NASA’s Level-1 and Atmosphere Archive & Distribution System Distributed Active Archive Center (LAADS DAAC) has released five new Version 2.0 Level 2 Cloud Mask continuity data products. Cloud mask products provide a mechanism to accurately identify cloudy versus clear-sky pixels, which is critical for a wide range of Earth science applications from weather forecasting to climate research. These products are built on a common, well-established algorithm that ensures consistency across multiple satellite missions, making it easier for researchers to combine and compare data over long time periods.
The Version 2.0 Level 2 Cloud Mask continuity data products are derived from the MODIS-VIIRS Cloud Mask (MVCM) continuity algorithm, which builds on the heritage MODIS MOD35 algorithm. The MVCM algorithm was designed to handle inputs from both MODIS and VIIRS instruments, enabling a coherent, long-term cloud mask record that bridges the MODIS and VIIRS eras. This can help ensure consistent, high-quality cloud mask data across multiple missions and instrument platforms.
The first three products are newer 2.0 versions of the existing MODIS Cloud Mask product from the Aqua platform and the VIIRS Cloud Mask from the SNPP and NOAA-20 platforms. The two remaining products represent an attempt to synergize higher spatial resolution from an imager (VIIRS or MODIS) and higher spectral resolution from a sounder — the Cross-track Infrared Sounder (CrIS) or the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS). The imager-sounder data-fusion process provides improved sensitivity in nighttime and polar regions by leveraging additional content from the sounder’s absorption channels. This synergy-based approach can enhance and improve cloud-detection capabilities beyond what an imager-only product can achieve.