MISR Level 3 Cloud Motion Vector quarterly Product in netCDF format V002

MI3QCMVN_002 is the Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MISR) Level 3 Cloud Motion Vector quarterly Product in netCDF format version 2 data product. It contains retrievals of cloud motion determined by geometrically triangulating the position and motion of cloud features observed by MISR from multiple perspectives and times during the overpass of the Terra platform over each cloud scene. Estimates of cloud motion are a valuable proxy observation of the horizontal atmospheric wind field at the retrieved altitude of the cloud. The seasons are winter (December from the previous year, January, and February), spring (March, April, and May), summer (June, July, and August), and fall (September, October, and November). Data collection for this product is ongoing.

MISR is designed to view Earth with cameras in 9 different directions. As the instrument flies overhead, all nine cameras successfully imaged each piece of Earth's surface below in 4 wavelengths (blue, green, red, and near-infrared). MISR aims to improve our understanding of the effects of sunlight on Earth and distinguish different types of clouds, particles, and surfaces. Specifically, MISR monitors the monthly, seasonal, and long-term trends in three areas: 1) amount and type of atmospheric particles (aerosols), including those formed by natural sources and by human activities; 2) amounts, types, and heights of clouds, and 3) distribution of land surface cover, including vegetation canopy structure.