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MODIS

The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) is a key NASA Earth-observing instrument aboard the Terra and Aqua satellites. It provides global coverage of land, ocean, and atmosphere every 1–2 days across 36 spectral bands.

Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer

MODIS is an optical sensor flown on NASA’s Terra (launched 1999) and Aqua (launched 2002) satellites. With 36 spectral bands ranging from visible to thermal infrared (0.4–14.4 μm), it collects data at 250m, 500m, and 1km resolutions. Its continuous global coverage makes it one of the most widely used sources for studying vegetation, land surface change, ocean colour, aerosols, and climate dynamics.

Instrument

Imaging spectroradiometer

Jurisdiction

NASA (United States)

Sector

Earth Observation, Remote Sensing, Climate and Ecosystem Monitoring

Relationship to Lemu

Lemu integrates MODIS products in several Atlas indicators, especially for vegetation and carbon monitoring:

Cross-Mapping with Other Acronyms

  • NASA — MODIS is one of NASA’s flagship sensors.
  • C3S — MODIS complements Copernicus climate datasets with long-term continuity.
  • NDVI — MODIS is a primary source of global NDVI.
Updated on Aug 31, 2025