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Australian Airborne Cal/val Experiment for SMOS
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MODerate resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS)

MODIS-Terra

Source: http://terra.nasa.gov, access on 28th, Apr. 2010

MODIS-Aqua

Source: http://aqua.nasa.gov, access on 28th, Apr. 2010

The MODIS instrument is a highly sensitive radiometer operating in 36 spectral bands ranging from 0.4μm to 14.4μm. Two bands are imaged at a nominal resolution of 250m at nadir, five bands at 500m, and the remaining 29 bands at 1km. MODIS is operating onboard Terra and Aqua. Terra was launched in December 1999 and Aqua in May 2002. A ±55° scanning pattern at 705km altitude achieves a 2,330km swath that provides global coverage every one to two days. Aqua has a 1:30am/pm equator crossing time while Terra has a 10:30am/pm equator crossing time, meaning that MODIS data is typically available on a daily basis. MODIS data are free of charge and can be accessed online. In general, the range of surface temperature values is dependent on the time of acquisition, and is greater for Aqua. The downscaling approaches based on optical data requires a strong coupling between surface temperature and surface soil moisture, which commonly occurs in areas where surface evaporation is not energy limited and when solar radiation is relatively high (usually between 11 am and 3 pm). Therefore MODIS on Aqua (1:30 pm) is more relevant than MODIS on Terra for downscaling purposes. MODIS coverage for the Murrumbidgee Catchment is summarised in the tables below. MODIS data can be downloaded from NASA.


Mission MODIS
Sensor Medium-resolution, multi-spectral, cross-track scanning radiometer
Spacecraft Terra Aqua
Launch date 18th, Dec. 1999 4th, May 2002
Design life (year) 6 6
Orbit Near-polar orbit. Cross the equator at 10:30 a.m.(descending node) Sun-synchronous, near-polar orbit at an altitude of 705 km. Cross the equator at local time ~1:30 p.m. (ascending node) and ~1:30 a.m. (descending).
Spacecraft Operations Control Centre NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
Center Frequency (GHz) 36 spectral bands; 21 within 0.4-3.0 μm; 15 within 3-14.5 μm.
Spatial resolution (km) Two bands are imaged at a nominal resolution of 250 m at nadir, with five bands at 500 m, and the remaining 29 bands at 1 km
Incidence Angle (°) ±55
Swath (km) 2330
Temporal resolution (day) 1~2

MODIS-Aqua overpass time

MODIS-Aqua coverage for the Murrumbidgee Catchment during the AACES-2 campaign has been calculated by a Fortran program based on NORAD data for 29th, Aug. 2010, and is summarized in the table below. Date and time are in UTC. Aircraft flights were assumed to be conducted at 7:45 for descending overpass and 20:35 for ascending overpass.

  : Transect flight within 6 hours   : Patch flight within 6 hours
: Fully covered : Partially covered

UTC Date Start UTC Time Duration (s) Flight Patch
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
2010/09/08 4:33:35 352  
2010/09/08 15:35:38 359  
2010/09/09 3:38:22 331  
2010/09/09 14:41:19 287  
2010/09/09 16:19:40 209            
2010/09/10 4:21:04 374  
2010/09/10 15:23:21 360 T01
2010/09/11 3:26:29 283    
2010/09/11 5:05:04 216          
2010/09/11 14:29:51 208            
2010/09/11 16:06:42 293    
2010/09/12 4:08:40 380  
2010/09/12 15:11:05 360 P04
2010/09/13 3:14:58 187                
2010/09/13 4:52:16 294  
2010/09/13 15:54:05 336  
2010/09/14 3:56:24 368  
2010/09/14 14:58:58 347  
2010/09/15 4:39:42 337  
2010/09/15 15:41:39 356 P05
2010/09/16 3:44:15 346  
2010/09/16 14:47:02 314  
2010/09/16 16:26:21 122                  
2010/09/17 4:27:11 364  
2010/09/17 15:29:22 359  
2010/09/18 3:32:15 311  
2010/09/18 5:11:34 145                
2010/09/18 14:35:22 255 P06      
2010/09/18 16:13:00 257 P06      
2010/09/19 4:14:42 379  
2010/09/19 15:17:03 361  
2010/09/20 3:20:30 245          
2010/09/20 4:58:29 260      
2010/09/20 14:24:10 145                  
2010/09/20 16:00:13 318 P07
2010/09/21 4:02:22 376  
2010/09/21 15:04:52 355 P08
2010/09/22 3:09:33 71                    
2010/09/22 4:45:50 317  
2010/09/22 15:47:41 349  
2010/09/23 3:50:09 358  
2010/09/23 14:52:49 333 T02
2010/09/24 4:33:17 352  
2010/09/24 15:35:20 359  
2010/09/25 3:38:04 332  
2010/09/25 14:41:00 289  
2010/09/25 16:19:24 205              
2010/09/26 4:20:46 374  

MODIS-Terra overpass time

MODIS-Terra coverage for the Murrumbidgee Catchment during the first AACES campaign have been determined from a Fortran program based on NORAD data for 29th, Aug. 2010, and are summarized in the table below. The date and time are UTC time. Aircraft flights were assumed to be conducted at 7:45 for descending overpass and 20:35 for ascending overpass.

  : Transect flight within 6 hours   : Patch flight within 6 hours
: Fully covered : Partially covered

UTC Date Start UTC Time Duration (s) Flight Patch
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
2010/09/08 0:16:59 361  
2010/09/08 12:20:09 281    
2010/09/08 13:58:43 217          
2010/09/08 23:23:31 207            
2010/09/09 1:00:21 294  
2010/09/09 13:02:20 380  
2010/09/10 0:04:45 360  
2010/09/10 12:08:39 185                
2010/09/10 13:45:56 295  
2010/09/11 0:47:46 336 T01
2010/09/11 12:50:05 368  
2010/09/11 23:52:40 346  
2010/09/12 13:33:24 337  
2010/09/13 0:35:21 356 P04
2010/09/13 12:37:58 346  
2010/09/13 23:40:45 314  
2010/09/14 1:20:03 124                  
2010/09/14 13:20:54 365  
2010/09/15 0:23:05 359  
2010/09/15 12:25:59 311  
2010/09/15 14:05:18 146                
2010/09/15 23:29:07 254 P05      
2010/09/16 1:06:44 258 P05      
2010/09/16 13:08:27 379  
2010/09/17 0:10:49 360  
2010/09/17 12:14:16 244          
2010/09/17 13:52:14 261      
2010/09/17 23:17:56 144                  
2010/09/18 0:53:59 318  
2010/09/18 12:56:09 376  
2010/09/18 23:58:38 355 P06
2010/09/19 12:03:22 66                    
2010/09/19 13:39:37 317  
2010/09/20 0:41:29 348  
2010/09/20 12:43:57 358  
2010/09/20 23:46:37 334 P07
2010/09/21 13:27:06 352  
2010/09/22 0:29:09 359 P08
2010/09/22 12:31:53 332  
2010/09/22 23:34:50 289  
2010/09/23 1:13:13 207              
2010/09/23 13:14:36 374  
2010/09/24 0:16:53 361 T02
2010/09/24 12:20:01 284    
2010/09/24 13:58:38 214            
2010/09/24 23:23:23 210            
2010/09/25 1:00:16 291    
2010/09/25 13:02:13 380  
2010/09/26 0:04:39 359  
2010/09/26 12:08:30 190                
2010/09/26 13:45:50 293  
Created: September 2010
Last Modified: September 2010
Maintainer: YE Nan, Ye.Nan@monash.edu