Cautions and Disclaimers

• Cloud detection and cloud property estimation in the polar regions with satellite data is a difficult task, especially at night. The MODIS cloud mask is a very good product, but there will undoubtedly be some conditions under which it performs poorly.
• The MODIS atmospheric profiles product, of which total precipitable water is a part, is a global project. For Antarctica, and to a lesser extent the Arctic, the algorithm is operating at one end of its range. The accuracy of the product for these dry, cold atmospheres has not been well characterized.
• The low-level inversion products are for clear sky conditions only.
• The surface temperature and albedo products were designed for snow and ice, not snow-free land or open water. Additionally, they are clear sky algorithms that can be significantly affected by cloud contamination.