LIMS/Nimbus-7: Daily Atmospheric Radiance Profiles, 1978-1979

Near-global vertical profiles of atmospheric radiance from the Nimbus-7 satellite's Limb Infrared Monitor of the Stratosphere (LIMS). The data contain daily measurements across six spectral bands for CO2, HNO3, O3, H2O, and NO2, with vertical coverage from approximately 10 to 65 km and latitudinal coverage between -64 and +84 degrees. The data were collected from 25 October 1978 through 30 May 1979, with principal investigators from NASA Langley and NCAR.

Use Cases

• Modeling historical stratospheric composition based on radiance measurements in six spectral bands.
• Analyzing vertical atmospheric profiles as a function of tangent height from 10 to 65 km.
• Studying near-global spatial trends in trace gases like O3 and HNO3 between latitudes -64 and +84 degrees.
• Calibrating or validating atmospheric limb-sounding instruments using the defined spectral channels.

Strengths

• Provides data across six specific spectral bands for key atmospheric constituents (CO2, HNO3, O3, H2O, NO2).
• Covers a defined temporal range from 25 October 1978 to 30 May 1979.
• Offers near-global spatial coverage between latitude -64 and +84 degrees.
• Has a defined vertical resolution of about 1.5 km and coverage from 10 to 65 km.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Data is historical, covering a specific 7-month period in 1978-1979.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

Collection Method

Measurements obtained from the Nimbus-7 satellite's Limb Infrared Monitor of the Stratosphere (LIMS) instrument.

Time Range

25 October 1978 through 30 May 1979

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-13 00:56:10.803912; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Near global between latitude -64 and +84 degrees.