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MODIS Standard ATBDs, Plans, & Guides

QA Plan

MODIS Atmosphere QA Plan for Collection 061
(includes Cloud Optical Property update)
Version 11 (22 Sep 2021)
Hubanks, et.al  View PDF

MODIS Atmosphere QA Plan for Collection 006
(includes Deep Blue Aerosol, Atmosphere Profile, Cloud Top, Cloud Optical, & Cloud Mask updates)
Version 8 (5 May 2015)
Hubanks, et.al  View PDF

User's Guides

Cloud (06_L2)

Cloud Optical Properties User's Guide for Collection 6 & 6.1
Final Version, v1.1, July 2018:
Platnick, Meyer, King, Wind, et. al   View PDF

Cloud Mask (35_L2)

Cloud Mask User's Guide for Collection 5
Version 1, 2008:
Strabela   View PDF

Combined User's Guides & Algorithm Theoretical Basis Documents

L3 Global Gridded Daily, Eight Day, Monthly (08_D3, 08_E3, 08_M3)

MODIS Atmosphere L3 Global Gridded Product User's Guide & ATBD for C6.1
Products: 08_D3, 08_E3, 08_M3, August 2020:
Hubanks, Platnick, King, and Ridgway  View PDF

Algorithm Theoretical Basis Documents

Aerosol (04_L2)

Aerosol Product ATBD  (Updated February 2009) 
Remer, Tanre, Kaufman, Levy, & Mattoo, 2009:
Algorithm for Remote Sensing of Tropospheric Aerosol from MODIS for Collection 005: Revision 2
Products: 04_L2. View PDF

Water Vapor (05_L2)

Near-Infrared Water Vapor Product ATBD  (Updated November 1998) 
Gao & Kaufman, 1998:
The MODIS Near-IR Water Vapor Algorithm.
Products: 05_L2. View PDF

Cloud (06_L2)

Cloud Product - C6 Cloud Top Properties & Cloud Phase ATBD  (Updated May 2015) 
Menzel, Frey, Baum, 2015:
Cloud Top Properties and Cloud Phase - Algorithm Theoretical Basis Document.
Products: 06_L2 (CT).   View PDF

Cloud Product - C5 / C51 Cloud Optical Properties ATBD  (Updated January 1998)
King, Tsay, Platnick, Wang, & Liou, 1998:
Cloud Retrieval Algorithms for MODIS: Optical Thickness, Effective Particle Radius, and Thermodynamic Phase.
Products: 06_L2 (OD).   View PDF

Atmospheric Profile (07_L2)

Atmospheric Profile Retrieval Product ATBD  (Updated April 2011) 
Borbas, Seemann, Kern, Moy, Li, Gumley, & Menzel   2011:
MODIS Atmospheric Profile Retrieval - ATBD. (Collection 006)
Products: 07_L2.   View PDF

Cloud Mask (35_L2)

Cloud Mask Product ATBD  (Updated October 2010) 
Ackerman, Frey, Strabala, Liu, Gumley, Baum, & Menzel, 2010:
Discriminating Clear-Sky from Cloud with MODIS - Algorithm Theoretical Basis Document.
Products: 35_L2.   View PDF

Supporting Documents

LUT Overview Document (Cloud Product, 06_L2)

Overview of the MODIS Collection 6 Cloud Optical Property (MOD06) Retrieval Look-up Tables View PDF (v1, 6/28/17)