Nimbus-5 Microwave Brightness Temperature Images from 1970s

Nimbus-5 satellite data provides daily brightness temperature images captured by the Electrically Scanning Microwave Radiometer (ESMR) instrument. The GES DISC archives this collection, which contains imagery from December 11, 1972, to May 16, 1977. Images are stored as JPEG 2000 files, with approximately two weeks of data bundled into each TAR archive.

Use Cases

• Analyzing sea ice versus open ocean differences using brightness temperature strips with dynamic ranges of 100-200 K, 190-270 K, and 250-300 K.
• Deriving cloud liquid water content over oceans from the 1.55-cm (19.36 GHz) microwave radiation brightness temperatures.
• Testing surface composition and soil moisture inference feasibility from geospatial imagery with 25 km x 25 km resolution near nadir.
• Studying atmospheric emission under cloud-covered conditions that block infrared sensors, using the continuous global mapping capability.

Strengths

• Data collection spans over 4 years, from December 1972 to May 1977.
• Images provide three distinct dynamic ranges (100-200K, 190-270K, 250-300K) for analysis flexibility.
• Instrument operated at 19.36 GHz, enabling observations through cloud cover.

Limitations

• Spatial resolution degrades significantly from 25x25 km at nadir to 160x45 km at scan ends.
• Data is historical, with the last update recorded in 1973, limiting contemporary analysis.
• Specific row counts, file sizes, and total image volume are unknown.

Provenance

Source

NASA GES DISC, originally from Nimbus-5 ESMR instrument.

Collection Method

Collected via the Electrically Scanning Microwave Radiometer (ESMR) on the Nimbus-5 satellite, saved from 70-mm photofacsimile film strips.

Time Range

December 11, 1972 to May 16, 1977.

Freshness

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Geography

Global spatial coverage.