TROPICS05: Unified Resolution Microwave Brightness Temperatures

81 spots and approximately 2880 scans constitute a single orbit granule of geolocated brightness temperatures from the TROPICS05 satellite. This Level 2A provisional dataset provides water vapor channel measurements converted to a unified spatial resolution using the Backus-Gilbert technique, supporting atmospheric profile retrievals. The data is produced by the TROPICS mission, a constellation of five small satellites designed for high-temporal-resolution observations of tropical cyclones.

Use Cases

• Retrieving Atmospheric Vertical Temperature Profiles (AVTP) based on unified-resolution brightness temperature channels.
• Analyzing three-dimensional humidity and temperature structure in tropical cyclones based on microwave spectrometer observations.
• Studying cloud ice and precipitation horizontal structure based on 90 GHz and 205 GHz channel imagery.
• Conducting noise-reduction analysis for water vapor channels based on the Backus-Gilbert resolution conversion technique.

Strengths

• Data is from a dedicated satellite constellation (five identical Space Vehicles) designed for high-temporal-resolution storm observations.
• Each data granule provides a complete orbital pass with a defined structure of 81 spots and ~2880 scans.
• Cross-platform presence on Data.gov and NASA EarthData signals official importance and accessibility.

Limitations

• Column names and specific data schema are not provided in any source description.
• Dataset size, row counts, and specific license details are unavailable or marked as 'None' across platforms.
• The 'provisional' data label suggests it is an early-release product that may be subject to revision.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

Collection Method

Collected by the TROPICS05 satellite's Millimeter-wave Sounder (TMS) passive microwave spectrometer.

Time Range

null

Freshness

Last updated on Data.gov: 2026-04-09.

Geography

Global, with a focus on tropical cyclone regions.