Suomi NPP CrIMSS CLIMCAPS: Monthly Atmospheric Profiles

Global monthly atmospheric profiles are derived from the Suomi NPP satellite's CrIS/ATMS instruments using the CLIMCAPS algorithm. The dataset includes full atmosphere profiles of temperature, water vapor, ozone, and trace gases like carbon monoxide, methane, and sulfur dioxide, alongside surface temperature and cloud properties. A specific variable, 'co_mmr_midtrop', has a documented bias requiring correction.

Use Cases

• Monitoring global carbon monoxide distributions based on retrieved column density values.
• Analyzing atmospheric temperature and water vapor profiles for climate modeling.
• Studying cloud top characteristics and cloud fraction for weather and climate research.
• Tracking methane and sulfur dioxide concentrations for air quality and pollution studies.
• Assessing surface skin temperature and emissivity for land surface studies.

Strengths

• Derived from 1305 infrared sounding channels (CrIS) and 22 microwave channels (ATMS), providing detailed spectral information.
• Uses an Optimal Estimation methodology to characterize the full atmospheric state.
• Available on multiple platforms (NASA Earthdata and Data.gov), indicating established use.

Limitations

• A significant bias exists in the derived product 'co_mmr_midtrop' due to a conversion error.
• Key metadata such as row count, size, and specific column names are not provided.
• The license is listed as 'other-license-specified' without further details.

Provenance

Source

GES_DISC (Goddard Earth Sciences Data and Information Services Center)

Collection Method

Data processed by the CLIMCAPS algorithm from Suomi NPP CrIS/ATMS (CrIMSS) instrument measurements.

Freshness

2026-04-09 21:56:46.514969

Geography

Global, gridded at one-degree latitude resolution.