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MODIS L2 SST Format Specifications

MODIS L2 SST Format Specifications

Format specification guide is here.
Please note that values given for attributes and scalar datasets are examples.
Jump to:
dimensions 
global attributes 
sensor_band_parametersDetails here.
scan_line_attributesDetails here.
geophysical_dataDetails here.
navigation_dataDetails here.
processing_control 
input_parameters 
flag_percentages 
Dataset Range and Scaling Attributes
References

dimensions (Top)
 
number_of_lines2030
pixels_per_line1354
pixel_control_points1354
number_of_bands24
number_of_reflective_bands16

global attributes (Top)
 
titleHMODISA Level-2 Data
product_nameA2004001002000.L2_LAC_SST.nc
processing_version2014.0
equatorCrossingLongitude23.40131f
orbit_number8836
historyl2gen par=/data3/sdpsoper/vdc/vpu2/workbuf/A2004001002000.L1B_LAC.param metafile=A2004001002000.L2_LAC_SST.nc.meta
instrumentMODIS
platformAqua
ConventionsCF-1.6
Metadata_ConventionsUnidata Dataset Discovery v1.0
licensehttp://science.nasa.gov/earth-science/earth-science-data/data-information-policy/
naming_authoritygov.nasa.gsfc.sci.oceandata
id2014.0/L2/A2004001002000.L2_LAC_SST.nc
date_created2015-01-30T02:29:16.000Z
keywords_vocabularyNASA Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Science Keywords
keywordsOceans > Ocean Temperature > Sea Surface Temperature
standard_name_vocabularyNetCDF Climate and Forecast (CF) Metadata Convention
institutionNASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Ocean Ecology Laboratory, Ocean Biology Processing Group
creator_nameNASA/GSFC/OBPG
creator_emaildata@oceancolor.gsfc.nasa.gov
creator_urlhttp://oceandata.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov
projectOcean Biology Processing Group (NASA/GSFC/OBPG)
publisher_nameNASA/GSFC/OBPG
publisher_urlhttp://oceandata.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov
publisher_emaildata@oceancolor.gsfc.nasa.gov
identifier_product_doi_authorityhttp://dx.doi.org
identifier_product_doi10.5067/AQUA/MODIS_OC.2014.0
processing_levelL2
cdm_data_typeswath
equatorCrossingDateTime2003-12-31T23:58:42.686Z
spatialResolution1 km
time_coverage_start2004-01-01T00:20:06.238Z
time_coverage_end2004-01-01T00:25:04.615Z
start_center_longitude-14.61878f
start_center_latitude-75.11924f
end_center_longitude-107.5128f
end_center_latitude-80.13968f
northernmost_latitude-67.24439f
southernmost_latitude-89.98983f
easternmost_longitude-80.09634f
westernmost_longitude116.4053f
geospatial_lat_unitsdegrees_north
geospatial_lon_unitsdegrees_east
geospatial_lat_max-67.24439f
geospatial_lat_min-89.98983f
geospatial_lon_max-80.09634f
geospatial_lon_min116.4053f
startDirectionDescending
endDirectionAscending
day_night_flagDay
earth_sun_distance_correction1.03422737121582

sensor_band_parameters (Top)
Details here.
shortnamedatatypeunits long_namestandard_namereference
wavelengthfloatnmwavelengthsN/A
vcal_gainfloatVicarious Calibration GainN/A
vcal_offsetfloatmW cm^-2 um^-1 sr^-1Vicarious Calibration OffsetN/A
F0floatW m^-2 um^-1Mean Solar FluxN/A
awfloatm^-1Band-pass averaged absorption coefficient for seawatervolume absorption coefficient of radiative flux in sea water1
bbwfloatm^-1Band-pass averaged backscattering coefficient for seawatervolume backwards scattering coefficient of radiative flux in sea water2
k_ozfloatcm^-1Ozone Absorption cross-sections3
k_no2floatcm^2 molecule^-1NO2 Absorption cross-sections4

scan_line_attributes (Top)
Details here.
shortnamedatatypeunits long_namestandard_namereference
Tau_rintRayleigh Optical Thickness5
yearintyearsScan yearN/A
dayintdaysScan day of yearN/A
msecbytemillisecondsScan time, milliseconds of dayN/A
detnumbyteDetector Number (zero-based)N/A
msidefloatMirror Side (zero-based)N/A
slonfloatdegree_eastStarting LongitudeN/A
clonfloatdegree_eastCenter LongitudeN/A
elonfloatdegree_eastEnding LongitudeN/A
slatfloatdegree_northStarting LatitudeN/A
clatfloatdegree_northCenter LatitudeN/A
elatfloatdegree_northEnding LatitudeN/A

geophysical_data (Top)
Details here.
shortnamedatatypeunits long_namestandard_namereference
csol_zshortdegreeCenter Solar Zenith AngleN/A
sstbytedegree_CSea Surface Temperaturesea surface temperatureN/A
qual_sstshortQuality Levels, Sea Surface TemperatureN/A
flags_sstshortProduct-specific flags, Sea Surface TemperatureN/A
bias_sstshortdegree_CSea Surface Temperature BiasN/A
stdv_sstshortdegree_CSea Surface Temperature Standard DeviationN/A
sstrefintdegree_CSea Surface Temperature Referencesea surface temperatureN/A

navigation_data (Top)
Details here.
shortnamedatatypeunits long_namestandard_namereference
l2_flagsfloatLevel-2 Processing FlagsN/A
longitudefloatdegree_eastLongitudelongitudeN/A
latitudeintdegree_northLatitudelatitudeN/A
cntl_pt_colsintNumber of Pixel Control PointsN/A
cntl_pt_rowsfloatNumber of Scan Control PointsN/A
Group Attributes
gringpointlongitude-38.45698f, 31.09325f, 170.2788f, -89.50504f
gringpointlatitude-67.24439f, -77.38208f, -83.85774f, -70.17398f
gringpointsequence1, 2, 3, 4

processing_control (Top)
 
software_namel2gen
software_version8.0.0-r10729
sourceA2004001002000.L1B_LAC, A2004001002000.GEO, N200400100_MET_NCEPR2_6h.hdf, N200400106_MET_NCEPR2_6h.hdf, N200400106_MET_NCEPR2_6h.hdf, ozone_climatology_v2014.hdf, anc_cor_file_28jan2014.nc, xcal_modisa_axc26f, polcor_modisa_2010b, aerosol_hmodisa, modisa_ocr_vc_nn, landmask_GMT15ARC.nc, watermask.dat, ETOPO1_ocssw.nc, ETOPO1_ocssw.nc, N200400100_SEAICE_NSIDC_24h.hdf, N2004001_SST_OIV2AVAM_24h.nc, sss_climatology_woa2009.hdf, no2_climatology_v2013.hdf, alpha510_climatology.hdf, taua865_climatology.hdf, calcite_table.txt, owmc_lut.hdf
calibration_dataA2004001002000.L1A_LAC, MYD02_Reflective_LUTs.V6.1.17.24_OC.hdf, MYD02_Emissive_LUTs.V6.1.17.24_OC.hdf, MYD02_QA_LUTs.V6.1.17.24_OC.hdf
mask_namesATMFAIL,LAND,CLDICE,HILT

input_parameters (Top)
 
 

flag_percentages (Top)
 
ATMFAIL0.f
LAND82.69117f
PRODWARN0.f
HIGLINT0.f
HILT96.52113f
HISATZEN7.238833f
COASTZ0.4231214f
SPARE0.f
STRAYLIGHT1.82477f
CLDICE99.96391f
COCCOLITH0.f
TURBIDW0.f
HISOLZEN0.f
LOWLW0.f
CHLFAIL0.f
NAVWARN0.f
ABSAER0.f
MAXAERITER0.f
MODGLINT0.f
CHLWARN0.f
ATMWARN0.f
SEAICE16.71497f
NAVFAIL0.f
FILTER0.f
HIPOL0.2815231f
PRODFAIL0.f

Dataset Range and Scaling Attributes:

shortnamevalid_minvalid_maxscaleoffsetfill value
wavelength0 1000 -32767
vcal_gain0.f 2.f -32767.f
vcal_offset0.f 10.f -32767.f
F00.f 250.f -32767.f
aw0.0001f 5.f -32767.f
bbw5.e-06f 1.f -32767.f
k_oz0.f 0.1f -32767.f
k_no20.f 0.1f -32767.f
Tau_r0.f 0.5f -32767.f
year1900 2100 -32767
day0 366 -32767
msec0 86400000 -32767
detnum0b 25b -1b
mside0b 1b -1b
slon-180.f 180.f -32767.f
clon-180.f 180.f -32767.f
elon-180.f 180.f -32767.f
slat-90.f 90.f -32767.f
clat-90.f 90.f -32767.f
elat-90.f 90.f -32767.f
csol_z-90.f 90.f -32767.f
sst-1000s (-5.000)10000s (50.000)0.005f0.f-32767s
qual_sst0b 5b -1b
flags_sst-32767s 32767s -32767s
bias_sst-10000s (-50.000)10000s (50.000)0.005f0.f-32767s
stdv_sst-10000s (-50.000)10000s (50.000)0.005f0.f-32767s
sstref-600s (-3.000)9000s (45.000)0.005f0.f-32767s
l2_flags-2147483648 2147483647
longitude-180.f 180.f -32767.f
latitude-90.f 90.f -32767.f
cntl_pt_cols0 10000 -32767
cntl_pt_rows0 10000 -32767

References:


1 (aw): Pope, R.M. and Fry, E.S., 1997, "Absorption spectrum (380-700 nm) of pure water. II. Integrating cavity measurements," Appl. Opt.,36, 8710-8723.; Kou, L., Labrie, D., Chylek, P., 1993, "Refractive indices of water and ice in the 0.65-2.5 m spectral range," Appl. Opt.,32, 3531-3540 (1993).
2 (bbw): Zhang, X., Hu, L., and He, M.-X. (2009). Scattering by pure seawater: effect of salinity, Opt. Express 17(7)
3 (k_oz): Anderson, S.M., Morton, J., and Mauersberger, K.. "Near-infrared absorption spectra of 16O3 and 18O3: Adiabatic energy of the 1A2 state?." The Journal of Chemical Physics 93.6 (1990): 3826-3832.; Anderson, Stuart M., Maeder, J., and Mauersberger, K. "Effect of isotopic substitution on the visible absorption spectrum of ozone." The Journal of chemical physics 94.10 (1991): 6351-6357; http://dx.doi.org/10.1029/92GL00780; http://dx.doi.org/10.1029/93GL01765; http://dx.doi.org/10.1029/93GL02311
4 (k_no2): K. Bogumil, et al., "Measurements of molecular absorption spectra with the SCIAMACHY pre-flight model: Instrument characterization and reference data for atmospheric remote sensing in the 230-2380 nm region," J. Photochem. Photobiol. A.: Photochem. 157, 167-184 (2003).; W. Schneider,et al., "Absorption cross-sections of NO2 in the UV and visible region (200 - 700 nm) at 298 K", J. Photochem. Photobiol. 40, 195-217 (1987)
5 (Tau_r): Bodhaine, B.A., Wood, N.B, Dutton, E.G., Slusser, J.R. (1999). On Rayleigh Optical Depth Calculations, J. Atmos. Ocean Tech., 16, 1854-1861.