PREFIRE_SAT2_2B-ATM_COG: Polar Atmospheric Water Vapor from Satellite

PREFIRE_SAT2_2B-ATM_COG provides retrieved column water vapor (CWV) values derived from the PREFIRE Thermal Infrared Spectrometer aboard PREFIRE-SAT2. The data are rendered as Cloud-Optimized GeoTIFF files on a global grid with approximately 2.23 km raster elements, specifically for clear-sky conditions. This dataset aims to fill knowledge gaps in the polar radiant energy budget by measuring far-infrared radiation not previously characterized on a large scale.

Use Cases

• Assimilating polar column water vapor data into global circulation models to improve climate predictions.
• Analyzing spatial patterns of atmospheric moisture in polar regions under clear-sky conditions.
• Visualizing and mapping satellite-retrieved water vapor data using GIS software like QGIS.
• Studying the relationship between far-infrared radiation and the global energy budget.
• Validating other atmospheric remote sensing products against PREFIRE spectrometer measurements.

Strengths

• Data is derived from a specialized spectrometer with 63 channels measuring mid- and far-infrared radiation from 5 to 53 µm.
• Provides georeferenced, visualizable data on a consistent global grid with ~2.23 km resolution.
• Dataset is hosted on multiple authoritative platforms (NASA Earthdata and Data.gov), indicating curation and importance.

Limitations

• Critical metadata such as row count, file size, and specific column names are unavailable across all sources.
• The retrieved column water vapor values are only available for clear-sky conditions, limiting coverage.
• The visual raster elements (~2.23 km) are much smaller than the actual satellite ground footprints, which are about 80x larger in area, requiring careful interpretation.

Provenance

Source

NASA/LARC_CLOUD, from the PREFIRE-SAT2 satellite.

Collection Method

Data retrieved via an Optimal Estimation method using a radiative transfer model, with inputs from spectral radiance, cloud mask, meteorological, and surface data.

Time Range

Science data retrieval started June 29, 2024.

Freshness

2026-04-09 23:04:30.420809

Geography

Global, with a focus on polar regions.