MODIS Instrument Characteristics, Performance, and Data for Climate Studies - Satellite-based Applications on Climate Change - page 38

Fig. 3.6 Trends in the reflectance observed by the MODIS band 1 (0.620-0.670 μ m) (see Doelling

et al. ( 2011 ))

MODIS is only 0.08 K over more than 2,000 days. This is well within the calibra-
tion uncertainty for band 31.
Similarly using the “Dome C” site in Antarctica, along with other sites (deep
convective clouds and the Libyan Desert), the trends in band 1 (0.620-0.670 m)

reflectance are also shown to be quite stable (see Fig. 3.6 , Doelling et al. 2011 ).
As noted previously, the geolocation of MODIS observations was specified to be
150 m (rms) with a goal of 50 m (rms). Overall, the geolocation of MODIS
observations has met the goal as illustrated in Fig. 3.7 . An in-depth description of
how the geolocation results have been obtained is given in Wolfe ( 2006 ).

μ

3.3 MODIS Data Products

Relative to the use of MODIS observations, both for research (including climate
research) and applications, the validity of the results fundamentally depends on the
integrity of the radiances and reflectances provided from MODIS. All the aspects
involved in the calibration and characterization of the MODIS in the previous
section have to be accounted for and provided in the “Level 1B” products. Because
of the many details involved, the processes are not described here, but they are fully
described by Xiong et al. ( 2005a , b , 2006 ). These processes led to the results
illustrated in Figs. 3.5 and 3.6 in the previous section.
In addition to the basic Level 1B products that serve as the basis for all
subsequent MODIS products, there are nominally approximately 40 Level 2 and
above products developed and maintained by the MODIS Science Team. A recent
list of those products along with web locations for getting more information on
these products follows below (see also http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov/data/dataprod/
index.php ) . The main facility producing MODIS products is the MODIS Adaptive
Processing System (MODAPS) located at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center.
The data products for the Level 1B and atmosphere products are stored and
distributed at the MODIS “Level 1 and Atmospheres Archive and Distribution
System” (LAADS) also located at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in
Maryland. The land products are stored and distributed at the Land Processes
Distributed Active Archive Center (LPDAAC) located at the U.S. Geological
Survey (USGS) Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center in