MODIS

The Moderate-Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer carried on the Terra satellite. Designed to be sensitive to a broad range of frequencies from visible to long-wave infrared radiation. Giving coverage of the whole globe every one or two days, this sensor provides information about a large number of factors, including cloud and surface temperature, cloud amounts (particularly cirrus clouds, which have been poorly monitored previously), snow and ice cover, smoke, and aerosols. It also indirectly monitors carbon dioxide by providing data on photosynthetic activity in plants and photoplankton in the oceans.