THIRN4L1CH115: Nimbus-4 Satellite Infrared Brightness Temperatures

Nimbus-4's Temperature-Humidity Infrared Radiometer (THIR) captured this Level 1 meteorological radiation data in a proprietary 36-bit IBM format recovered from magnetic tapes. The 11.5-micron channel provides day and night cloud-top or surface temperature measurements with an 8 km ground resolution at the sub-point. Data coverage spans from April 13, 1970, to April 1, 1971, offering a historical record for atmospheric research.

Use Cases

• Analyzing cloud-top temperature time series based on the 11.5-micron channel radiances.
• Mapping surface temperature variations from space using the day-and-night operational infrared data.
• Studying historical atmospheric conditions during the 1970-1971 period covered by the Nimbus-4 mission.

Strengths

• Provides specific temporal coverage from April 13, 1970, to April 1, 1971.
• Offers high-resolution infrared data with 8 km ground resolution at the sub-point.
• Represents recovered historical data from the early satellite era, hosted by NASA.

Limitations

• Column names and row counts are unknown across all sources, limiting immediate analysis.
• Data is archived in a legacy proprietary IBM 36-bit binary format (TAP file), requiring specialized tools for access.
• Conflicting 'last updated' metadata exists between platforms (1971 vs. 2026), casting doubt on provenance timeliness.

Provenance

Source

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

Collection Method

Recovered from original Nimbus Meteorological Radiation Tapes (NMRT-THIR) written on IBM 360 machines.

Time Range

April 13, 1970 to April 1, 1971

Freshness

2026-04-09 21:32:59.594552

Geography

Global coverage from the Nimbus-4 satellite orbit.