TRMM_1B01: Satellite Calibrated Radiances from Visible and Infrared Scanner

The dataset covers observations from the TRMM satellite's Visible and Infrared Scanner (VIRS) instrument, spanning a period before and after a satellite orbit boost on 24 August 2001. It provides Level 1B calibrated radiance data for five spectral channels, along with geolocation and auxiliary information for each scan pixel. Data is stored in HDF files, with approximately 16 files produced per day, each containing a single orbit.

Use Cases

• Analyzing cloud and precipitation patterns based on calibrated radiance from five spectral channels.
• Calibrating other satellite sensors using the documented calibration procedures for visible and infrared bands.
• Studying changes in satellite observation geometry and resolution following the orbit boost in August 2001.
• Mapping geophysical phenomena using per-pixel geolocation data provided for each scan.

Strengths

• Provides calibrated radiance data derived from documented procedures using space views and an internal blackbody.
• Contains detailed per-scan metadata including time stamps, navigation, calibration coefficients, and solar/satellite geometry.
• Offers high spatial resolution, with a horizontal resolution of 2.2 km pre-boost and each scan consisting of 261 pixels.

Limitations

• Specific column names are not provided in the metadata, limiting precise understanding of data structure.
• The dataset's last updated date conflicts between sources (2026-04-09 and 2014-03-21), indicating potential metadata freshness issues.
• The exact number of rows or total size of the dataset is not specified.

Provenance

Source

GES_DISC (Goddard Earth Sciences Data and Information Services Center)

Collection Method

Data collected by the TRMM satellite's VIRS instrument and processed to Level 1B calibrated radiance product.

Time Range

Observations from before 7 August 2001 to after 24 August 2001.

Freshness

2026-04-09 21:39:12.535765

Geography

Global coverage within the satellite's swath, which was 720 km pre-boost and 833 km post-boost.