This is the narrow-swath MODIS/Aqua subset along CloudSat field of view track. The goal of the narrow-swath subset is to select and return MODIS data that are within +-5 km across the CloudSat track. I.e. the resultant MODIS subset swath is sought to be about 10 km cross-track. However, the original MYD06_L2 has data of 5- and 1-km pixels. Thus, MAC06S0 cross-track width is 3- and 11-pixels, depending on the parameter, and the resultant swath is about 15- and 10-km, correspondingly. Along-track, all MODIS pixels from the original product are preserved.

In the standard product, the level-2 MODIS cloud product consists of cloud optical and physical parameters. These parameters are derived using remotely sensed infrared, visible and near infrared solar reflected radiances. MODIS infrared channel radiances are used to derive cloud top temperature, cloud top height, effective emissivity, cloud phase (ice vs. water, opaque vs. non-opaque), and cloud fraction under both daytime and nighttime conditions. MODIS visible radiances are used to derive cloud optical thickness and effective particle radius and cloud shadow effects. Near infrared solar reflected radiance provides additional information in the retrieval of cloud particle phase (ice vs. water, clouds vs. snow).

The shortname for this level-2 MODIS cloud product is MAC06S0.

YD06_L2 and the principal investigators for this product are MODIS scientists Dr. Bo-Cai Gao (gao@rsd.nrl.navy.mil) for cirrus cloud detection; Dr. Paul Menzel (paulm@ssec.wisc.edu) for cloud top properties; and Dr. Michael King(king@climate.gsfc.nasa.gov) for cloud optical properties.

(The shortname for this product is MAC06S0).