Data Library

MODIS
East Africa
South Asia
West Africa

help@iri

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How to Use the MODIS Image Download Tool

Visual features of the map
The map first displays the most recent MODIS image. Users may also use the map viewer to:

Overlay adminstrative boundaries
Any combination of the available overlay maps may be displayed.
  1. Using the "Optional Overlay Maps" table located to the far left of the map, select the maps that you would like to display.
  2. Click the "Redraw" button (top blue button to left of map).

Zoom map in/out
There are two ways to zoom the map to different regions; the click-and-drag option and the latitude/longitude text boxes. Note that the map can not display areas outside of the region first shown on the interface (~0° - 40°N, 20°W - 20°E).

  • Click-and-drag

    1. Click the left mouse button at the upper-left corner of the region to which you would like to zoom.
    2. While holding down the button, drag the mouse to the lower-right corner of the region to which you would like to zoom.
    3. Release the left mouse button. The map will redraw automatically.

  • Specific lat/lon selection
    There are four lat/lon text boxes underneath and to the left of the map.
    1. Change the values in the lat/lon text boxes to the limits of the region you would like to display using the text format already shown.
    2. Click the "Redraw" button.

Downloading Images
To download the map with your overlay and spatial domain selections, click on the desired image format (PDF or JPEG).

To download a map as a GeoTiff image, click on the "GeoTiff for GIS" link.

To download the data as a LAN file(s) for import into GIS software, click on the "Data for GIS" link. You can then select a format that best meets your needs. If you select the IDA or LAN image formats, then you be given the option to download all three MODIS channels (i.e., bands; middle infrared, near infrared, red) in single file or separately in three files.

Please feel free to email us with any questions or comments.