HIRSN6L1GARP: Nimbus-6 Satellite Infrared Radiances from 1975-1976

Nimbus-6 satellite daily infrared radiances measured across five spectral regions, including CO2 and water vapor absorption bands. The instrument scanned cross-track with 21 scans per side, providing data with approximately 30 km x 55 km resolution at nadir. These calibrated radiances were collected by NOAA's National Environmental Satellite Service from August 17, 1975 through March 4, 1976.

Use Cases

• Modeling atmospheric temperature profiles based on seven channels near the 15-micrometer CO2 absorption band.
• Estimating cloud amount and liquid water content based on radiance measurements in the IR window and other spectral regions.
• Calculating outgoing longwave fluxes based on calibrated infrared radiances across multiple channels.
• Analyzing surface temperature and albedo based on measurements in the visible 0.69-micrometer region and IR window.
• Studying water vapor profiles based on two channels in the 6.7 and 8.2 micrometer water vapor absorption band.

Strengths

• Data covers a specific historical period from August 1975 to March 1976.
• Measurements are provided across five distinct spectral regions with 20 channels described.
• Original data format (IBM 32-bit word binary) is preserved, indicating raw, unprocessed values.
• Spatial resolution at nadir is specified as approximately 30 km x 55 km.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Data is stored in an original IBM binary format (TAP file), which may require specialized tools for access.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) GES DISC, originally from NOAA National Environmental Satellite Service.

Collection Method

Recovered from original 9-track magnetic tapes written on IBM 360 machines.

Time Range

August 17, 1975 (day of year 229) through March 4, 1976 (day of year 238).

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-13 01:28:20.180421; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Global, based on orbital measurements.