Transition of SSMI Data to a Climate Data Record
Abstract
Since 1993, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) National Climatic Data Center (NCDC) has served as the active archive of passive microwave satellite measurements from the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program's (DMSP) Special Sensor Microwave Imager (SSMI) instrument. SSMI data measurements have been used extensively to generate climate data sets (including rain, snow, ice, cloud liquid water, and total precipitable water) in support of both national and international programs. A project by NCDC and NOAA's Center for Satellite Applications and Research (STAR) is working towards the goal of regenerating a high quality SSMI Climate Data Record as defined by NOAA's Scientific Data Stewardship (SDS) program. As part of this effort, the SSMI Temperature Data Record (TDR) and Sensor Data Record (SDR) datasets have been reprocessed as value-added network Common Data Form (netCDF) orbit files. Data quality control flags embedded in netCDF orbit files preserve the original data, while warning users of erroneous geolocation, radiance and temporal values at the pixel level. These orbit files will also extend the period of record of SSMI data publicly available at NOAA's Comprehensive Large-Array Stewardship System (CLASS) by several years (August 1993-February 1997). Making earlier SSMI data available to customers and improving the quality of the SSMI dataset are important steps in attaining higher levels of dataset maturity in terms of scientific value and data preservation.
- Publication:
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AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- December 2007
- Bibcode:
- 2007AGUFM.A43B1157S
- Keywords:
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- 0394 Instruments and techniques;
- 0399 General or miscellaneous