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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-Terra coverage for the Murrumbidgee Catchment during the first AACES campaign have been determined from a Fortran program based on NORAD data for 6th, Nov. 2009, and are 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
2010/1/18 4:40:25 334  
2010/1/18 15:42:21 356  
2010/1/19 3:44:56 347  
2010/1/19 14:47:42 317  
2010/1/19 16:27:10 106 T00                
2010/1/20 4:27:53 363  
2010/1/20 15:30:03 359  
2010/1/21 3:32:55 313  
2010/1/21 5:12:20 134                  
2010/1/21 14:36:01 259 P01    
2010/1/21 16:13:43 253 P01      
2010/1/22 4:15:23 379  
2010/1/22 15:17:44 361  
2010/1/23 3:21:08 250          
2010/1/23 4:59:11 256      
2010/1/23 14:24:46 153                
2010/1/23 16:00:55 315  
2010/1/24 4:03:03 376  
2010/1/24 15:05:32 356 P02
2010/1/25 3:10:04 94                    
2010/1/25 4:46:31 315  
2010/1/25 15:48:23 347  
2010/1/26 3:50:49 359  
2010/1/26 14:53:28 335  
2010/1/27 4:33:58 350  
2010/1/27 15:36:01 358 P03
2010/1/28 3:38:43 334  
2010/1/28 14:41:38 292  
2010/1/28 16:20:07 199              
2010/1/29 4:21:26 374  
2010/1/29 15:23:43 360 P04
2010/1/30 3:26:48 288    
2010/1/30 5:05:29 208            
2010/1/30 14:30:08 215            
2010/1/30 16:07:06 288    
2010/1/31 4:09:01 381  
2010/1/31 15:11:26 360  
2010/2/1 3:15:14 197              
2010/2/1 4:52:39 289  
2010/2/1 15:54:27 333 T01
2010/2/2 3:56:44 369  
2010/2/2 14:59:18 348  
2010/2/3 4:40:04 334  
2010/2/3 15:41:59 356  
2010/2/4 3:44:34 348  
2010/2/4 14:47:20 317  
2010/2/4 16:26:50 102                    
2010/2/5 4:27:32 363  
2010/2/5 15:29:41 359  
2010/2/6 3:32:33 314  
2010/2/6 5:12:00 130                  
2010/2/6 14:35:38 261 P05    
2010/2/6 16:13:22 251 P05      
2010/2/7 4:15:02 379  
2010/2/7 15:17:23 360  
2010/2/8 3:20:46 252          
2010/2/8 4:58:51 254      
2010/2/8 14:24:23 156                
2010/2/8 16:00:34 314  
2010/2/9 4:02:41 377  
2010/2/9 15:05:10 356 P07
2010/2/10 3:09:40 100                    
2010/2/10 4:46:10 314  
2010/2/10 15:48:01 347  
2010/2/11 3:50:27 360  
2010/2/11 14:53:06 336 P06
2010/2/12 4:33:37 350  
2010/2/12 15:35:39 359  
2010/2/13 3:38:21 335  
2010/2/13 14:41:16 293  
2010/2/13 16:19:46 197              
2010/2/14 4:21:05 373  
2010/2/14 15:23:21 360 P08
2010/2/15 3:26:26 289    
2010/2/15 5:05:09 206            
2010/2/15 14:29:45 217            
2010/2/15 16:06:45 287    
2010/2/16 4:08:40 380  
2010/2/16 15:11:04 360  
2010/2/17 3:14:52 199              
2010/2/17 4:52:18 288  
2010/2/17 14:19:16 18                    
2010/2/17 15:54:05 333 P09
2010/2/18 3:56:23 369 P10
2010/2/18 14:58:56 348  
2010/2/19 4:39:43 333  
2010/2/19 15:41:38 355 T02
2010/2/20 3:44:12 349  
2010/2/20 14:46:58 318  
2010/2/20 16:26:31 97                    
2010/2/21 4:27:11 362  
2010/2/21 15:29:19 360  

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 6th, Nov. 2009, 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
2010/1/18 0:22:41 359  
2010/1/18 12:25:33 312  
2010/1/18 14:04:55 139                  
2010/1/18 23:28:39 258        
2010/1/19 1:06:20 254        
2010/1/19 13:08:01 379  
2010/1/20 0:10:22 361 T00
2010/1/20 12:13:47 247          
2010/1/20 13:51:48 258      
2010/1/20 23:17:24 152                
2010/1/21 0:53:32 316  
2010/1/21 12:55:40 376  
2010/1/21 23:58:09 356 P01
2010/1/22 12:02:45 84                    
2010/1/22 13:39:08 315  
2010/1/23 0:40:59 348  
2010/1/23 12:43:26 358  
2010/1/23 23:46:06 334  
2010/1/24 13:26:35 351  
2010/1/25 0:28:37 359 P02
2010/1/25 12:31:20 333  
2010/1/25 23:34:15 291  
2010/1/26 1:12:42 202              
2010/1/26 13:14:02 374  
2010/1/27 0:16:19 360  
2010/1/27 12:19:25 286    
2010/1/27 13:58:03 212            
2010/1/27 23:22:45 214 P03          
2010/1/28 0:59:41 290 P03  
2010/1/28 13:01:37 380  
2010/1/29 0:04:02 359  
2010/1/29 12:07:52 192              
2010/1/29 13:45:13 292  
2010/1/30 0:47:02 334 P04
2010/1/30 12:49:20 368  
2010/1/30 23:51:53 348  
2010/1/31 13:32:38 335  
2010/2/1 0:34:34 356  
2010/2/1 12:37:09 347  
2010/2/1 23:39:56 315 T01
2010/2/2 1:19:21 110 T01                
2010/2/2 13:20:05 364  
2010/2/3 0:22:15 359  
2010/2/3 12:25:08 312  
2010/2/3 14:04:30 139                  
2010/2/3 23:28:14 257        
2010/2/4 1:05:54 254        
2010/2/4 13:07:35 379  
2010/2/5 0:09:56 361  
2010/2/5 12:13:21 247          
2010/2/5 13:51:22 258      
2010/2/5 23:16:59 150                
2010/2/6 0:53:06 316  
2010/2/6 12:55:14 376  
2010/2/6 23:57:43 355 P05
2010/2/7 12:02:20 81                    
2010/2/7 13:38:41 316  
2010/2/8 0:40:32 348  
2010/2/8 12:42:59 359  
2010/2/8 23:45:39 334  
2010/2/9 13:26:07 352  
2010/2/10 0:28:10 359 P07
2010/2/10 12:30:53 332  
2010/2/10 23:33:48 290  
2010/2/11 1:12:14 203              
2010/2/11 13:13:34 374  
2010/2/12 0:15:51 360 P06
2010/2/12 12:18:58 284    
2010/2/12 13:57:35 213            
2010/2/12 23:22:18 212            
2010/2/13 0:59:13 290    
2010/2/13 13:01:09 380  
2010/2/14 0:03:33 360  
2010/2/14 12:07:24 191                
2010/2/14 13:44:44 292  
2010/2/15 0:46:33 334 P08
2010/2/15 12:48:51 368  
2010/2/15 23:51:24 347  
2010/2/16 13:32:09 335  
2010/2/17 0:34:04 356  
2010/2/17 12:36:40 347  
2010/2/17 23:39:26 315 P09
2010/2/18 1:18:49 114 P09                
2010/2/18 13:19:35 364 P10
2010/2/19 0:21:45 359  
2010/2/19 12:24:38 312  
2010/2/19 14:03:59 141                
2010/2/19 23:27:44 257 T02      
2010/2/20 1:05:23 255 T02      
2010/2/20 13:07:05 379  
2010/2/21 0:09:25 361  
2010/2/21 12:12:51 246          
2010/2/21 13:50:51 259      
2010/2/21 23:16:28 149                
Created: January 2010
Last Modified: August 2010
Maintainer: YE Nan, Ye.Nan@monash.edu