SCMRN5L1RAD: Nimbus-5 Satellite Calibrated Radiances

SCMRN5L1RAD is the Level 1 calibrated and geolocated radiance data product from the Nimbus-5 Surface Composition Mapping Radiometer. The instrument measured terrestrial radiation in two infrared bands and reflected solar radiation in a near-infrared band, enabling derivation of surface composition and sea surface temperatures. Data were collected over a 20-day period in December 1972 with a nadir ground resolution of 660 meters and a swath width of 800 kilometers.

Use Cases

• Calculating sea surface temperatures based on calibrated terrestrial radiation in the 10.2-11.2 micron band.
• Mapping surface composition variations based on reflected solar radiation in the 0.8-1.1 micron range.
• Analyzing historical geospatial time-series data from a specific 20-day period in 1972.
• Comparing sensor performance with its successor, the Heat Capacity Mapping Radiometer flown in 1978.

Strengths

• Provides calibrated radiance data with a specific nadir ground resolution of 660 meters.
• Offers a defined temporal coverage from December 11 to December 30, 1972.
• Cross-platform presence on NASA Earthdata and Data.gov signals its importance as a curated historical dataset.

Limitations

• Metadata completeness is low; column names, row counts, and exact file sizes are unknown across all sources.
• There is a conflict in the 'last updated' metadata between platforms (2026 vs 1972), indicating potential inconsistency.
• The dataset's temporal scale is limited to a brief 20-day window from a single mission.

Provenance

Source

GES_DISC

Collection Method

Data gathered by the Nimbus-5 Surface Composition Mapping Radiometer (SCMR) satellite instrument.

Time Range

December 11, 1972 through December 30, 1972

Freshness

2026-04-09 22:30:23.046477

Geography

Global, with an 800 km wide scan line across the spacecraft track.