MOD10A2 is a snow cover dataset from the MODIS on the Terra satellite.
The dataset reports the maximum snow cover extent during an eight-day
period at the resolution of 500 m.
An eight-day compositing period was chosen because that is the exact ground
track repeat period of the Terra and Aqua platforms. Snow cover over eight
days is mapped as maximum snow extent in one SDS and as a chronology of
observations in the other SDS. Eight-day periods begin on the first day of
the year and extend into the next year. The product can be produced with
two to eight days of input. There may not always be eight days of input,
because of various reasons, so the user should check the attributes to
determine on what days observations were obtained.
Maximum snow extent observed over an eight-day period.
Eight_Day_Snow_Cover
meters
Snow chronology bit flags for each day in the eight-day
observation period.
Bitmask for Eight_Day_Snow_Cover
Bit 0: day 1
Bit 1: day 2
Bit 2: day 3
Bit 3: day 4
Bit 4: day 5
Bit 5: day 6
Bit 6: day 7
Bit 7: day 8
Maximum_Snow_Extent Class Table
Value
Color
Description
0
None
Missing data
1
None
No decision
11
None
Night
25
None
No snow
37
None
Lake
39
None
Ocean
50
None
Cloud
100
None
Lake ice
200
None
Snow
254
None
Detector saturated
Terms of Use
Terms of Use
You may download and use photographs, imagery, or text
from the NSIDC web site, unless limitations for its use are specifically
stated. For more information on usage and citing NSIDC datasets,
please visit the
NSIDC 'Use and Copyright' page.
Citations
Citations:
Hall, D. K., V. V. Salomonson, and G. A. Riggs. 2016. MODIS/Terra
Snow Cover Daily L3 Global 500m Grid. Version 6. Boulder, Colorado
USA: NASA National Snow and Ice Data Center Distributed Active
Archive Center.
MOD10A2 is a snow cover dataset from the MODIS on the Terra satellite. The dataset reports the maximum snow cover extent during an eight-day period at the resolution of 500 m. An eight-day compositing period was chosen because that is the exact ground track repeat period of the Terra and …
[null,null,[],[[["\u003cp\u003eThe MOD10A2 dataset provides information on snow cover, collected by the MODIS sensor on the Terra satellite, spanning from February 18, 2000, to January 25, 2025.\u003c/p\u003e\n"],["\u003cp\u003eThis dataset reports the maximum snow cover extent over eight-day periods at a 500-meter resolution, with data provided by NASA NSIDC DAAC at CIRES.\u003c/p\u003e\n"],["\u003cp\u003eThe dataset includes the maximum snow extent observed over eight days, and a snow chronology bitmask, both of which use specific value ranges to represent no snow, cloud cover, or snow.\u003c/p\u003e\n"],["\u003cp\u003eThe data is collected daily, and the eight day collection period is chosen to match the exact ground track of the Terra and Aqua platforms.\u003c/p\u003e\n"],["\u003cp\u003eUsers can access and analyze the dataset using Google Earth Engine, which is free for research, education, and nonprofit purposes, and can be registered to gain access.\u003c/p\u003e\n"]]],[],null,["# MOD10A2.061 Terra Snow Cover 8-Day L3 Global 500m\n\nDataset Availability\n: 2000-02-18T00:00:00Z--2025-08-05T00:00:00Z\n\nDataset Provider\n:\n\n\n [NASA NSIDC DAAC at CIRES](https://doi.org/10.5067/MODIS/MOD10A2.061)\n\nCadence\n: 1 Day\n\nTags\n:\n[cryosphere](/earth-engine/datasets/tags/cryosphere) [daily](/earth-engine/datasets/tags/daily) [geophysical](/earth-engine/datasets/tags/geophysical) [global](/earth-engine/datasets/tags/global) [modis](/earth-engine/datasets/tags/modis) [nasa](/earth-engine/datasets/tags/nasa) [nsidc](/earth-engine/datasets/tags/nsidc) [snow](/earth-engine/datasets/tags/snow) [terra](/earth-engine/datasets/tags/terra) \n\n#### Description\n\nMOD10A2 is a snow cover dataset from the MODIS on the Terra satellite.\nThe dataset reports the maximum snow cover extent during an eight-day\nperiod at the resolution of 500 m.\n\nAn eight-day compositing period was chosen because that is the exact ground\ntrack repeat period of the Terra and Aqua platforms. Snow cover over eight\ndays is mapped as maximum snow extent in one SDS and as a chronology of\nobservations in the other SDS. Eight-day periods begin on the first day of\nthe year and extend into the next year. The product can be produced with\ntwo to eight days of input. There may not always be eight days of input,\nbecause of various reasons, so the user should check the attributes to\ndetermine on what days observations were obtained.\n\n- [General documentation](https://doi.org/10.5067/MODIS/MOD10A2.061)\n- [User's Guide](https://modis-snow-ice.gsfc.nasa.gov/uploads/snow_user_guide_C6.1_final_revised_april.pdf),\n\n### Bands\n\n\n**Pixel Size**\n\n500 meters\n\n**Bands**\n\n| Name | Min | Max | Pixel Size | Description |\n|------------------------|-----|-----|------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|\n| `Maximum_Snow_Extent` | 0 | 255 | meters | Maximum snow extent observed over an eight-day period. |\n| `Eight_Day_Snow_Cover` | | | meters | Snow chronology bit flags for each day in the eight-day observation period. |\n| Bitmask for Eight_Day_Snow_Cover - Bit 0: day 1 - Bit 1: day 2 - Bit 2: day 3 - Bit 3: day 4 - Bit 4: day 5 - Bit 5: day 6 - Bit 6: day 7 - Bit 7: day 8 ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||\n\n**Maximum_Snow_Extent Class Table**\n\n| Value | Color | Description |\n|-------|-------|--------------------|\n| 0 | None | Missing data |\n| 1 | None | No decision |\n| 11 | None | Night |\n| 25 | None | No snow |\n| 37 | None | Lake |\n| 39 | None | Ocean |\n| 50 | None | Cloud |\n| 100 | None | Lake ice |\n| 200 | None | Snow |\n| 254 | None | Detector saturated |\n\n### Terms of Use\n\n**Terms of Use**\n\nYou may download and use photographs, imagery, or text\nfrom the NSIDC web site, unless limitations for its use are specifically\nstated. For more information on usage and citing NSIDC datasets,\nplease visit the\n[NSIDC 'Use and Copyright' page](https://nsidc.org/about/data-use-and-copyright).\n\n### Citations\n\nCitations:\n\n- Hall, D. K., V. V. Salomonson, and G. A. Riggs. 2016. MODIS/Terra\n Snow Cover Daily L3 Global 500m Grid. Version 6. Boulder, Colorado\n USA: NASA National Snow and Ice Data Center Distributed Active\n Archive Center.\n\n### DOIs\n\n- \u003chttps://doi.org/10.5067/MODIS/MOD10A1.061\u003e\n- \u003chttps://doi.org/10.5067/MODIS/MOD10A2.061\u003e\n\n### Explore with Earth Engine\n\n| **Important:** Earth Engine is a platform for petabyte-scale scientific analysis and visualization of geospatial datasets, both for public benefit and for business and government users. Earth Engine is free to use for research, education, and nonprofit use. To get started, please [register for Earth Engine access.](https://console.cloud.google.com/earth-engine)\n\n### Code Editor (JavaScript)\n\n```javascript\nvar dataset = ee.ImageCollection('MODIS/061/MOD10A2')\n .filter(ee.Filter.date('2023-01-01', '2023-12-01'))\n .select('Maximum_Snow_Extent');\n\nvar visualization = {\n min: 50.0,\n max: 200.0,\n palette: [\n '000000',\n '0dffff',\n '0524ff',\n 'ffffff'\n ]\n};\n\n\nMap.setCenter(-3.69, 65.99, 4);\n\nMap.addLayer(dataset.mean(), visualization, 'Maximum_Snow_Extent');\n```\n[Open in Code Editor](https://code.earthengine.google.com/?scriptPath=Examples:Datasets/MODIS/MODIS_061_MOD10A2) \n[MOD10A2.061 Terra Snow Cover 8-Day L3 Global 500m](/earth-engine/datasets/catalog/MODIS_061_MOD10A2) \nMOD10A2 is a snow cover dataset from the MODIS on the Terra satellite. The dataset reports the maximum snow cover extent during an eight-day period at the resolution of 500 m. An eight-day compositing period was chosen because that is the exact ground track repeat period of the Terra and ... \nMODIS/061/MOD10A2, cryosphere,daily,geophysical,global,modis,nasa,nsidc,snow,terra \n2000-02-18T00:00:00Z/2025-08-05T00:00:00Z \n-90 -180 90 180 \nGoogle Earth Engine \nhttps://developers.google.com/earth-engine/datasets\n\n- [https://doi.org/10.5067/MODIS/MOD10A2.061](https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.5067/MODIS/MOD10A2.061)\n- [https://doi.org/10.5067/MODIS/MOD10A2.061](https://doi.org/https://developers.google.com/earth-engine/datasets/catalog/MODIS_061_MOD10A2)"]]
