Skip to main content

Description

The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) Terra MOD09A1 Version 6.1 product provides an estimate of the surface spectral reflectance of Terra MODIS Bands 1 through 7 corrected for atmospheric conditions such as gasses, aerosols, and Rayleigh scattering. Along with the seven 500 meter (m) reflectance bands are two quality layers and four observation bands. For each pixel, a value is selected from all the acquisitions within the 8-day composite period. The criteria for the pixel choice include cloud and solar zenith. When several acquisitions meet the criteria the pixel with the minimum channel 3 (blue) value is used.

Known Issues

Version Description

The following changes and improvements were implemented for inputs to MODIS Version 6.1 surface reflectance data products: (1) Version 6.1 Level-1B (L1B) products have been improved by undergoing various calibration changes that include: changes to the response-versus-scan angle (RVS) approach that affects reflectance bands for Aqua and Terra MODIS, corrections to adjust for the optical crosstalk in Terra MODIS infrared (IR) bands, and corrections to the Terra MODIS forward look-up table (LUT) update for the period 2012 – 2017, and (2) A polarization correction has been applied to the L1B Reflective Solar Bands (RSB).

Product Summary

Platforms
Terra
Instruments
MODIS
Projects
TERRA
Spatial Extent

N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180

Spatial Resolution
500 Meters x 500 Meters
Spatial Reference System(s)
MODIS Sinusoidal Tiling System
Location
GLOBAL
Coordinate System
CARTESIAN
Granule Spatial Representation
GEODETIC
Temporal Extent
2000-02-18 to Present
Temporal Resolution
8 Day
Data Partner
Land Processes Distributed Active Archive Center (LP DAAC) ,
MODIS Adaptive Processing System, Terrestrial Information Systems Laboratory, Earth Sciences Division, Science and Exploration Directorate, Goddard Space Flight Center, NASA (NASA/GSFC/SED/ESD/TISL/MODAPS)
Concept ID
C2343111356-LPCLOUD
Data State
ACTIVE
Number of Files/Granules
380468
Processing Level
3
Published
Updated
Science Keywords
Reflectance

Citation

Citation is critically important for dataset documentation and discovery. This dataset is openly shared, without restriction, in accordance with the EOSDIS Data Use and Citation Guidance.

Copy Citation

Vermote, E. (2021). MODIS/Terra Surface Reflectance 8-Day L3 Global 500m SIN Grid V061 [Dataset]. NASA Land Processes Distributed Active Archive Center. https://doi.org/10.5067/MODIS/MOD09A1.061 Date Accessed: 2026-07-31

File Naming Convention

MOD09A1.A2025209.h28v12.061.2025218035852.hdf

The file name begins with the Product Short Name (MOD09A1) followed by the Julian Date of Acquisition formatted as AYYYYDDD (A2025209), the Tile Identifier which is horizontal tile and vertical tile provided as hXXvYY (h28v12), the Version of the data collection (061), the Julian Date and Time of Production designated as YYYYDDDHHMMSS (2025218035852), and the Data Format (hdf).

Documents

USER'S GUIDE

ALGORITHM THEORETICAL BASIS DOCUMENT (ATBD)

PRODUCT QUALITY ASSESSMENT

SCIENCE DATA PRODUCT VALIDATION

GENERAL DOCUMENTATION

Publications Citing This Dataset

Filters
Title Year Author Topic
A CNN-Transformer Hybrid Framework for Mapping Annual Wheat Fractional Cover from 2001-2023 using MODIS Satellite Data over Asia Li, Wenyuan, Liang, Shunlin, Chen, Yongzhe, Ma, Han, Xu, Jianglei, Ma, Yichuan, Chen, Zhongxin, Fang, Husheng, Zhang, Fengjiao Reflectance
Desert mycobiome of Saudi Arabia is driven by vegetation patterns Mani, Israel, Mikryukov, Vladimir, Alkahtani, Saad, Tedersoo, Leho Reflectance, Vegetation Index, Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI)
Declining grassland canopy height in China under asymmetric biomass allocation Li, Huaqiang, Hu, Xinmiao, Li, Fei, Zhang, Yingjun, Lin, Kejian, Wang, Jie, Wang, Jiating Plant Phenology, Canopy Characteristics, Vegetation Cover, Lidar, Topography, Vegetation Height, Reflectance, Digital Elevation/Terrain Model (DEM), VIEWING GEOMETRY, Terrain Elevation, Leaf Area Index (LAI), Fraction Of Absorbed Photosynthetically Active Radiation (fapar)
Predicting Postfire Forest Mortality Using Remote Sensing Data and Machine Learning Shvetsov, E. G. Reflectance
The Arctic Boreal Burned Area (ABBA) Product Chen, Dong, Hall, Joanne V., HoffmanHall, Amanda, Shevade, Varada, Argueta, Fernanda, Liang, Xiaoyu, Loboda, Tatiana Forests, Fire Occurrence, Reforestation, Burned Area, Reflectance, Canopy Characteristics, Evergreen Vegetation, Crown, Deciduous Vegetation, Leaf Characteristics, Vegetation Cover, Land Use/Land Cover Classification, Total Surface Water
Response of Vegetation Phenology to Hydrothermal Variables on the QTP Using EVI and MSAVI Zhao, Zhijian, Lin, Hui, Wang, Li, Huang, Min, Wu, Lei, Tang, Linling, Yang, Tao, Xiao, Xin Albedo, Anisotropy, Evapotranspiration, Latent Heat Flux, Land Use/Land Cover Classification, Land Surface Temperature, Emissivity, Reflectance
Satellite-based detection of agricultural flash droughts and associated vegetation responses in southeastern South America Masaro, Lumila, Lovino, Miguel A, Pierrestegui, M Josefina, Muller, Gabriela V, Dorigo, Wouter Fraction Of Absorbed Photosynthetically Active Radiation (fapar), Leaf Area Index (LAI), Photosynthesis, Primary Production, Vegetation Productivity, Evapotranspiration, Latent Heat Flux, Reflectance, Root Zone Soil Moisture, Surface Soil Moisture
Annual irrigated cropland mapping reveals uneven expansion and rising Tolera, Abera Misgana, Zhang, Chao, You, Nanshan, Dong, Jinwei Reflectance, Vegetation Cover, Cropland
A High-Resolution Forest Soil Organic Carbon Dataset for China Derived from an Enhanced Quantile Regression Forest Model Chen, Jizhen, Ou, Yuxing, Fan, Zihao, Zhang, Xin, Xiao, Wenfa, Sun, Qiwu, Sun, Xiangyang, Huang, Zhilin Leaf Area Index (LAI), Fraction Of Absorbed Photosynthetically Active Radiation (fapar), Vegetation Index, Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI), Reflectance, Photosynthesis, Primary Production, Vegetation Productivity
Landsat observations reveal increasing trend in lake clarity on the Wang, Shenglei, Zhang, Wenzhi, Tan, Zhangru, Spyrakos, Evangelos, Shi, Kun, Somasundaram, Deepakrishna, Wu, Zijun, Zhang, Fangfang, Li, Junsheng, Zhang, Bing Reflectance
A long-term (20002022), high-resolution (0.005) aboveground biomass dataset of global grasslands Wu, Pinzhen, Sun, Qingling, Wang, Daju, Si, Jiahe, Li, Baolin, Zhao, Xuetong, Zhu, Siyu, Li, Yong, Chen, Xiuzhi, Yuan, Wenping Precipitation, Precipitation Amount, Precipitation Rate, Snow, Rain, Land Use/Land Cover Classification, Reflectance, Biomass, Forests, Grasslands, Alpine/Tundra
A Multi-parameter Analysis of Hydro-ecological Shifts in an Mohanty, Dibya Jyoti, Rout, Jajnaseni Reflectance, Vegetation Index, Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI), Evapotranspiration, Photosynthesis, Primary Production, Latent Heat Flux
Fine-scale simulation and projection of aboveground biomass dynamics in subtropical forests of Central-southern China: coupling remote sensing data and dynamic ... Feng, Tianqi, Shen, Huanfeng, Huang, Wenli Reflectance, Discharge, Soil Depth, Biomass, Soil Moisture/Water Content, Albedo, Leaf Characteristics, Photosynthetically Active Radiation, Carbon, Respiration Rate, Atmospheric Water Vapor, Runoff
Datasets for top-down estimates of sectoral CO2 and CH4 emissions, terrestrial and ocean carbon exchanges, and atmospheric concentrations over the Korean Peninsula Hong, Jinkyu, Shim, Changsub, Koo, Bonhoon, Kwon, Doyoon, Saikawa, Eri, Avramov, Alex Reflectance
Decoupling of greenness and photosynthesis regulates phenological shifts Xue, Jinru, Renzullo, Luigi J., Huete, Alfredo Reflectance
An AOD-Integrated Remote Sensing Ecological Index for Assessing Ecological Quality Dynamics and Management Zoning in the Shenyang Metropolitan Area (20002025) Shi, Tuo, Li, Fangyuan, Wang, Mingyu, Li, Chunjiao, Qi, Li, Dong, Yuzhu, Hu, Lingxue Reflectance, Vegetation Index, Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI), Aerosol Optical Depth/Thickness, Land Surface Temperature, Emissivity
Diverse connections between climate extremes and agricultural loss across the Southern Slopes of the Himalayas Wu, Jiujiang, Shen, Hongzheng, Yin, Gaofei, Xie, Xinyao, Zhang, Qianggong, Shrestha, Sravan, Wang, Nan, Yang, Yanqing, Zhao, Wei Land Use/Land Cover Classification, Reflectance, Plant Phenology, Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI), Photosynthesis, Primary Production, Vegetation Productivity
Improving regional crop yield prediction by incorporating intra-regional phenological variations Jiang, Yuchen, Cao, Ruyin, Zou, Xin, Chen, Yang, Zhu, Xiaolin, Li, Yuechen, Zhou, Ji, Chen, Jin Reflectance
Long-term coupling coordination analysis between urbanization and the ecological environment in global cities: insights from remote sensing Yuan, Yuan, Chen, Zuoqi, Wang, Congxiao, Pan, Zhan, Gong, Wenkang, Pan, Mingna, Yu, Bailang Reflectance, Vegetation Index, Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI), Land Surface Temperature, Emissivity
Investigating LST evolution and heatwave patterns using machine learning in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Urban agglomeration Liu, Chen, Zhang, Maomao Vegetation Index, Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI), Albedo, Anisotropy, Land Use/Land Cover Classification, RADAR IMAGERY, Terrain Elevation, Topographical Relief Maps, Digital Elevation/Terrain Model (DEM), Reflectance, Land Surface Temperature, Emissivity
TPLake-MED: a monthly extent dataset for lakes on the Tibetan Plateau Zhao, Siyu, Zhao, Xiang, Zhao, Jiacheng, Zhang, Xin, Liu, Xingyu, Yao, Chengzhi Reflectance
Upscaling net ecosystem exchange on the QinghaiTibet Plateau using ensemble machine learning at high spatialtemporal resolution Liu, J. Z., Xu, J. S., Lu, Q. R., Yu, J. Y., Zhao, S. P., Yang, W. H., Deng, Y. C. Reflectance, Land Surface Temperature, Emissivity
From rainforests to drylands: a context-specific framework for mapping land use and land cover dynamics in Northeast Brazil (20002020) Ganem, Khalil Ali, Xue, Yongkang, Dutra, Andeise Cerqueira, Pareyn, Frans Germain Corneel, Shimabukuro, Yosio Edemir Land Use/Land Cover Classification, Reflectance, Vegetation Index, Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI)
Evaluating the Performance of Satellite-Derived Vegetation Indices in Cao, Deli, Huang, Xiaojuan, Liu, Gang, Tian, Lingwen, Xin, Qi, Yang, Yuli Reflectance
Evaluating Vegetation Greening and Browning across the Rio Grande Basin Talchabhadel, Rocky, Rhodes, Edward C., Palmate, Santosh S., Kumar, Saurav Precipitation, Precipitation Amount, Precipitation Rate, Snow, Rain, Leaf Area Index (LAI), Fraction Of Absorbed Photosynthetically Active Radiation (fapar), Reflectance, Maximum/Minimum Temperature, 24 Hour Precipitation Amount, Snow Water Equivalent, Vapor Pressure, Shortwave Radiation
You're viewing 25 of 654

Variables

The table below lists the variables contained within a single granule for this dataset. Variables often contain observed or derived geophysical measurements collected from a variety of sources, including remote sensing instruments on satellite and airborne platforms, field campaigns, in situ measurements, and model outputs. The terms variable, parameter, scientific data set, layer, and band have been used across NASA’s Earth science disciplines; however, variable is the designated nomenclature in NASA’s Common Metadata Repository (CMR). Variable metadata attributes such as Name, Description, Units, Data Type, Fill Value, Valid Range, and Scale Factor allow users to efficiently process and analyze the data. The full range of attributes may not be applicable to all variables. Additional information on variable attributes is typically available in the data, user guide, and/or other product documentation.

For questions on a specific variable, please use the Earthdata Forum.

Name Description Units Data Type Fill Value Valid Range Scale Factor Offset
sur_refl_b01 Surface Reflectance Band 1 (620-670 nm) N/A int16 -28672 -100 to 16000 0.0001 N/A
sur_refl_b02 Surface Reflectance Band 2 (841-876 nm) N/A int16 -28672 -100 to 16000 0.0001 N/A
sur_refl_b03 Surface Reflectance Band 3 (459-479 nm) N/A int16 -28672 -100 to 16000 0.0001 N/A
sur_refl_b04 Surface Reflectance Band 4 (545-565 nm) N/A int16 -28672 -100 to 16000 0.0001 N/A
sur_refl_b05 Surface Reflectance Band 5 (1230-1250 nm) N/A int16 -28672 -100 to 16000 0.0001 N/A
sur_refl_b06 Surface Reflectance Band 6 (1628-1652 nm) N/A int16 -28672 -100 to 16000 0.0001 N/A
sur_refl_b07 Surface Reflectance Band 7 (2105-2155 nm) N/A int16 -28672 -100 to 16000 0.0001 N/A
sur_refl_day_of_year Day of the year for the pixel Julian day uint16 65535 1 to 366 N/A N/A
sur_refl_qc_500m Surface reflectance 500m band quality control flags Bit Field uint32 4294967295 0 to 4294966531 N/A N/A
sur_refl_raz MODIS relative azimuth angle Degree int16 0 -18000 to 18000 0.01 N/A
sur_refl_state_500m Surface reflectance 500m state flags Bit Field uint16 65535 0 to 57343 N/A N/A
sur_refl_szen MODIS solar zenith angle Degree int16 0 0 to 18000 0.01 N/A
sur_refl_vzen MODIS view zenith angle Degree int16 0 0 to 18000 0.01 N/A
You're viewing 13 of 13