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The Winter of 2013 – 2014: A Cold, Snowy and Icy Winter in North America
This animation shows the snow cover over North America during the 2013-2014 winter as well as the ice concentration over the Great Lakes. The date and a graph showing the percent of ice cover over the Great Lakes and Lake Superior is shown on this version. file size is 5.2 MB
Snow Cover & Sea Ice Animation
This animation shows the advance and retreat of daily snow cover along with daily sea ice surface temperature globally from September 2002 through May 2003. file size is 31MB
Surface Temperature of the Greenland Ice Sheet During the Summer of 2005
This animation shows daily surface temperature of the Greenland ice sheet from May 1 through September 1, 2005. An overlay contains a date bar, a color bar and text labels. file size is 14MB
Daily Snow and Sea Ice Temperature over the North Pole
This animation shows the daily advance and retreat of snow cover, and sea ice surface temperature over the North Pole during the winter of 2002-2003. file size is 31MB
Daily Snow and Sea Ice Temperature over North America
This animation shows the daily advance and retreat of snow cover, and sea ice surface temperature over North America during the winter of 2002-2003. file size is 15MB
Daily Snow and Sea Ice Temperature over Europe
This animation shows the daily advance and retreat of snow cover, and sea ice surface temperature over Europe during the winter of 2002-2003. file size is 31MB
Daily Snow and Sea Ice Temperature over Asia
This animation shows the daily advance and retreat of snow cover, and sea ice surface temperature over Asia during the winter of 2002-2003. file size is 7MB
Validation Status
TERRA MODIS SNOW DATA PRODUCTS COLLECTION 5 VALIDATION AND PRODUCT QUALITY STATUS
30 November 2010All of the MODIS Collection snow products are considered to be Validated, Stage 2. Analysis of the snow data products is an ongoing activity. Information on the science quality of the snow data products is reported in the "ScienceQualityFlagExplanation". The URL for the quality assessment site is given in the product metadata and is not linked in Warehouse Inventory Search Tool (WIST). The "ScienceQualityFlagExplanation" is changed in response to analysis results and should be checked for updated information. Current info on validation at MODIS land team validations site landval.gsfc.nasa.gov.
Download PDF version of MODIS snow data products validation and product quality status
TERRA MODIS SEA ICE DATA PRODUCTS COLLECTION 5 VALIDATION STATUS
12 February 2003
All of the MODIS Collection 5 sea ice products are considered to be Validated, Stage 1. A notable improvement in the quality of the daily sea ice product, MOD29P1D, has been observed due to inclusion of a scoring algorithm that results in coherent mapping of sea ice. Although the MODIS Level 1B data is declared validated, it may have characteristics prior to November 2000 that affect the quality of the sea ice data products.
Analysis of the quality of the sea ice data products is an ongoing activity. Specific information on the science quality of the sea ice data products is reported in the "ScienceQualityFlagExplanation". The URL for the quality assessment site is given in the product metadata and is linked to from the Warehouse Inventory Search Tool (WIST) when ordering data. The "ScienceQualityFlagExplanation" is changed in response to analysis and should be checked for updated information. In the MOD29 and MOD29P1D data products there are two instances of the "ScienceQualityFlagExplanation", one for sea ice determined by reflectance data and one for IST written in the metadata. Information on both is posted at that URL.
Data dates of Collection 3 and Collection 4 and validation status are presented in Table 1. The forward and reprocessing data production streams of Collection 4 are shown separately to show the time periods in each. Collection 4 begins on 24 February 2000 and continues to the present.
Download PDF version of MODIS sea ice data products validation and product quality status
AQUA MODIS SNOW AND SEA ICE DATA PRODUCTS VALIDATION AND PRODUCT QUALITY STATUS UPDATE
The Aqua snow and sea ice products differ from the Terra products because MODIS band 7 (2.1 µm) is used in place of MODIS band 6 (1.6 µm) in the Aqua products. Bands were changed because the many non-functional detectors in MODIS Aqua band 6 significantly decreased quality of the data. Snow reflectance is similar in bands 6 and 7 and a very similar snow or ice map can be obtained with band 7, however there are some differences. Aqua and Terra validation and quality status are tracked and reported separately.
Aqua Collection 5 Snow Products
MYD10_L2 - Validation status: Stage 2.
Aqua MODIS band 7 is used in the algorithm. The test for snow in dense vegetation in the algorithm was disabled because it was observed to result in frequent erroneous snow mapping in some situations. Disabling that test reduced but, has not entirely eliminated snow errors. Notable instances of error have been observed associated with cloud edges over vegetated surfaces. Investigation is continuing. The cloud mask product, MYD35_L2, used as input to the MYD10_L2 algorithm also changed to use of band 7. The effect of that change relative to snow/cloud discrimination is being investigated.
MYD10A1 - Validation status: Stage 2.
Daily snow maps have improved quality due to a new scoring selection algorithm based on the solar elevation, distance from nadir and coverage of an observation in a grid cell of the projection. Reduction of erroneous snow mapping in high northern latitudes during summer months has been achieved. Erroneous snow mapping associated with cloud edges over vegetated surfaces in MYD10_L2 is carried forward into the MYD10A1 product. A snow albedo data array is contained in the product. Snow albedo is calculated for all snow observations in the corresponding snow map. Snow albedo has a beta validation status.
MYD10C1 - Validation status: Stage 2.
Daily global snow maps have generally improved quality. Improvements and errors from MYD10A1 are carried forward into the MYD10C1 product.
MYD10A2 - Validation status: Stage 2.
Eight-day snow maps have quality similar to the MYD10A1 products. The algorithm generates a maximum snow extent map. Daily snow errors are carried forward to eight-day snow map.
MYD10C2 - Validation status: Stage 2.
Eight-day global snow maps show improved continuity in features mapped. Improvements from MYD10A2 are apparent in this product, as are the errors also. Erroneous mapping of low snow fractions decreases quality of the eight-day snow map.
Aqua Collection 5 Sea Ice Products
MYD29 - Validation status: Stage 2.
Aqua MODIS band 7 is used in the algorithm. Good quality has been observed in the sea ice maps; however, investigation of effects of the switch to band 7 is continuing. The cloud mask product, MYD35_L2, used as input to the MYD29 algorithm also changed to use of band 7. The effect of that change relative to sea ice/cloud discrimination is being investigated. The ice surface temperature (IST) was not affected by the switch to band 7 except, possibly indirectly by the cloud mask switch to band 7. Validation status is set at provisional until further validation work specific to Aqua IST maps can be completed.
MYD29P1D - Validation status: Stage 2.
Daily sea ice maps have greatly improved quality due to the good quality of the MYD29 V004 products.
MYD29E1D - Validation status: Stage 2.
In collection 5, data quality greatly improved because of improvements in the MYD29 V004 and MYD29P1D V004products. In polar regions at the boundary of polar darkness and daylight, inconsistency in features mapped is observed. That inconsistency appears to be related to how observations in darkness are processed in the input data products.
Selected Snow Team Publications dealing with Validation
Hall, D.K., G.A. Riggs, V.V. Salomonson, N. DiGiromamo and K.J. Bayr, 2002: "MODIS Snow-Cover Products," Remote Sensing of Environment, 83:181-194.
Hall, D.K., R.E.J. Kelly, G.A. Riggs, A.T.C. Chang and J.L. Foster, 2002: "Assessment of the relative accuracy of hemispheric-scale snow-cover maps," Annals of Glaciology, V.34:24-30
Riggs, G.A. and D. K. Hall, in press: "Reduction of Cloud Obscuration in the MODIS Snow Data Product," Presented at the 59th Eastern Snow Conference, 5-7 June 2002, Stowe, VT.
Hall, D.K., R. Solberg and G.A. Riggs, 2002: "Validation of satellite snow cover maps in North America and Norway," Proceedings of the 59th Eastern Snow Conference, 5-7 June 2002, Stowe, VT.
Data Product Validation and Quality Assessment Links
MODIS Land website
MODIS Land Data Products Quality Assessment website
