MODIS snow and ice products from the NSIDC DAAC

The National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC) Distributed Active Archive Center (DAAC) provides data and information on snow and ice processes, especially pertaining to interactions among snow, ice, atmosphere and ocean, in support of research on global change detection and model validation, and provides general data and information services to the cryospheric and polar processes research community. The NSIDC DAAC is an integral part of the multi-agency funded support for snow and ice data management services at NSIDC. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) will be flown oil the first Earth Observation System (EOS) platform (AM-1) in 1998. The MODIS Instrument Science Team is developing geophysical products from data collected by the MODIS instrument, including snow cover and sea ice products which will be archived :aid distributed by rbe NSIDC DAAC. The MODIS snow and ice mapping algorithms will generate global snow, lake ice and sea ice cover products on a daily basis. These products will augment the existing record of satellite-derived snow cover and sea ice products that began about 30 years ago. The characteristics of these products, heir utility, and comparisons to other data sets are discussed. Current developments and issues are summarized.