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Description

The NASA Making Earth System Data Records for Use in Research Environments (MEaSUREs) Combined Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) and Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) Emissivity for Land (CAMEL) dataset provides monthly emissivity at 0.05 degree (~5 kilometer) resolution (CAM5K30EM). The CAM5K30EM data product was created by combining the University of Wisconsin-Madison MODIS Infrared Emissivity dataset (UWIREMIS) and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory ASTER Global Emissivity Dataset Version 4 (GED V4). The two datasets have been integrated to capitalize on the unique strengths of each product's characteristics.

The integration steps include: adjustment of ASTER GED Version 3 emissivities for vegetation and snow cover variations to produce ASTER GED Version 4, aggregation of ASTER GED Version 4 emissivities from 100 meter resolution to the University of Wisconsin-Madison MODIS Baseline Fit (UWBF) 5 kilometer resolution, merging of the 5 ASTER spectral emissivities with the UWBF emissivity to create CAMEL at 13 hinge points, and extension of the 13 hinge points to high spectral resolution (HSR) utilizing the Principal Component (PC) regression method. Additional details regarding the methodology are available in the User Guide and Algorithm Theoretical Basis Document (ATBD).

Provided in the CAM5K30EM product are layers for the CAMEL emissivity, ASTER Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), snow fraction derived from MODIS (MOD10), latitude, longitude, CAMEL quality, ASTER quality, and Best Fit Emissivity (BFE) quality information.

Improvements/Changes from Previous Version

  • Version 2 includes two additional laboratory datasets to more accurately characterize snowy scenes.

Version Description

This is version two of the Combined ASTER and MODIS Emissivity database over Land products.

Product Summary

Platforms
Terra,
Aqua
Instruments
ASTER,
MODIS
Spatial Extent
N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180
Spatial Resolution
5600 Meters x 5600 Meters
Geographic Region
GLOBAL
Coordinate System
CARTESIAN
Granule Spatial Representation
CARTESIAN
Temporal Extent
2000-04-01 to 2017-01-01
Temporal Resolution
1 Month
Data Partner
Land Processes Distributed Active Archive Center (LP DAAC)
Cooperative Institute for Meteorological Satellite Studies, Space Science and Engineering Center, University of Wisconsin, Madison (UWI-MAD/SSEC/CIMSS)
Concept ID
C2763266338-LPCLOUD
Data State
COMPLETE
Processing Level
3
Published
Updated
Science Keywords
Emissivity,
Vegetation Index,
Snow Cover

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

Hook, S. (2017). Combined ASTER and MODIS Emissivity database over Land (CAMEL) Emissivity Monthly Global 0.05Deg V002 [Data set]. NASA Land Processes Distributed Active Archive Center. https://doi.org/10.5067/MEASURES/LSTE/CAM5K30EM.002 Date Accessed: 2025-11-04

File Naming Convention

CAM5K30EM_emis_201612_V002.nc

The file name begins with the Product Short Name (CAM5K30EM) followed by Data Product Identifier (emis), the Year and Month designated as YYYYMM (201612), the Data Collection Version (V002), and the Data Format (nc).

Documents

Publications Citing This Dataset

Variables

Variables are a set of physical properties whose values determine the characteristics or behavior of something. For example, temperature and pressure are variables of the atmosphere. Parameters and variables can be used interchangeably. Variable level attributes provide individual information for each variable.

The Name in this table is the variable name. Fill value indicates missing or undefined data points in a variable. Valid range is the range of values the variable can store. Scale factor is used to increase or decrease the size of an object and can be used to correct for distortion. For questions on a specific variable, please use the Earthdata Forum.

Name Description Units Data Type Fill Value Valid Range Scale Factor
aster_ndvi ASTER GED NDVI vegetation fraction N/A int16 N/A N/A to 1000 0.001
aster_qflag ASTER GED quality flag N/A int16 N/A N/A to 3 N/A
bfemis_qflag Baseline Fit Emissivity (BFE) quality flag N/A int16 N/A N/A to 4 N/A
camel_emis CAMEL emissivity at 13 different spectra N/A int16 -999 -999 to 1000 0.001
camel_qflag CAMEL quality flag N/A int16 N/A N/A to 4 N/A
latitude Latitude Degree float32 N/A N/A to 90 N/A
longitude Longitude Degree float32 N/A N/A to 180 N/A
Snow_fraction Snow fraction derived from MOD10 N/A int16 N/A N/A to 100 0.01
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