THIRN4L1CH115: Nimbus-4 Satellite Infrared Radiance Data at 11.5 Microns

THIRN4L1CH115 is Level 1 meteorological radiation data from the Nimbus-4 satellite's Temperature-Humidity Infrared Radiometer (THIR) instrument. The dataset contains radiances expressed as equivalent brightness temperatures measured in the 10.5-12.5 micron channel, used for deriving cloud top and surface temperatures. Data are archived in their original IBM 36-bit proprietary binary format, recovered from historical magnetic tapes.

Use Cases

• Analyzing historical cloud top temperatures based on 11.5 micron infrared radiance.
• Studying long-term surface temperature patterns from day/night operational satellite data.
• Investigating upper tropospheric moisture content by comparing with the companion 6.7 micron channel dataset.
• Researching the evolution of jet streams and frontal systems using infrared satellite observations.
• Conducting data archaeology on legacy IBM 360 machine formats for historical climate records.

Strengths

• Provides a specific temporal coverage from April 13, 1970, to April 1, 1971.
• Offers high-resolution ground data with an 8 km sub-point resolution for the 11.5 micron channel.
• Data originates from a well-documented NASA mission with a named Principal Investigator (Andrew W. McCulloch).
• Dataset is available on multiple authoritative platforms (Data.gov and NASA Earthdata), indicating validation and importance.

Limitations

• Critical metadata is missing: column names, row counts, and dataset size are unknown across all sources.
• There is a conflict in the 'last updated' metadata between platforms (2026 vs. 1971), casting doubt on maintenance.
• Data is stored in a legacy, proprietary IBM 36-bit binary format (TAP file), which presents a significant technical barrier to access and use.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Goddard Space Flight Center.

Collection Method

Data was originally recorded by the Nimbus-4 THIR instrument and recovered from Nimbus Meteorological Radiation Tapes (NMRT-THIR).

Time Range

April 13,我们发现 1970 to April 1, 1971.

Freshness

2026-04-09 21:32:59.594552

Geography

Global coverage from the Nimbus-4 satellite orbit.