TOVSAMNH: Global Atmospheric Temperature and Moisture Profiles from NOAA-11

Global fields of the 3-dimensional temperature-moisture structure of the atmosphere are derived from NOAA-11 satellite data using the TOVS Path A physical retrieval scheme. The dataset provides profiles of temperature and moisture, plus derived quantities like land/sea surface temperature, outgoing longwave radiation, cloud fraction, and total ozone. Data are produced via a 6-hour forecast-retrieval-analysis cycle that assimilates satellite retrievals with in-situ measurements.

Use Cases

• Validating and initializing general circulation models based on the assimilated 3D temperature-moisture fields.
• Analyzing global cloud radiative effects using derived cloud fraction, cloud top height, and outgoing longwave radiation.
• Studying atmospheric composition and ozone distribution via the total ozone overburden parameter.
• Monitoring sea surface and land surface temperature trends from the satellite-retrieved skin temperatures.
• Investigating global precipitation patterns and atmospheric water vapor from the retrieved moisture profiles.

Strengths

• Derived from a well-documented physical retrieval method (Susskind et al., 1984) used by NASA's TOVS Pathfinder project.
• Assimilates multiple data sources, combining satellite retrievals from HIRS2/MSU with in-situ radiosonde and ship reports.
• Provides a globally comprehensive set of atmospheric parameters from a single, consistent processing scheme (Path A).

Limitations

• Critical metadata is missing: specific column names, row counts, and file sizes are not listed on any platform.
• Conflicting 'last updated' dates exist (1994 and 2026), creating uncertainty about dataset maintenance and temporal coverage.
• The retrieval method is dependent on a specific hydrodynamic model and a priori data, which may limit direct comparability with other products.

Provenance

Source

Satellite Data Utilization Office of the Goddard Laboratory for Atmospheres at NASA/GSFC.

Collection Method

Physical retrieval from TIROS Operational Vertical Sounder (TOVS) data aboard NOAA-11, using the iterative relaxation technique of Chahine (1968) within a 6-hour forecast-assimilation cycle.

Time Range

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Freshness

2026-04-09 21:30:17.861156

Geography

Global