Regional and global variations of water vapor and high clouds inferred from two years´ measurements with MODIS near-IR channels

The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (MODIS) on the Terra spacecraft has been obtaining scientific data since February of 2000. On the MODIS instrument, there are five channels located within and around the 0.94-micron water vapor band absorption region for remote sensing of atmospheric water vapor. There is also a channel at 1.38-micron for remote sensing of high clouds. Based on two years of measurements with these channels, reliable observations of water vapor and high clouds on regional and global scales have been made. Daily, seasonal, and annual variations of water vapor and high clouds are obviously seen.