TOVSAMTN: Global Atmospheric Profiles from NOAA Satellites

From July 1979 onward, this dataset provides monthly Level 3 geophysical parameters derived from the TIROS Operational Vertical Sounder (TOVS) aboard NOAA polar orbiting satellites. It uses the Path A retrieval scheme, combining HIRS2 and MSU sensor data with a General Circulation Model forecast and Optimal Interpolation analysis to produce global 3D temperature-moisture fields. Derived quantities include surface temperatures, outgoing longwave radiation, cloud fraction, cloud top height, total ozone, and precipitation estimates.

Use Cases

• Analyzing global 3D temperature-moisture structure based on satellite-derived profiles.
• Monitoring total ozone overburden and cloud properties like fraction and top height.
• Assimilating satellite retrievals with in-situ measurements using the described Optimal Interpolation scheme.
• Studying land and sea surface temperature trends from historical satellite data.
• Estimating precipitation and outgoing longwave radiation for climate model validation.

Strengths

• Derived from a multi-sensor system (20-channel HIRS2 and 4-channel MSU) aboard operational NOAA satellites.
• Utilizes a sophisticated physical retrieval and assimilation cycle (Path A) combining model forecasts and in-situ data.
• Provides a long-term record starting in July 1979, suitable for climate trend analysis.
• Cross-platform presence on NASA Earthdata and Data.gov indicates established use and importance.

Limitations

• Critical metadata such as row count, file size, and specific column names are unknown across all sources.
• Sources conflict on the last updated date, reporting both 2026-04-09 and 1979-07-01, suggesting potential metadata errors.
• The retrieval method is described as dependent on hydrodynamic models and a priori data, which may introduce biases.

Provenance

Source

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

Collection Method

Physical retrieval method of Susskind et al. (1984) applied to TOVS data from TIROSN satellites.

Time Range

1979-07-01 onward

Freshness

2026-04-09 21:29:52.131051

Geography

Global