Short Name:
THIRN4L1CH67

THIR/Nimbus-4 Level 1 Meteorological Radiation Data at 6.7 microns V001 (THIRN4L1CH67) at GES DISC

THIRN4L1CH67 is the Nimbus-4 Temperature-Humidity Infrared Radiometer (THIR) Level 1 Meteorological Radiation Data at 6.7 microns product contains radiances expressed in units of equivalent brightness temperature measured in the 6.7 micron channel. The data, originally written on IBM 360 machines, were recovered from magnetic tapes, also referred to as Nimbus Meteorological Radiation Tapes (NMRT-THIR). The data are archived in their original IBM 36-bit word proprietary format, also referred to as a binary TAP file. The Nimbus-4 satellite was successfully launched on April 8, 1970. The THIR experiment on Nimbus-4 replaced the measurements made the HRIR and MRIR instruments flown on previous Nimbus satellites. The THIR instrument is a two channel high resolution scanning radiometer designed to perform two major functions:* The 11.5 micron channel provides both day and night cloud top or surface temperatures. The ground resolution at the sub-point is 8 km and operates day and night.* The 6.7 micron channel gives information on the moisture content of the upper troposphere and stratosphere and the location of jet streams and frontal systems. The water vapor channel has a resolution of the sub-point is 22 km and operates mostly at night. The THIR Principal Investigator was Andrew W. McCulloch from NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. The Nimbus-4 THIR data are available from April 14, 1970 (day of year 104) through March 25, 1971 (day of year 84). The THIRN4L1CH115 product contains the 11.5 micron channel data. This product was previously available from the NSSDC with the identifier ESAD-00071 (old ID 70-025A-02E).

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