AIRS Aqua Near Real Time Cloud-Cleared Infrared Radiances

AIRS/Aqua L2 Near Real Time Cloud-Cleared Infrared Radiances provide calibrated, geolocated infrared radiance measurements from the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder aboard the EOS Aqua satellite. The dataset is processed to meet a three-hour latency requirement for the LANCE system, using AIRS-only infrared channels due to increased noise in a companion microwave sensor since June 2007. The product is generated by NASA's GES DISC and is stored in granule files.

Use Cases

• Monitoring atmospheric temperature and humidity profiles using calibrated infrared radiance values.
• Assessing cloud-free atmospheric conditions for weather model assimilation.
• Studying long-term atmospheric trends from infrared spectral data collected since 2007.
• Supporting near-real-time environmental monitoring applications within a three-hour latency.

Strengths

• Provides data with a three-hour latency requirement for operational near-real-time use.
• Contains calibrated, geolocated channel-by-channel infrared radiances (milliWatts/m2/cm-1/steradian).
• Derived from a grating spectrometer with a resolution (R) of 1200 aboard the EOS Aqua satellite.

Limitations

• The dataset is produced using AIRS infrared only, omitting microwave sensor data due to increased noise since June 2007.
• No ice cloud properties retrievals are performed in the NRT processing chain.
• Sources disagree on license information: one platform lists 'other-license-specified', others list null.

Provenance

Source

GES_DISC

Collection Method

Satellite remote sensing from the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) aboard EOS Aqua.

Time Range

Since June 2007 (due to AIRS-only processing change).

Freshness

2026-03-13 18:37:54.319597

Geography

Global coverage from polar-orbiting satellite.