
Limitations
- The biggest limitation to the use of the MODIS snow-cover products is cloud cover, which can prevent mapping of some snow (Hall and Riggs, 2007).
- Polar darkness prevents snow-cover mapping in polar regions during the winter (Riggs et al., 2019).
- Areas of ephemeral snow cover and very thin snow cover may not be mapped by MODIS (Hall et al., 2010).
Data Access & Tools
A free NASA Earthdata Login account is required to access these data. Learn More
Documentation
User Guide
General Resources
Product Specification Documents
Help Articles
Getting started
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How To
Many NSIDC DAAC data sets can be accessed using the NSIDC DAAC's Data Access Tool. This tool provides the ability to search and filter data with spatial and temporal constraints using a map-based interface.
Users have the option to
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Data subscriptions are available for select NSIDC DAAC data collections. Once signed up, the subscription service automatically sends you new data as they are delivered from active NASA satellite missions.
All data from the NASA National Snow and Ice Data Center Distributed Active Archive Center (NSIDC DAAC) can be accessed directly from our HTTPS file system, using wget or curl. Basic command line instructions are provided in the article below.
NASA Earthdata Search is a map-based interface where a user can search for Earth science data, filter results based on spatial and temporal constraints, and order data with customizations including re-formatting, re-projecting, and spatial and parameter subsetting.
NASA Worldview is a map interface that allows users to interactively browse imagery, create visualizations, and download the underlying data.
NASA's Global Imagery Browse Services (GIBS) provides up to date, full resolution imagery for selected NSIDC DAAC data sets.