TIROS-4L1FMRT: 1962 Satellite Radiometer Data

TIROS-4 Medium-Resolution Scanning Radiometer Level 1 Final Meteorological Radiation Data contains radiances from five infrared and visible channels, with one orbit per file. The satellite was launched on February 8, 1962, and its instrument returned data for about five months, continuing measurements from TIROS-2 and -3. Data are archived in their original IBM 36-bit word proprietary format, recovered from magnetic tapes known as Final Meteorological Radiation Tapes.

Use Cases

• Analyzing historical water vapor absorption patterns based on Channel 1 (6.0-6.5 microns) radiances.
• Studying atmospheric window conditions using Channel 2 (8.0-12.0 microns) brightness temperatures.
• Investigating reflected solar radiation from Channel 3 (0.2-6.0 microns) effective radiant emittance.
• Comparing visible wavelength responses with TV system data from Channel 5 (0.55-0.75 microns).
• Tracking instrument degradation over the five-month operational period to understand calibration drift.

Strengths

• Provides specific instrument characteristics: a five-channel radiometer with a 55 km footprint at nadir.
• Has a defined historical context: data collection began on February 8, 1962 and lasted about five months.
• Contains data from a known lineage, continuing measurements from TIROS-2 and -3 and followed by TIROS-7.

Limitations

• Metadata completeness is low: column names, row counts, and file sizes are unknown across all sources.
• Data format is proprietary and legacy: archived in original IBM 36-bit word binary TAP format, which may hinder modern access.
• A conflict exists in freshness metadata: one source lists a last updated date of 2026-04-09, while another lists 1962-06-30.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. Principal Investigator: Joseph D. Barksdale.

Collection Method

Data were originally written on IBM 7094 machines and recovered from magnetic tapes (Final Meteorological Radiation Tapes).

Time Range

Approximately five months starting February 8, 1962.

Freshness

2026-04-09 21:32:11.797627

Geography

Global coverage, with data tracing elliptical, parabolic, or hyperbolic ground patterns due to instrument rotation.