CLIMCAPS: JPSS-1 Satellite Atmospheric State Profiles

CLIMCAPS algorithm retrieves full atmospheric state profiles from NOAA-20 satellite's CrIS/ATMS instruments. The dataset includes surface temperature, cloud properties, and vertical profiles of temperature, water vapor, ozone, and trace gases like carbon monoxide and methane. A known bias exists in the derived mid-tropospheric carbon monoxide variable due to a molecular weight conversion error.

Use Cases

• Monitoring global air quality based on retrieved profiles of carbon monoxide, methane, sulfur dioxide, and nitric acid.
• Analyzing cloud vertical distribution and cloud top properties based on infrared effective cloud top characteristics.
• Assessing surface thermal properties based on land surface skin temperature and infrared emissivity.
• Studying atmospheric temperature structure using full atmosphere profiles of temperature.
• Calculating total precipitable water using atmospheric water vapor profiles.

Strengths

• Derived from high-resolution satellite instruments: CrIS has 2211 spectral channels and ATMS has 22 microwave channels.
• Provides a multi-parameter atmospheric state, including profiles for several trace gases and cloud properties.
• Available on multiple platforms (NASA Earthdata and Data.gov), indicating established use and distribution.

Limitations

• A significant bias exists in the 'co_mmr_midtrop' variable due to a molecular weight conversion error.
• Key metadata such as row count, column names, and exact license are unspecified across all sources.
• The dataset's temporal coverage and spatial resolution are not explicitly stated.

Provenance

Source

GES_DISC (NASA)

Collection Method

Retrieved via the CLIMCAPS Optimal Estimation algorithm processing data from the NOAA-20 (JPSS-1) satellite's CrIS/ATMS instruments.

Freshness

Last updated metadata date is 2026-04-09.

Geography

Global coverage from satellite observations.