MODIS Direct Broadcast Data Products

CIMSS has a direct broadcast X-band downlink which allows data to be received in real time. The International MODIS/AIRS Processing Package (IMAPP) allows CIMSS to produce calibrated and geo-located MODIS radiances. The MODIS Direct Broadcast data products produced at CIMSS include cloud top properties (also known as MOD06 in MODIS terminology), cloud clearing (MOD35), and more.

In addition to the regular MODIS cloud clearing and cloud property products, three additional cloud products are available from the multilayered cloud effort. These products include cloud thermodynamic phase, multilayered cloud detection, and a merged cloud phase, multilayered cloud detection product. Each product is at the full MODIS 1-km spatial resolution. The data products page describes the data files in more detail.

Imagery and data products are provided for both Terra and Aqua MODIS instruments in near real-time. Data products for 8 days are available at any time through a rolling data archive. Statistics regarding the cloud phase and cloud overlap are included for each granule. The multilayered cloud detection process for Terra uses the 1.6 and 11-micron bands (bands 6 and 31, respectively). Because band 6 on the Aqua MODIS imager has a number of questionable detectors, the multilayered cloud detection process uses the 2.1 and 11-micron bands (bands 7 and 31, respectively).

The multilayer cloud products must be considered a beta version at this time. As more experience is gained from applying the methodology to MODIS DB data, the algorithm will be updated.