Skip to main content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

MODIS/Terra Near Real Time (NRT) Cloud Mask and Spectral Test Results 5-Min L2 Swath 250m and 1km

Published by NASA/GSFC/EOS/ESDIS/LANCEMODIS | National Aeronautics and Space Administration | Catalog Last Checked: June 23, 2026 at 09:43 PM | Dataset Last Updated: June 22, 2026
The MODIS level-2 cloud mask product is a global product generated for both daytime & nighttime conditions at 1-km spatial resolution (at nadir) and for daytime at 250-m resolution. The algorithm employs a series of visible and infrared threshold and consistency tests to specify confidence levels that an unobstructed view of the Earth's surface is observed. An indication of shadows affecting the scene is also provided. The 250-m cloud mask flags are based on the visible channel data only. Radiometrically accurate radiances are required, so holes in the cloud mask will appear wherever the input radiances are incomplete or of poor quality. The shortname for this Level-2 MODIS cloud mask product is MOD35_L2 and the principal investigator for this product is MODIS scientist Dr. Paul Menzel ( paulm@ssec.wisc.edu). MOD35_L2 product files are stored in Hierarchical Data Format (HDF-EOS). Each of the 9 gridded parameters is stored as a Scientific Data Set (SDS) within the HDF-EOS file. The Cloud Mask and Quality Assurance SDS's are stored at 1 kilometer pixel resolution. All other SDS's (those relating to time, geolocation, and viewing geometry) are stored at 5 kilometer pixel resolution. MOD35_L2 Data Group & Parameters Spatial & Temporal Resolution: Latitude & Longitude Scan start time Solar and Sensor Viewing Geometry: Solar zenith & Solar azimuth angle Sensor zenith & Sensor azimuth angle Science Parameters Cloud Mask (1km) Cloud Mask (250 m) Quality Assurance Parameters: Quality Assurance Flags (1km) Link to the MODIS homepage for more data set information: http://modis-atmos.gsfc.nasa.gov/MOD35_L2/

Resources

5 resources available

Find Related Datasets

Search by Tags

Click any tag below to search for similar datasets

data.gov

An official website of the GSA's Technology Transformation Services

Looking for U.S. government information and services?
Visit USA.gov