Atm. Profile Product (07_L2) File Format Basics

Cloud (06_L2) Product files are stored in Hierarchical Data Format (HDF). HDF is a multi-object file format for sharing scientific data in multi-platform distributed environments. HDF files should only be accessed through HDF library subroutine and function calls, which can be downloaded from the HDF web site. Each of the parameters listed below is stored as a Scientific Data Set (SDS) within the HDF file.

Atm. Profile Product (07_L2) Scientific Data Sets 
(Primary SDS's only, not a complete list)

Dimension List

MOD07_L2 Dimension List 

• Cell_Along_Swath = 406 (typical)
• Cell_Across_Swath = 270 (typical)
• Band_Number = 15
• Pressure_Level = 20
• Output_Parameter = 10
• Water_Vapor_QA_Bytes = 5

MOD07_L2 Scientific Data Set (SDS) List 

Geolocation and Time Parameters

• Latitude
  Description: Geodetic Latitude
  Dimensions: (Cell_Along_Swath, Cell_Across_Swath)
  Valid Range: -90 to +90 degrees north
• Longitude
  Description: Geodetic Longitude
  Dimensions: (Cell_Along_Swath, Cell_Across_Swath)
  Valid Range: -180 to +180 degrees east
• Scan_Start_Time
  Description: International Atomic Time at Start of Scan replicated across the Swath
  Dimensions: (Cell_Along_Swath, Cell_Across_Swath)
  Valid Range: 0.0 to 3.1558E+9 seconds since 1 January 1993 00:00:00

Solar and Viewing Geometry Parameters

• Solar_Zenith
  Description: Solar Zenith Angle, Cell to Sun
  Dimensions: (Cell_Along_Swath, Cell_Across_Swath)
  Valid Range: 0 to +180 degrees
• Solar_Azimuth
  Description: Solar Azimuth Angle, Cell to Sun
  Dimensions: (Cell_Along_Swath, Cell_Across_Swath)
  Valid Range: -180 to +180 degrees
• Sensor_Zenith
  Description: Sensor Zenith Angle, Cell to Sensor
  Dimensions: (Cell_Along_Swath, Cell_Across_Swath)
  Valid Range: 0 to 180 degrees
• Sensor_Azimuth
  Description: Sensor Azimuth Angle, Cell to Sensor
  Dimensions: (Cell_Along_Swath, Cell_Across_Swath)
  Valid Range: -180 to 180 degrees

Science Parameters

• Brightness_Temperature
  Description: Brightness Temperature
  Dimensions: (Band_Number, Cell_Along_Swath, Cell_Across_Swath)
  Valid Range: 150 to 350 K
• Skin_Temperature
  Description: Surface_Temperature
  Dimensions: (Cell_Along_Swath, Cell_Across_Swath)
  Valid Range: 150 to 350 K
• Surface_Pressure
  Description: Surface_Pressure
  Dimensions: (Cell_Along_Swath, Cell_Across_Swath)
  Valid Range: 800 to 1100 hPa
• Surface_Elevation
  Description: Surface_Elevation
  Dimensions: (Cell_Along_Swath, Cell_Across_Swath)
  Valid Range: -400 to 8840 meters
• Processing_Flag
  Description: Processing_Flag
  Dimensions: (Cell_Along_Swath, Cell_Across_Swath)
  Valid Range: byte array
• Tropopause_Height
  Description: Tropopause_Height
  Dimensions: (Cell_Along_Swath, Cell_Across_Swath)
  Valid Range: 1 to 1100 hPa
• Guess_Temperature_Profile
  Description: Guess_Temperature_Profile
  Dimensions: (Pressure_Level, Cell_Along_Swath, Cell_Across_Swath)
  Valid Range: 150 to 350 K
• Guess_Moisture_Profile
  Description: Guess Dew Point Temperature Profile
  Dimensions: (Pressure_Level, Cell_Along_Swath, Cell_Across_Swath)
  Valid Range: 150 to 350 K
• Retrieved_Temperature_Profile
  Description: Retrieved Temperature Profile
  Dimensions: (Pressure_Level, Cell_Along_Swath, Cell_Across_Swath)
  Valid Range: 150 to 350 K
• Retrieved_Moisture_Profile
  Description: Retrieved Dew Point Temperature Profile
  Dimensions: (Pressure_Level, Cell_Along_Swath, Cell_Across_Swath)
  Valid Range: 150 to 350 K
• Retrieved_Height_Profile
  Description: Retrieved Geopotential Height Profile
  Dimensions: (Pressure_Level, Cell_Along_Swath, Cell_Across_Swath)
  Valid Range: 0 to 65000 meters
• Total_Ozone
  Description: Total Ozone Burden
  Dimensions: (Cell_Along_Swath, Cell_Across_Swath)
  Valid Range: 0 to 500 Dobson units
• Total_Totals
  Description: Total Totals
  Dimensions: (Cell_Along_Swath, Cell_Across_Swath)
  Valid Range: 0 to 80 K
• Lifted_Index
  Description: Lifted Index
  Dimensions: (Cell_Along_Swath, Cell_Across_Swath)
  Valid Range: -20 to 40 K
• K_Index
  Description: K Index
  Dimensions: (Cell_Along_Swath, Cell_Across_Swath)
  Valid Range: 268 to 340 K
• Water_Vapor
  Description: Total Column Precipitable Water Vapor - IR Retrieval
  Dimensions: (Cell_Along_Swath, Cell_Across_Swath)
  Valid Range: 0 to 20 cm
• Water_Vapor_Direct
  Description: Total Column Precipitable Water Vapor - Direct IR Retrieval
  Dimensions: (Cell_Along_Swath, Cell_Across_Swath)
  Valid Range: 0 to 20 cm
• Water_Vapor_Low
  Description: Precipitable Water Vapor Low - IR Retrieval
  Dimensions: (Cell_Along_Swath, Cell_Across_Swath)
  Valid Range: 0 to 20 cm
• Water_Vapor_High
  Description: Precipitable Water Vapor High - IR Retrieval
  Dimensions: (Cell_Along_Swath, Cell_Across_Swath)
  Valid Range: 0 to 20 cm

Quality Assurance

• Quality_Assurance
  Description: Quality Assurance Parameters
  Dimensions: (Cell_Along_Swath, Cell_Across_Swath, Output_Parameter)
  Valid Range: bit field
• Quality_Assurance_Infrared
  Description: Runtime Quality Assurance Flags for Water_Vapor_Infrared
  Dimensions: (Cell_Along_Swath, Cell_Across_Swath, Water_Vapor_QA_Bytes)
  Valid Range: bit field

Cloud Mask

• Cloud_Mask
  Description: MODIS Cloud Mask , First Byte
  Dimensions: (Cell_Along_Swath, Cell_Across_Swath)
  Valid Range: bit field
  Flag Interpretation:
   

MOD07_L2 VData (Tables) List 

• Band_Number
  Description: MODIS Band Number
  Dimensions: (Band_Number)
  Data Values: 20, 22, 23, 24, 25, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36
• Pressure_Level
  Description: Pressure Levels of Profiles
  Dimensions: (Band_Number)
  Data Values: 05., 10., 20., 30., 50., 70., 100., 150., 200., 250., 300., 400., 500., 620., 700., 780., 850., 920., 950., 1000.
  Units: hPa