VO1/VO2 MARS IRTM: Viking Orbiter Infrared Thermal Mapper Binned Data

A binned dataset derived from the Viking Orbiter Infrared Thermal Mapper (IRTM) instrument. It contains two complementary portions: water ice cloud observations and surface observations of Mars. The data has been binned in both space and time, and the original instrument details are referenced in the publication [KIEFFER_ETAL_1977].

Use Cases

• Analyze Martian surface thermal properties based on binned infrared surface observations
• Study the distribution and behavior of water ice clouds in the Martian atmosphere
• Model Martian climate and weather patterns using spatially and temporally binned thermal data
• Validate or calibrate other Martian remote sensing datasets against this derived IRTM data

Strengths

• Data is derived from the established Viking Orbiter IRTM instrument, providing a known provenance.
• The dataset is structured into two complementary portions for focused analysis of clouds and surface.
• Data has been processed through spatial and temporal binning, which may simplify certain analyses.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment for large-scale modeling.
• Description metadata is limited; actual data quality requires manual inspection after download.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Collection Method

Derived and binned from the Viking Orbiter Infrared Thermal Mapper (IRTM) instrument data.

Time Range

Viking Orbiter mission period (likely 1970s).

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-13 04:45:24.323856; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Mars