Thus, MODIS not only maps the distribution of phytoplankton, it also helps us gauge its health.Īnother MODIS instrument flies aboard Terra’s sister ship- Aqua.Google Earth’s repository of satellite images have always been striking, but this week, the platform doubled up its content, adding hundreds of images of locations around the world, and the Middle East and North Africa region features with some of the most stunning views of deserts, mountains and even agricultural and industrial areas. The more plants fluoresce, the less energy they are using for photosynthesis. All plants bombarded with light begin to glow, or fluoresce, but in wavelengths that our eyes cannot see. MODIS also has a unique channel for measuring chlorophyll fluorescence. In turn, by coupling its sea surface temperature and ocean color measurements, MODIS has observed the impacts El Niño and La Niña have on the microscopic marine plant.

MODIS sees changes in the Pacific phytoplankton populations that may signal the onset of the famous El Niño/La Niña climatic siblings well ahead of their arrival. MODIS’ bands are particularly sensitive to fires they can distinguish flaming from smoldering burns and provide better estimates of the amounts of aerosols and gases fires release into the atmosphere. It sees where and when disasters strike-such as volcanic eruptions, floods, severe storms, droughts, and wildfires-and will hopefully help people get out of harm’s way.

The sensor observes the “green wave” that sweeps across continents as winter gives way to spring and vegetation blooms in response. MODIS maps the areal extent of snow and ice brought by winter storms and frigid temperatures. Coupled with the sensor’s surface temperature measurements, MODIS’ measurements of the biosphere are helping scientists track the sources and sinks of carbon dioxide in response to climate changes.Īlmost every day over the entire globe, the sensor monitors changes on the land surface, thereby building upon and extending the heritage begun by Landsat. MODIS measures the photosynthetic activity of land and marine plants (phytoplankton) to yield better estimates of how much of the greenhouse gas is being absorbed and used in plant productivity. MODIS is ideal for monitoring large-scale changes in the biosphere that are yielding new insights into the workings of the global carbon cycle. MODIS helps scientists determine the amount of water vapor in a column of the atmosphere and the vertical distribution of temperature and water vapor-measurements crucial to understanding Earth’s climate system.

Aerosols enter the atmosphere from manmade sources like pollution and biomass burning and natural sources like dust storms, volcanic eruptions, and forest fires. MODIS also measures the properties of aerosols-tiny liquid or solid particles in the atmosphere.

In addition to recording the frequency and distribution of cloud cover, MODIS measures the properties of clouds such as the distribution and size of cloud droplets in both liquid water and ice clouds. This wide spatial coverage enables MODIS, together with MISR and CERES, to help scientists determine the impact of clouds and aerosols on the Earth’s energy budget. For instance, the sensor measures the percent of the planet’s surface that is covered by clouds almost every day. Consequently, MODIS tracks a wider array of the earth’s vital signs than any other Terra sensor. With its sweeping 2,330-km-wide viewing swath, MODIS sees every point on our world every 1-2 days in 36 discrete spectral bands.

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