The MODIS Adaptive Processing System (MODAPS) is currently generating an improved Collection 6.1 (061) for all MODIS Level-1 (L1) and higher-level Level-2 (L2) & Level-3 (L3) Atmosphere Team products. This decision to create a new improved Collection 6.1 (061) was driven by the need to address a number of issues in the current Collection 6 (006) Level-1B (L1B) data. These L1B issues had a negative impact in varying degrees in downstream products,

The MODIS level-2 atmospheric precipitable water product consists of total atmospheric column water vapor amounts (and ancillary parameters) over clear land areas of the globe, over extended clear oceanic areas with the Sun glint, and above clouds over both land and ocean. The shortname for this level-2 MODIS total precipitable water vapor product is MOD05_L2. In Collection 6, MODIS column water vapor (MOD05) datasets continue to be separately available from infrared and near-infrared methods.

The estimates based on a near-infrared algorithm uses only daytime measurements with solar zenith angle less than 72 degrees. The retrieval algorithm relies on observations of water vapor attenuation of near-infrared solar radiation reflected by surfaces and clouds. The product is produced only over areas that have reflective surfaces in the near-infrared. The near-infrared algorithm refinement for this product is no longer being supported by NASA and as such there has been no update to this algorithm for C6.1