Daily Satellite Imagery Archive from NOAA and NASA Missions

Dundee University has systematically recorded daily High-Resolution Picture Transmission (HRPT) data from NOAA satellites since October 1978. The archive includes data from NOAA's TIROS-N, NIMBUS-7's CZCS, SeaWiFS, and MODIS instruments on Terra and Aqua satellites. Data is stored on magnetic tape and optical disk and is accessible via a web server.

Use Cases

• Calculate the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) from the 5 AVHRR channels to monitor vegetation health over time.
• Analyze AVHRR channel data corrected for earth curvature to study sea surface temperature patterns and anomalies.
• Use the database of all satellite passes with thumbnail images to locate specific geographic features or atmospheric events for case studies.
• Compare imagery from different sensor missions (e.g., CZCS, SeaWiFS, MODIS) to construct long-term environmental data records for specific regions.

Strengths

• Daily data collection spans from October 1978 onwards, providing over 40 years of continuous satellite records.
• Archive includes data from multiple major satellite missions: NOAA series, NIMBUS-7, SeaWiFS, and EOS AM/PM (Terra, Aqua).
• Quicklook images are processed to include earth curvature correction and a latitude/longitude grid overlay for geospatial analysis.

Limitations

• Specific row counts, file sizes, and exact spatial resolution for the full archive are not provided in the description.
• Data availability for specific formats (raw data on exabytes, CD-ROMs) may require direct contact and could involve physical media.
• The description notes the quicklook archive contains 'sampled images,' which may not represent the full resolution or complete data from each pass.

Provenance

Source

NERC Satellite Station at Dundee University, United Kingdom.

Collection Method

Systematic daily recording of HRPT data received from polar-orbiting and geostationary satellites, stored on magnetic tape and optical disk.

Time Range

October 1978 to present (ongoing). Specific end dates for some missions are noted (e.g., CZCS mission ended December 1986).

Freshness

Data reception and archiving for missions like SeaWiFS (launched 1997) and MODIS are mentioned, but a specific last update date is not provided.

Geography

Global coverage from NOAA and other satellite passes received at the Dundee station.