This dataset (TOVSADNH) contains the TIROS Operational Vertical Sounder (TOVS) level 3 geophysical parameters derived using data from NOAA-11 and the physical retrieval method of Susskind et al. (1984) and processed by the Satellite Data Utilization Office of the Goddard Laboratory for Atmospheres at NASA/GSFC. This method, which is hydrodynamic model- and a priori data-dependent, is designated as the so-called Path A scheme by the TOVS Pathfinder Science Working Group. The 20 channel High resolution Infrared Radiation Sounder 2 (HIRS2) and the 4 channel Microwave Sounding Unit (MSU) aboard the NOAA-xx series of Polar Orbiting Satellites are used to produce global fields of the 3-dimensional temperature-moisture structure of the atmosphere. In addition to profiles of temperature and moisture, the HIRS2/MSU data are used to derive important quantities such as land and sea surface temperature, outgoing longwave radiation, cloud fraction, cloudtop height, total ozone overburden and precipitation estimates. The Path A system steps through an interactive forecast-retrieval-analysis cycle. In each 6 hour synoptic period, a 2nd order General Circulation Model (Takacs et al., 1994) is used to generate the 6 hour forecast fields of temperature and humidity. These global fields are used as the first guess for all soundings occuring within a 6 hour time window centered upon the forecast time. These retrievals are then assimilated with all available insitu measurements (such as radiosonde and ship reports) in the 6 hour interval using an Optimal Interpolation (OI) analysis scheme developed by the Data Assimilation Office of the Goddard Laboratory for Atmospheres. This analysis is then used to specify the initial conditions for the next 6 hour forecast, thus completing the cycle. The retrieval algorithm itself is a physical method based on the iterative relaxation technique originally proposed by Chahine (1968). The basic approach consists of modifying the temperature profile from the previous iteration by an amount proportional to the difference between the observed brightness temperatures and the brightness temperatures computed from the trial parameters using the full radiative transfer equation applied at the observed satellite zenith angle. For the case of the temperature profile, the updated layer mean temperatures are given as a linear combination of multichannel brightness temperature differences with the coefficients given by the channel weighting functions. Constraints are imposed upon the solution in order to ensure stability and convergence of the iterative process. For more details see Susskind et al (1984). There are level 3 data product files for five TOVS satellites, each of which is in the HDF format and each representative of a different averaging time period. All files contain the same number of geophysical parameter arrays stored as HDF Scientific Data Sets (SDSs). The time periods include daily, 5 day (pentad) and monthly, with the AM and PM portions of the orbits treated separately. All data are mapped to a 1 degree longitude by 1 degree latitude global grid.
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Spatial Extent: | Bounding Rectangle: N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180 |
Data Format(s): | Distribution: HDF |
Temporal Extent: | Platform(s): | NOAA-11 | |
Data Center(s): | NASA/GSFC/SED/ESD/GCDC/GESDISC | Instrument(s): | HIRS/2, MSU, TOVS |
Version: | 01 |
Not Applicable
Creation | |
Last Revision |
3
Complete
The Earth Observing System Data and Information System (EOSDIS) data use policy for NASA data can be accessed at https://earthdata.nasa.gov/earth-observation-data/data-use-policy. For information on how to properly cite and acknowledge data from the NASA GES DISC, refer to https://disc.gsfc.nasa.gov/information/documents?title=data-policy.
Title: Determination of the Temperature Profile in an atmosphere from its Outgoing Radiances
Publication Date: 1968-01-01
Author(s): Chahine, M. T.
Series: J. Opt. Soc. Am.
Edition: 58
Pages: 1634-1637
Title: First Guess Dependence of a Physically Based Set of Temperature Humidity Retrievals from HIRS2/MSU Data
Publication Date: 1988-01-01
Author(s): Reuter, D., J. Susskind, and A. Pursch
Series: J. Atm. Ocean. Tech.
Edition: 5
Pages: 70-83
Title: Remote Sensing of Weather and Climate Parameters from HIRS2/MSU on TIROS-N
Publication Date: 1984-01-01
Author(s): Susskind, J., J. Rosenfield, D. Reuter, and M. T. Chahine
Series: J. Geophys. Res.
Edition: 89D
Pages: 4677-4697
Title: Retrieval of Sea-Surface Temperatures from HIRS2/MSU
Publication Date: 1985-01-01
Author(s): Susskind J. and D. Reuter
Series: J. Geophys. Res.
Edition: 90C
Pages: 11602-11608
Title: Cloud Fields Derived from Analysis of HIRS2/MSU Sounding Data
Publication Date: 1987-01-01
Author(s): Susskind, J., D. Reuter, and M. T. Chahine
Series: J. Geophys. Res.
Edition: 92D
Pages: 4035-4050
Title: Documentation of the Goddard Earth Observing System (GEOS) General Circulation Model Version 1
Publication Date: 1994-01-01
Author(s): Takacs, L., A. Molod, and T. Wang
Series: NASA Technical Memorandum
Title: Outgoing Longwave Radiation Computed from HIRS2/MSU Sounding
Publication Date: 1990-01-01
Author(s): Wu, M. L. C. and J. Susskind
Series: J. Geophys. Res.
Edition: 95D
Pages: 7579-7602
Project Short Name | Campaigns | Project Dates |
---|---|---|
TOVS Pathfinder | No campaigns listed. | No dates provided. |
CWIC | No campaigns listed. | No dates provided. |
Coverage Type | Zone Identifier | Geometry | Granule Representation |
---|---|---|---|
HORIZONTAL | CARTESIAN | CARTESIAN |
This data center does not have any addresses listed.
This data center does not have any contact mechanisms listed.
Goddard Space Flight Center
Mailstop 613.0
Greenbelt,
MD
20771
Distributed Active Archive Center Global Change Data Center
Code 610.2
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
Greenbelt,
MD
20771
301-614-6513
Goddard Earth Sciences Data and Information Services Center
Code 610.2
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
Greenbelt,
MD
20771
Format: HDF
Format Type: Native
Media: Online Archive