PREFIRE_SAT2_2B-SFC_COG11um: Polar Surface Emissivity at 11µm

PREFIRE_SAT2_2B-SFC_COG11um provides georeferenced surface emissivity data derived from the PREFIRE Satellite 2 mission. The dataset consists of Cloud-Optimized GeoTIFF files containing retrieved emissivity values for a spectral channel centered at approximately 11.0 micrometers, calculated under clear-sky conditions using an Optimal Estimation retrieval. These raster images are rendered on a global grid with elements about 2.23 km wide to visualize data from much larger satellite footprints.

Use Cases

• Assimilating polar surface emissivity into global circulation models to improve climate predictions.
• Analyzing spatial patterns of land surface emissivity in polar regions under clear-sky conditions.
• Validating and improving radiative transfer models using satellite-derived surface properties.
• Studying the Earth's far-infrared radiation budget, a previously under-measured component.

Strengths

• Focuses on the critical far-infrared spectrum (5-53 µm), where most polar emissions occur but large-scale measurements have been lacking.
• Data is processed via an Optimal Estimation retrieval using a radiative transfer model, cloud mask, and meteorological auxiliary data.
• Provides a visualized product on a consistent global grid (~2.23 km raster elements) for easier analysis despite large native footprints.

Limitations

• Surface emissivity values are only available for clear-sky conditions, limiting coverage.
• The visualized raster elements are about 80 times smaller in area than the actual satellite ground footprints, which requires careful interpretation.
• Key metadata such as row count, file size, and specific license terms are not consistently provided across platforms.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Collection Method

Derived from PREFIRE Spectral Radiance data collected by the PREFIRE Thermal Infrared Spectrometer (TIRS-PREFIRE) aboard the PREFIRE-SAT2 CubeSat.

Time Range

null

Freshness

2026-04-09 23:10:04.813841

Geography

Global, with a focus on polar regions.