As an EOS instrument with 36 bands, MODIS is very useful because of its global coverage, radiometric

resolution and dynamic ranges as well as accurate calibration in multiple thermal infrared bands designed for

retrievals of SST, LST and atmospheric properties. This paper introduces and derives the algorithm about retrieving

water content of atmosphere from NIR band of MODIS data. The authors utilized this method to retrieve the water

content of atmosphere in Hanjiang area by MODIS and analyze the retrieving result and then employed LOWTRAN to

simulate the relationship between the water content of atmosphere and the transmittance of MODIS bands 31 and 32.

Finally, the transmittance of MODIS bands 31 and 32 was computed.  The technique is of great value in that it

enables us to get some parameters timely with accuracy to every pixel and to monitor the global change.