NMCN6L2GARP: Nimbus-6 Satellite Meteorological Data for GARP, 1975-1976

Nimbus-6 Level 2 data from two Data Systems Tests in 1975 and 1976, assessing the impact of satellite observations on numerical weather forecasting. The product consists of meteorological parameters like relative humidity, temperature, and wind speed reported every 6 hours. NASA recovered the data from original magnetic tapes and now stores it online in its original proprietary binary format.

Use Cases

• Analyze historical atmospheric conditions based on reported parameters like temperature and humidity
• Study the impact of early satellite data on numerical weather prediction based on the Data Systems Test objectives
• Benchmark modern reanalysis products against original 1970s observational data
• Research the temporal evolution of meteorological variables during the specific test periods in 1975 and 1976

Strengths

• Data originates from a defined historical experiment with specific test periods: 30 August to 4 September 1975 and 29 February to 3 March 1976
• Parameters include core meteorological variables such as relative humidity, temperature, and wind speed
• Data is preserved in its original format, recovered from archival magnetic tapes

Limitations

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

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Collection Method

Recovered from original magnetic tapes from the Nimbus-6 satellite Data Systems Tests.

Time Range

30 August to 4 September 1975 and 29 February to — 3 March 1976

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-12 23:19:30.912066; freshness should be verified

Geography

Global, based on the Global Atmospheric Research Program (GARP) scope