MODIS Instrument Characteristics, Performance, and Data for Climate Studies - Satellite-based Applications on Climate Change - page 46

Along with the real potential for providing observations nominally useful for
climate studies, there, nevertheless, will be continuing challenges for the research
and applications communities to utilize these observations successfully. A few
examples are noted below.
The first set of challenges deals with updating with accommodating changes in
instrument performance or updating of product algorithms. There must be resources
not only to continue the calibration and instrument characterization of the
instruments, but also quality assurance activities should be provided to look for
anomalies or inconsistencies in the data. Additionally periodic reprocessing of the
data sets should be considered mandatory in order to assure research and
applications communities that “trends” seen in the data records are real (e.g., due
to climate change) and not a quirk in the data set for which corrections have not
been made properly.
The second set of challenges has to do with merging data sets and processing the
large amounts of data involved. To do optimally do climate studies covering as
many years as possible can involve fusing data records from the various instruments
(e.g., AVHRR, MODIS, VIIRS, SeaWiFS, on US satellites and similar instruments
on satellites operated by other countries and agencies) to provide quality data sets
spanning many years. Furthermore, techniques to analyze or sample the large data
volumes will have to be developed or improved so as to allow climate results from
these data to be acquired. This could involve utilizing improved computing and
storage technologies or approaches (e.g., “cloud” computing and storage) or selec-
tion of key indicator subsets of data such as “golden months” or other subsampling
approaches.
Albeit there are challenges ahead such as those just noted, the fundamental
nearly synoptic, global coverage by satellite instruments such as the MODIS
makes the investments to allow the confident use of the data seem well justified.
Given what has been accomplished to date, the promise for the future in obtaining
better understanding of the processes and trends in the many parameters comprising
the Earth-atmosphere system seems very exciting and real.
References
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radiometric performance with multiple approaches over various targets. In: Proceedings of the
CALCON conference. Logan, Aug 29-Sept 1 2011
Esaias WE (1986) Moderate resolution imaging spectroradiometer (MODIS): MODIS instrument
panel report, Earth observing system report, vol IIb, National Aeronautics and Space
Administration
Hall DK, Foster JL, DiGirolamo NE, Riggs GA (2012) Snow cover, snowmelt timing and stream
power in the Wind River Range. Wyoming. Geomorphology 137(1):87-93
Meynart R, Neeck SP, Shimoda H (eds) (2005) Sensors, systems, and next-generation satellites IX.
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