SNPPCrISL1B: Infrared Radiance Soundings from Suomi NPP Satellite

2,223 spectral channels across shortwave, midwave, and longwave infrared bands provide radiance measurements for atmospheric profiling. Each data granule covers 30 cross-track by 45 along-track field-of-regards, with each containing a 3x3 array of field-of-views, constructed on six-minute boundaries. This Level 1B data from the CrIS instrument is designed for joint processing with the ATMS microwave sounder as part of the CrIMSS suite.

Use Cases

• Atmospheric temperature and humidity profile retrieval based on high-spectral-resolution infrared radiance measurements.
• Climate trend analysis using calibrated radiance data from a consistent satellite instrument time series.
• Data assimilation for numerical weather prediction models based on global, cross-track scanning observations.
• Validation of atmospheric chemistry models using trace gas concentration estimates derived from spectral channels.
• Sensor fusion studies combining infrared radiance from CrIS with microwave data from the ATMS instrument.

Strengths

• Provides high spectral resolution data with 2,223 distinct channels across three infrared bands.
• Offers global coverage from a polar-orbiting satellite platform with a defined spatial sampling pattern (30x45 FORs).
• Cross-platform availability on major government data portals indicates established provenance and sustained access.

Limitations

• Metadata completeness is low; specific column names, row counts, and file sizes are not provided by any source.
• A version history and a specific cutover date (November 2, 2015, 16:06 UTC) for FSR data availability introduces complexity for time-series studies.
• License is ambiguously listed as 'other-license-specified' without further detail, requiring user investigation.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Collection Method

Satellite remote sensing via the Cross-track Infrared Sounder (CrIS) instrument on the Suomi NPP satellite.

Time Range

Data available from at least 2014 (with spectral resolution upgrades noted) onward.

Freshness

2026-04-09 (listed as a future date, which may be a placeholder or error)

Geography

Global