CLIMCAPS: NOAA-20 Satellite Cloud-Cleared Radiances

CLIMCAPS (Community Long-term Infrared Microwave Coupled Product System) processes data from the CrIS/ATMS instruments on the NOAA-20 satellite to produce cloud-cleared radiances. The algorithm uses MERRA-2 reanalysis as a first-guess and generates 240 six-minute granules per day, each containing 30 cross-track by 45 along-track footprints. This dataset provides infrared and microwave spectral observations for atmospheric state retrieval, with a typical latency of 3 to 7 weeks.

Use Cases

• Atmospheric state retrieval based on 2211 infrared and 22 microwave spectral channels.
• Cloud property analysis using the cloud-clearing algorithm applied to 3x3 CrIS field-of-view arrays.
• Climate model validation leveraging the time-series data from the satellite's 16-day orbit repeat cycle.
• Sensor intercomparison studies using the co-located CrIS and ATMS instrument observations.

Strengths

• Provides high spectral resolution data from 2211 CrIS infrared channels and 22 ATMS microwave channels.
• Implements a specific cloud-clearing algorithm to estimate clear-sky radiances, a key step for atmospheric retrievals.
• Has a defined global temporal cadence, producing 240 data granules per day.

Limitations

• Data latency is significant, ranging from 3 to 7 weeks due to dependency on MERRA-2 reanalysis.
• Key metadata such as specific column names, row counts, and file sizes are not provided in the available descriptions.
• The 'last updated' date of 2026-04-09 appears to be a future date, indicating potential metadata inaccuracy.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

Collection Method

Satellite remote sensing data from the NOAA-20 (JPSS-1) platform, processed by the CLIMCAPS algorithm.

Freshness

2026-04-09 22:56:04.638109 (Note: This is a future date, suggesting a metadata error)

Geography

Global coverage from the satellite's sun-synchronous orbit.