PREFIRE-SAT2: Raw Polar Infrared Spectrometer Measurements

PREFIRE Satellite 2 Raw Payload contains uncurated digital number counts from a Thermal Infrared Spectrometer (TIRS-PREFIRE) with 63 channels measuring radiation from 5 to 53 µm. The data aims to fill knowledge gaps in the polar far-infrared energy budget for assimilation into global circulation and climate models. Measurements began on June 29, 2024, have a temporal resolution of 0.707 seconds, and provide global coverage with a concentration in polar regions.

Use Cases

• Characterizing polar far-infrared emissions based on 63-channel spectral measurements.
• Assimilating raw radiance counts into global circulation models based on the dataset's stated purpose.
• Analyzing temporal trends in polar radiation with data collected every 0.707 seconds.
• Comparing spectral signatures between polar and global regions based on the geographic coverage.

Strengths

• Provides high-temporal-resolution measurements with a 0.707-second sampling rate.
• Focuses on the under-measured far-infrared spectrum (5-53 µm) critical for polar energy budgets.
• Data collection is ongoing, indicating potential for a growing temporal record.
• Cross-platform presence on datagov and nasa_earthdata signals its importance and accessibility.

Limitations

• Data is raw and uncurated, requiring significant preprocessing and calibration for scientific use.
• Column names and data structure are not specified in the provided metadata.
• The dataset size and row count are unknown across all sources.
• The license is ambiguously listed as 'other-license-specified' without explicit terms.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Collection Method

Measurements from the TIRS-PREFIRE push broom spectrometer aboard the PREFIRE Satellite 2.

Time Range

2024-06-29 to ongoing

Freshness

2026-04-09 23:10:58.315688

Geography

Global, with greatest concentration in polar regions