PREFIRE: Polar Atmospheric Water Vapor from CubeSat Far-Infrared Spectrometer

Science data retrieval started July 24, 2024 from the PREFIRE-SAT1 CubeSat. This dataset provides georeferenced, cloud-optimized GeoTIFF (COG) renderings of retrieved column water vapor (CWV) values for clear-sky conditions, derived from far-infrared spectral radiance measurements. The data aims to fill knowledge gaps in the polar radiant energy budget by characterizing far-infrared emissions, with results intended for assimilation into global circulation models.

Use Cases

• Assimilating polar column water vapor data into global circulation models to improve future climate predictions.
• Analyzing spatial patterns of atmospheric moisture in polar regions under clear-sky conditions.
• Validating and comparing far-infrared radiation measurements from the PREFIRE spectrometer's 63 channels.
• Visualizing georeferenced atmospheric property data in GIS software like QGIS using the provided COG files.

Strengths

• Data is derived from a novel instrument measuring 63 channels in the under-sampled far-infrared spectrum (5-53 µm).
• Provides a visualized product with a specific spatial resolution, with raster elements approximately 2.23 km in width.
• Dataset is hosted on multiple authoritative platforms (NASA Earthdata, Data.gov), indicating its importance and curation.

Limitations

• Critical metadata is missing or conflicting: row count, size, and author are listed as 'unknown', 'None', or are absent.
• The retrieved CWV values are only available for clear-sky conditions, limiting all-weather analysis.
• The visualization raster elements are much smaller (~80x in area) than the actual instrument ground footprints, which may require careful interpretation.

Provenance

Source

LARC_CLOUD (from nasa_earthdata platform). Data collected by the PREFIRE Thermal Infrared Spectrometer (TIRS-PREFIRE) aboard the PREFIRE-SAT1 CubeSat.

Collection Method

CWV values are computed via an Optimal Estimation retrieval using a radiative transfer model, with inputs from spectral radiance, cloud mask, meteorological, and surface data.

Time Range

Science data retrieval started July 24, 2024. Specific end date is not provided.

Freshness

2026-04-09 23:04:26.930601

Geography

Global grid, with a focus on polar regions.