AN OVERVIEW OF MODIS CAPABILITIES FOR OCEAN SCIENCE OBSERVATIONS

The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) will add a s ignificant new capability for investigating the 70% of the earth's sur face that is covered by oceans, in addition to contributing to the con tinuation of a decadal scale time series necessary for climate change assessment in the oceans. Sensor capabilities of particular importance for improving the accuracy of ocean products include high SNR and hig h stability for narrower spectral bands, improved onboard radiometric calibration and stability monitoring, and improved science data produc t algorithms. Spectral bands for resolving solar-stimulated chlorophyl l fluorescence and a split window in the 4-mu m region for SST will re sult in important new global ocean science products for biology and ph ysics. MODIS will return full global data at 1-km resolution. The comp lete suite of Levels 2 and 3 ocean products is reviewed, and many area s where MODIS data are expected to make significant, new contributions to the enhanced understanding of the oceans' role in understanding cl imate change are discussed. In providing a highly complementary and co nsistent set of observations of terrestrial, atmospheric, and ocean ob servations, MODIS data will provide important new information on the i nteractions between earth's major components.