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):
ALBEDOSNOW 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
General Questions & FAQs
For the snow cover and sea ice products, users can use MODIS Collections 6 and 6.1 together.
OPeNDAP, the Open-source Project for a Network Data Access Protocol, is a NASA community standard DAP that provides a simple way for researchers to access and work with data over the internet.
Data products from VIIRS are created to be similar to MODIS data products to ensure the continuity needed for the development of snow and sea ice climate records beyond the life expectancy of MODIS. The temporal resolution and spatial extent are identical in MODIS and VIIRS.
The lag time between observations and availability of MODIS products is only a few days. Lag time may be extended due to satellite maneuvers and extra quality assurance required for the geolocation data after the maneuver.
This short article describes the customization services available for ICESat-2 data using Earthdata Search
The Normalized Difference Snow Index (NDSI) snow cover is an index that is related to the presence of snow in a pixel and is a more accurate description of snow detection as compared to Fractional Snow Cover (FSC). Snow typically has very high visible (VIS) reflectance and very low reflectan
How to Articles
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
To convert HDF5 files into binary format you will need to use the h5dump utility, which is part of the HDF5 distribution available from the HDF Group. How you install HDF5 depends on your operating system.
This step-by-step tutorial demonstrates how to access MODIS and SMAP data using the Application for Extracting and Exploring Analysis Ready Samples (AppEEARS). AppEEARS allows users to access, explore, and download point and area data with spatial, temporal, and parameter subsets.
The "Snow Depth and Snow Cover Data Exploration” Jupyter Notebook provides Python code to access and compare coincident snow data across in-situ, airborne, and satellite platforms from NASA's SnowEx, ASO, and MODIS data sets, respectively.
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) is directly accessible through our HTTPS file system using Wget or curl. This article provides basic command line instructions for accessing data using this method.
This article highlights the NSIDC DAAC data sets available with customization options and outlines a workflow for searching, ordering, and customizing data in NASA Earthdata Search. This approach is ideal for users who want to download data to their local machine.
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.