Access Methods
Bulk Download
Subsets by Timeframe and Location
The THREDDS data server (link coming soon) can be used to download specific portions (subsets) of the data based on specific time-frames or geographic coordinates. Subsets are available in netCDF format.
Citation information
Cite as: Matthews, J. L., Y. Rao, L. Shi, NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, and North Carolina State University Cooperative Institute for Satellite Earth System Studies. Infrared Sounder Temperature and Humidity Profiles dataset, Version 5.0.[indicate subset used]. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. https://doi.org/10.25921/zrs9-p639 Accessed [date]
Specifications
- Geographic Location: Global
- Spatial Resolution: Varies by input sensor
- Temporal Resolution: Twice Daily
Atmospheric Pressure Levels
The temperature and specific humidity variables are available at the following hectopascal (hPa) atmospheric levels:
This data is most reliable under clear-sky conditions, and as such cloudy pixels have been removed and/or marked with quality flags.
Version history
The current version is v5.
Documentation
Recommended Uses and Limitations
The algorithm is developed based on clear-sky conditions. As such, the presence of clouds may degrade algorithm performance. Cloud flags are included to assist users in data selection. It is recommended that users filter for identified clear-sky pixels, with cloudiness probability flag (flag_cld) values of 0 or 4, before subsequent analyses.
Contact Information
Technical questions
Customer support
Related Products
The Infrared (IR) Sounder Atmospheric Temperature and Humidity Profiles are derived from IR sounder brightness temperature. Archival data tracking is planned for the near future.
The IR Sounder Upper Troposphere Humidity Brightness Temperature Climate Data Record provides monthly global clear-sky brightness temperatures from the High resolution Infrared Radiation Sounder (HIRS) and Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer (IASI) convolved channel 12. This gridded 2.5x2.5 degree resolution product provides data from 1978-present indicating signals of water vapor in the upper troposphere.
References
Paper containing validation of v4 algorithm:
Matthews, J.L.; Shi, L. Intercomparisons of Long-Term Atmospheric Temperature and Humidity Profile Retrievals. Remote Sensing. 2019, 11, 853. https://doi.org/10.3390/rs11070853
Paper describing v4 algorithm:
Shi, L.; Matthews, J.L.; Ho, S.-p.; Yang, Q.; Bates, J.J. Algorithm Development of Temperature and Humidity Profile Retrievals for Long-Term HIRS Observations Remote Sensing 2016, 8, 280. https://doi.org/10.3390/rs8040280