L2 CLDPROP (Cloud Properties) DOI Reference

Dataset Short Name:
CLDPROP_L2_MODIS_Aqua  (MODIS Instrument / Aqua Platform)
CLDPROP_L2_VIIRS_SNPP  (VIIRS Instrument / SNPP Platform)

Dataset Long Name:
Continuity MODIS/Aqua Level-2 (L2) Cloud Properties Product
Continuity VIIRS/SNPP Level-2 (L2) Cloud Properties Product

Other Information:
Swath, 1km resolution
MODIS: Five minute time-period granules
VIIRS: Six minute time-period granules
Format: NetCDF4 files

Platform:
Aqua  
SNPP 

Instrument:
MODIS  (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer)
VIIRS  (Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite)

Product Description:
The Level-2 Continuity Atmosphere Cloud Property Products consists of cloud optical and physical parameters. These parameters are derived using remotely sensed infrared visible and near infrared solar reflected radiances.  Infrared channel radiances are used to derive cloud top temperature cloud top height effective emissivity cloud phase ice vs. water opaque vs. nonopaque and cloud fraction under both daytime and nighttime conditions. Visible radiances are used to derive cloud optical thickness and effective particle radius and cloud shadow effects. Near infrared solar reflected radiance provides additional information in the retrieval of cloud particle phase ice vs. water clouds vs. snow.  All gridded cloud parameters are stored as Scientific Data Sets (SDS) within the file. Nighttime files are smaller than their daytime counterparts since only cloud top properties are retrieved at night. The Continuity Atmosphere Cloud Products will be used to investigate seasonal and interannual changes in cirrus semitransparent global cloud cover and cloud phase with multispectral observations at high spatial 1 kilometer resolution. .

Production Frequency:
MODIS: 288 files per day
VIIRS: 240 files per day

Spatial Coverage:
Global

Spatial Resolution:
1x1 km at nadir

File Size:
15 to 150 MB

Related Links:
https://atmosphere-imager.gsfc.nasa.gov/continuity/products/cloud-properties/introduction
(Atmosphere Imager Continuity Cloud Product)

Data Authors:
Cloud Optical Properties: Steve Platnick, Kerry Meyer, Gala Wind, Tom Arnold, Nandana Amrasinghe, Ben Marchant, & Chenxi Wang
Cloud Top Properties: Steve Ackerman, Andy Heidinger, Bob Holtz, Yue Li, & Rich Frey

Dataset Originator/Creator:
Atmosphere Science Team / Cloud Optical Properties Retrieval Group
Atmosphere Science Team / Cloud Top Properties Retrieval Group
Science Investigator-led Processing Systems (SIPS)

When using Version 1.1 Data:   (File Version 011) 
(To determine the Collection version of the data you used or are using, look at the NetCDF4 filename. If there is a ".011." field in the NetCDF4 filename, then it's Version 1.1 data.)

Dataset DOI:   (Data Object Identifier)

dx.doi.org/10.5067/MODIS/CLDPROP_L2_MODIS_Aqua.011  (MODIS)
dx.doi.org/10.5067/VIIRS/CLDPROP_L2_VIIRS_SNPP.011  (VIIRS)

Citation:   (We kindly request that you cite the use of any Version 1.1 Continuity Atmosphere Cloud data in a publication using the following wording.) 

Platnick, S.; Meyer, K.; Wind, G.; Holz, R.E.; Amarasinghe, N.; Hubanks, P.A.; Marchant, B.; Dutcher, S.; Veglio, P. The NASA MODIS-VIIRS Continuity Cloud Optical Properties Products. Remote Sens. 2021, 13, 2.   View PDF

Meyer, K.; Platnick, S.; Holz, R.; Dutcher, S.; Quinn, G.; Nagle, F. Derivation of Shortwave Radiometric Adjustments for SNPP and NOAA-20 VIIRS for the NASA MODIS-VIIRS Continuity Cloud Products. Remote Sens. 2020, 12, 4096.   View PDF