![MODIS/061/MOD21C3](https://developers.google.com/earth-engine/datasets/images/MODIS/MODIS_061_MOD21C3_sample.png) Dataset Availability : 2000-02-24T00:00:00Z--2026-10-01T00:00:00Z Dataset Producer : [NASA LP DAAC at the USGS EROS Center](https://doi.org/10.5067/MODIS/MOD21C3.061) Cadence : 1 Month Tags : [emissivity](https://developers.google.com/earth-engine/datasets/tags/emissivity.md.txt) [global](https://developers.google.com/earth-engine/datasets/tags/global.md.txt) [lst](https://developers.google.com/earth-engine/datasets/tags/lst.md.txt) [monthly](https://developers.google.com/earth-engine/datasets/tags/monthly.md.txt) [nasa](https://developers.google.com/earth-engine/datasets/tags/nasa.md.txt) [surface-temperature](https://developers.google.com/earth-engine/datasets/tags/surface-temperature.md.txt) [terra](https://developers.google.com/earth-engine/datasets/tags/terra.md.txt) [usgs](https://developers.google.com/earth-engine/datasets/tags/usgs.md.txt) [weather-and-climate](https://developers.google.com/earth-engine/datasets/tags/weather-and-climate.md.txt) #### Description The MOD21C3 dataset is a monthly composite LST product that uses an algorithm based on a simple averaging method. The algorithm calculates the average from all the cloud free MOD21A1D and MOD21A1N daily acquisitions from the 8-day period. Unlike the MOD21A1 data sets where the daytime and nighttime acquisitions are separate products, the MOD21A2 contains both daytime and nighttime acquisitions. The LST, Quality Control (QC), view zenith angle, and viewing time have separate day and night bands, while the values for the MODIS emissivity bands 29, 31, and 32 are the average of both the nighttime and daytime acquisitions. Note that scale factors and offsets described in the MODIS documentation for MOD21C3 bands are already applied to assets ingested into Earth Engine. Documentation: - [User's Guide](https://lpdaac.usgs.gov/documents/1398/MOD21_User_Guide_V61.pdf) - [Algorithm Theoretical Basis Document (ATBD)](https://lpdaac.usgs.gov/documents/1399/MOD21_ATBD.pdf) - [General Documentation](https://ladsweb.modaps.eosdis.nasa.gov/filespec/MODIS/61/MOD21C3) ### Bands **Bands** Pixel size: 5566 meters (all bands) | Name | Units | Min | Max | Scale | Offset | Pixel Size | Description | |---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---| | `Count_Day` | | 1 | 65535 | | | 5566 meters | Count of Daytime Input Values | | `Count_Night` | | 1 | 65535 | | | 5566 meters | Count of Nighttime Input Values | | `QC_Day` | | | | | | 5566 meters | Quality Control for Daytime LST and Emissivity | | Bitmask for QC_Day - Bits 0-1: Mandatory QA flags - 0: Pixel produced, good quality, no further QA info necessary - 1: Pixel produced, nominal quality. Recommend more detailed analysis of other QC information - 2: Pixel not produced due to cloud - 3: Pixel not produced due to reasons other than cloud - Bits 2-3: Data quality flag - 0: Good data quality of L1B bands 29, 31, 32 - 1: Missing pixel - 2: Fairly calibrated - 3: Poorly calibrated, TES processing skipped - Bits 4-5: Emissivity accuracy - 0: 0.02 (Poor performance) - 1: 0.015 - 0.02 (Marginal performance) - 2: 0.01 - 0.015 (Good performance) - 3: \<0.01 (Excellent performance) - Bits 6-7: LST accuracy - 0: 2K (Poor performance) - 1: 1.5 - 2K (Marginal performance) - 2: 1 - 1.5K (Good performance) - 3: \<1K (Excellent performance) |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| | `QC_Night` | | | | | | 5566 meters | Quality Control for Nighttime LST and Emissivity | | Bitmask for QC_Night - Bits 0-1: Mandatory QA flags - 0: Pixel produced, good quality, no further QA info necessary - 1: Pixel produced, nominal quality. Recommend more detailed analysis of other QC information - 2: Pixel not produced due to cloud - 3: Pixel not produced due to reasons other than cloud - Bits 2-3: Data quality flag - 0: Good data quality of L1B bands 29, 31, 32 - 1: Missing pixel - 2: Fairly calibrated - 3: Poorly calibrated, TES processing skipped - Bits 4-5: Emissivity accuracy - 0: 0.02 (Poor performance) - 1: 0.015 - 0.02 (Marginal performance) - 2: 0.01 - 0.015 (Good performance) - 3: \<0.01 (Excellent performance) - Bits 6-7: LST accuracy - 0: 2K (Poor performance) - 1: 1.5 - 2K (Marginal performance) - 2: 1 - 1.5K (Good performance) - 3: \<1K (Excellent performance) |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| | `LST_Day` | K | 7500 | 65535 | 0.02 | | 5566 meters | Average Daytime Land Surface Temperature | | `LST_Night` | K | 7500 | 65535 | 0.02 | | 5566 meters | Average Nighttime Land Surface Temperature | | `LST_Day_err` | K | 1 | 255 | 0.04 | | 5566 meters | Root-mean-square-error Daytime Land Surface Temperature | | `LST_Night_err` | K | 1 | 255 | 0.04 | | 5566 meters | Average Nighttime Land Surface Temperature | | `Day_view_angle` | deg | 0 | 130 | | -65 | 5566 meters | Average Daytime View Zenith Angle | | `Night_view_angle` | deg | 0 | 130 | | -65 | 5566 meters | Average Nighttime View Zenith Angle | | `Day_view_time` | h | 0 | 120 | 0.2 | | 5566 meters | Average Daytime View Time (UTC) | | `Night_view_time` | h | 0 | 120 | 0.2 | | 5566 meters | Average Nighttime View Time (UTC) | | `Emis_29_Day` | | 1 | 255 | 0.002 | 0.49 | 5566 meters | Average Daytime Band 29 Emissivity | | `Emis_29_Night` | | 1 | 255 | 0.002 | 0.49 | 5566 meters | Average Nighttime Band 29 Emissivity | | `Emis_29_Day_err` | | 1 | 65535 | 0.0001 | | 5566 meters | Root-mean-square-error Daytime Band 29 Emissivity | | `Emis_29_Night_err` | | 1 | 65535 | 0.0001 | | 5566 meters | Root-mean-square-error Nighttime Band 29 Emissivity | | `Emis_31_Day` | | 1 | 255 | 0.002 | 0.49 | 5566 meters | Average Daytime Band 31 Emissivity | | `Emis_31_Night` | | 1 | 255 | 0.002 | 0.49 | 5566 meters | Average Nighttime Band 31 Emissivity | | `Emis_31_Day_err` | | 1 | 65535 | 0.0001 | | 5566 meters | Root-mean-square-error Daytime Band 31 Emissivity | | `Emis_31_Night_err` | | 1 | 65535 | 0.0001 | | 5566 meters | Root-mean-square-error Nighttime Band 31 Emissivity | | `Emis_32_Day` | | 1 | 255 | 0.002 | 0.49 | 5566 meters | Average Daytime Band 32 Emissivity | | `Emis_32_Night` | | 1 | 255 | 0.002 | 0.49 | 5566 meters | Average Nighttime Band 32 Emissivity | | `Emis_32_Day_err` | | 1 | 65535 | 0.0001 | | 5566 meters | Root-mean-square-error Daytime Band 32 Emissivity | | `Emis_32_Night_err` | | 1 | 65535 | 0.0001 | | 5566 meters | Root-mean-square-error Nighttime Band 32 Emissivity | | `View_Angle` | deg | | | | -65 | 5566 meters | MODIS view zenith angle | | `Percent_land_in_grid` | % | 1 | 100 | | | 5566 meters | Percent of Land Detections in Grid Cell | | `Clear_sky_days` | | 0 | 2.14748e+09 | | | 5566 meters | Bitmap of Clear Sky Days (1 = clear, LSB = 1st day) | | `Clear_sky_nights` | | 0 | 2.14748e+09 | | | 5566 meters | Bitmap of Clear Sky Nights (1 = clear, LSB = 1st day) | ### Terms of Use **Terms of Use** MODIS data and products acquired through the LP DAAC have no restrictions on subsequent use, sale, or redistribution. ### Citations Citations: - Please visit [LP DAAC 'Citing Our Data' page](https://lpdaac.usgs.gov/citing_our_data) for information on citing LP DAAC datasets. ### DOIs - ### Explore with Earth Engine > [!NOTE] > **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) ### Code Editor (JavaScript) ```javascript var dataset = ee.ImageCollection('MODIS/061/MOD21C3') .filter(ee.Filter.date('2018-01-01', '2018-05-01')); var landSurfaceTemperature = dataset.select('LST_Day'); var landSurfaceTemperatureVis = { min: 216.0, max: 348.0, palette: [ '040274', '040281', '0502a3', '0502b8', '0502ce', '0502e6', '0602ff', '235cb1', '307ef3', '269db1', '30c8e2', '32d3ef', '3be285', '3ff38f', '86e26f', '3ae237', 'b5e22e', 'd6e21f', 'fff705', 'ffd611', 'ffb613', 'ff8b13', 'ff6e08', 'ff500d', 'ff0000', 'de0101', 'c21301', 'a71001', '911003' ], }; Map.setCenter(6.746, 46.529, 2); Map.addLayer( landSurfaceTemperature, landSurfaceTemperatureVis, 'Average Daytime Land Surface Temperature'); ``` [Open in Code Editor](https://code.earthengine.google.com/?scriptPath=Examples:Datasets/MODIS/MODIS_061_MOD21C3) [MOD21C3.061 Terra Land Surface Temperature and 3-Band Emissivity Monthly L3 Global 0.05 Deg CMG](https://developers.google.com/earth-engine/datasets/catalog/MODIS_061_MOD21C3.md.txt) The MOD21C3 dataset is a monthly composite LST product that uses an algorithm based on a simple averaging method. The algorithm calculates the average from all the cloud free MOD21A1D and MOD21A1N daily acquisitions from the 8-day period. Unlike the MOD21A1 data sets where the daytime and nighttime acquisitions are ... MODIS/061/MOD21C3, emissivity,global,lst,monthly,nasa,surface-temperature,terra,usgs,weather-and-climate 2000-02-24T00:00:00Z/2026-10-01T00:00:00Z -90 -180 90 180 Google Earth Engine https://developers.google.com/earth-engine/datasets - [https://doi.org/10.5067/MODIS/MOD21C3.061](https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.5067/MODIS/MOD21C3.061) - [https://doi.org/10.5067/MODIS/MOD21C3.061](https://doi.org/https://developers.google.com/earth-engine/datasets/catalog/MODIS_061_MOD21C3)