THIRN5L1CH115: Nimbus-5 Satellite Infrared Radiance Data at 11.5 Microns

Nimbus-5 satellite data provides global coverage of infrared radiances from December 19, 1972, to March 1, 1975. The dataset contains Level 1 meteorological radiation data from the Temperature-Humidity Infrared Radiometer (THIR) 11.5-micron channel, expressed as equivalent brightness temperature. Measurements were originally recorded on IBM 360 machines and recovered from magnetic tapes, now archived in a proprietary 36-bit binary TAP format.

Use Cases

• Analyzing day and night cloud top or surface temperatures based on the 11.5-micron channel's 8 km sub-point resolution.
• Studying historical meteorological patterns using radiance data expressed in units of equivalent brightness temperature.
• Conducting time-series analysis of Earth's radiation budget from a specific satellite mission period (1972-1975).
• Comparing atmospheric moisture and temperature data with the companion 6.7-micron channel product (THIRN5L1CH67).

Strengths

• Provides a continuous, multi-year global record from a specific historical satellite mission (December 1972 to March 1975).
• Offers high-resolution infrared measurements with an 8 km ground resolution at the sub-point for the 11.5-micron channel.
• Dataset is preserved in its original form, having been recovered from magnetic tapes, offering authenticity for historical research.

Limitations

• Column names and data structure are unknown, complicating direct analysis.
• Data is archived in a proprietary IBM 36-bit binary TAP format, requiring specialized tools or knowledge for access and conversion.
• Conflicting 'last updated' metadata exists between platforms (1975 vs. 2026), creating uncertainty about curation activity.

Provenance

Source

NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GES_DISC), Principal Investigator Andrew W. McCulloch.

Collection Method

Data originally written on IBM 360 machines and recovered from Nimbus Meteorological Radiation Tapes (NMRT-THIR).

Time Range

December 19,我们发现 1972 to March 1, 1975.

Freshness

2026-04-09 21:45:33.170918

Geography

Global, from the sun-synchronous polar orbit of the Nimbus-5 satellite.