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MODIS is an optical sensor, which has inherent limitations in observing sea ice and snow. Unlike a passive-microwave sensor, which can detect microwave energy through clouds, MODIS cannot observe the surface when cloud cover is present. MODIS products, therefore, have cloud masks built into the data...

Because MODIS sensors have flown on both the Terra and Aqua satellites, NSIDC offers parallel products derived from MODIS on each satellite. Terra and Aqua products are very similar with a few key differences: Terra launched two years before Aqua, so the Terra record starts earlier, with observation...