TEMPO satellite observations provide cloud information on a regular grid covering its field of regard. Level 3 files are derived by combining Level 2 scan cycles and contain effective cloud fraction and cloud optical centroid pressure. The near real-time product is optimized for low-latency applications, with processing completed within 2-3 hours after observation.
Use Cases
- Monitor atmospheric cloud cover dynamics based on effective cloud fraction data.
- Analyze cloud pressure profiles for weather model assimilation based on cloud optical centroid pressure.
- Support rapid-response environmental applications based on near real-time processing capabilities.
Strengths
- Files are produced for low-latency requirements, within 2-3 hours after observation.
- Processing optimizes radiance calibration, image navigation, and retrievals for rapid output.
- Data is re-gridded using an area-weighted algorithm onto a regular grid.
Limitations
- Description metadata is limited; actual data quality requires manual inspection after download.
- Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
Provenance
- Source
- LARC_CLOUD
- Collection Method
- Derived from Level 2 files using a fast version of the TEMPO baseline retrieval processor.
- Geography
- TEMPO field of regard