Summary:

NOAA's TIROS (Television Infrared Observation Satellite) Operational Vertical Sounder (TOVS) is a suite of three sensors: the Microwave Sounding Unit (MSU), the High-Resolution Infrared Radiation Sounder (HIRS), and the Stratospheric Sounding Unit (SSU). This suite of instruments is aboard the NOAA series of polar-orbiting operational meteorological satellites. TOVS-derived data provide a means to investigate long-term climate change and interannual variability and to study local and periodic phenomena such as El Nino and stratospheric warmings.

A set of the derived meteorological parameters for southern Africa was selected by SAFARI 2000. The data were extracted from 1 degree x 1 degree global fields, with data from each satellite's local AM and PM orbits provided separately.

Selected parameters for SAFARI 2000 data set:

• Layer mean temperature at 4 coarse layers

• Total effective cloud fraction Cloud fractions at 7 pressure layers

• Longwave cloud radiative forcing

• Outgoing long-wave radiation

• Cloud top pressure

• Precipitation estimate

• Precipitable water vapor above the surface and four pressure levels

• Surface pressure

• Cloud top temperature

• Cloud fraction at 7 pressure layers

• Surface skin temperature

• Specific humidity at surface and at 5 pressure layers

• Temperature at multiple levels

• Retrieved virtual temperature between levels

The data files are stored as annual files of pentad (5-day) images. The pentads are stored in band sequential [BSQ] format (one image after the other) within the yearly files, 73 pentads per file. There is one file for each of the AM and the PM satellite overpasses for each parameter provided.

Data Citation:

Cite this data set as follows:

Susskind, J., and L. Iredell. 2004. SAFARI 2000 TOVS Surface and Atmospheric Parameters, 1-Deg, 1999-2001. Data set. Available on-line [http://www.daac.ornl.gov] from Oak Ridge National Laboratory Distributed Active Archive Center, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, U.S.A. doi:10.3334/ORNLDAAC/717.

References:

Kidwell, K. 1991. NOAA Polar Orbiter Data User's Guide. NCDC/SDSD. National Climatic Data Center, Washington, D.C.

Susskind, J., P. Piraino, L. Rokke, L. Iredell, and A. Mehta. 1997. Characteristics of the TOVS Pathfinder A dataset. Bull Amer. Meteor. Soc. 78: 1449-1472.

Data Format:

The data files are stored as annual files of pentad (5-day) images. The pentads are stored in band sequential [BSQ] format (one image after the other) within the yearly files, 73 pentads per file. There is one file for each of the AM and the PM satellite overpasses for each parameter provided. Additional data file information including subset processing, field names and descriptions, and dates associated with each of the 73 pentads is in the companion file [http://daac.ornl.gov/daacdata/safari2k/remote_sensing/TOVS/comp/tovs_pentad_atmosphere_doc.pdf ].

Document Information:

2004/4/28

Document Review Date:

2004/4/28

Document Curator:

webmaster@www.daac.ornl.gov

Document URL: