THIRN5L1CH67: Nimbus-5 Satellite Upper Atmosphere Water Vapor Data

Nimbus-5 satellite data provides global coverage of atmospheric water vapor from December 19, 1972, to August 26, 1974. The dataset contains Level 1 meteorological radiation data from the Temperature-Humidity Infrared Radiometer (THIR) 6.7-micron channel, expressed as equivalent brightness temperature. This historical record supports analysis of upper tropospheric and stratospheric moisture, jet streams, and frontal systems.

Use Cases

• Tracking upper tropospheric moisture content based on 6.7-micron channel radiances.
• Analyzing the location of jet streams and frontal systems from infrared brightness temperature data.
• Comparing early satellite-era atmospheric conditions with modern observations.
• Calibrating or validating climate models using historical infrared radiation measurements.

Strengths

• Provides a continuous 20-month time series from a specific historical satellite mission.
• Data originates from a NASA Goddard Space Flight Center instrument with a documented Principal Investigator.
• Cross-platform presence on datagov and NASA Earthdata signals recognized importance and preservation.

Limitations

• Column names and row counts are unknown, limiting immediate analytical use.
• Data is archived in an original IBM 36-bit proprietary binary format (TAP file), requiring specialized tools for access.
• Metadata freshness conflicts: datagov lists a 2026 update, while NASA Earthdata lists 1975.

Provenance

Source

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

Collection Method

Measured by the Nimbus-5 satellite's Temperature-Humidity Infrared Radiometer (THIR) instrument, recovered from magnetic tapes (NMRT-THIR).

Time Range

December 19, -1972 to August 26, 1974

Freshness

2026-04-09 21:32:53.998943

Geography

Global