AIRS/Aqua L1B NRT: Infrared Radiances in BUFR Format

Global satellite data from the AIRS instrument on NASA's Aqua spacecraft provides near real-time, calibrated infrared radiance measurements. This dataset is a 324-channel subset of the AIRIBRAD_NRT_005 product, converted to the BUFR format and includes AMSU footprints to meet a three-hour latency requirement. It is intended for time-sensitive applications but contains a documented spectral shift for channels in the L1b v5 product following a 2021 spacecraft maneuver.

Use Cases

• Assimilating near real-time infrared radiances into numerical weather prediction models based on the three-hour latency.
• Monitoring atmospheric temperature and humidity profiles using the 324 spectral channels.
• Investigating the impact of the 2021 Deep Space Maneuver on instrument calibration and spectral response.
• Conducting time-series analysis of global atmospheric infrared emissions using geolocated, six-minute granule data.

Strengths

• Provides data with a three-hour latency, meeting requirements for near real-time applications.
• Contains a specific 324-channel subset of infrared radiance data, indicating focused spectral coverage.
• Cross-listed on multiple authoritative platforms (Data.gov, NASA Earthdata), signaling importance and reliability.

Limitations

• Critical metadata such as row count, file size, and specific column names are unavailable across all sources.
• Contains a known data quality issue: a spectral frequency shift affecting up to 231 channels by more than 0.2 K due to a 2021 spacecraft maneuver.
• The license is ambiguously listed as 'other-license-specified' without explicit terms provided.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

Collection Method

Satellite remote sensing via the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) grating spectrometer on the EOS Aqua spacecraft.

Freshness

2026-04-10 17:49:36.540149

Geography

Global