SMAP L1B Radiometer Brightness Temperatures in Near Real-Time

Near Real-time SMAP L1B Radiometer Half-Orbit Time-Ordered Brightness Temperatures V105 provides calibrated, geolocated brightness temperature data from the SMAP satellite's L-band radiometer. Data are available within three hours of observation and are stored for two to three weeks, offering at least fourteen consecutive days of coverage from 86.4°S to 86.4°N. The dataset is produced by the NSIDC DAAC for operational use where low latency is prioritized over the higher quality of the standard science product.

Use Cases

• Monitoring near-real-time soil moisture conditions using calibrated brightness temperature estimates.
• Assimilating time-ordered geolocated radiometer data into numerical weather prediction models.
• Tracking changes in land surface emissivity for short-term agricultural or hydrological assessments.
• Providing immediate brightness temperature swaths for operational environmental alert systems.

Strengths

• Data latency is low, with availability within three hours of satellite observation.
• Provides continuous temporal coverage, with at least fourteen consecutive days of data accessible at any time.
• Offers global spatial coverage from 86.4°S to 86.4°N in 1000 km swaths.

Limitations

• This is a Near Real-Time product intended for operational use; it has lower quality assurance compared to the standard science product (SPL1BTB).
• Specific technical details like row count, file size, and complete column schema are unavailable from the provided sources.
• Data retention is limited, as files are stored for only approximately two to three weeks.

Provenance

Source

NSIDC_CPRD (NASA National Snow and Ice Data Center Distributed Active Archive Center)

Collection Method

Calibrated estimates from the Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) satellite's passive L-band radiometer.

Time Range

Rolling window of at least the most recent 14 consecutive days.

Freshness

2026-03-13 20:21:45.999406

Geography

Global coverage from 86.4°S to 86.4°N latitude.