Fifteen Years of Earth Observations from MODIS: What Has Been Accomplished?

Abstract:

The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) was developed by NASA and launched onboard the Terra spacecraft on December 18, 1999 and Aqua spacecraft on May 4, 2002. It achieved its final orbit and began Earth observations on February 24, 2000 for Terra and June 24, 2002 for Aqua. Among the remote sensing algorithms developed and applied to this sensor for nearly 15 years of Earth observations are spectral and spatial distribution of albedo and surface reflectance, snow and sea ice mapping, land cover and vegetation index, fire products, including burn scars, cloud amount, cloud and aerosol optical properties, sea surface temperature, and ocean color. The archived products from these algorithms have applications in climate change studies, climate modeling, numerical weather prediction, biogeochemistry studies, and fundamental atmospheric research.

A sampling of what has been accomplished and the breadth of new, often unanticipated, applications will be highlighted and discussed. Many of the MODIS products have already been adopted by agencies concerned with natural resource and environmental management.