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Atmospheric Rivers Data Access and Tools
From discovery to visualization, data tools such as Earthdata Search, Worldview, and Application for Extracting and Exploring Analysis Ready Samples (AppEEARS) guide users in making the most of atmospheric rivers data.
Table of contents
Atmospheric Rivers Datasets
| Dataset | Platforms | Instruments | Temporal Extent | Location Keywords | Data Format |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NCEP/DOE Reanalysis II, for GSSTF, 0.25 x 0.25 deg, Daily Grid V3 (GSSTF_NCEP) at GES DISC | NCEP-GFS | NOT APPLICABLE | 1987-07-01 to 2009-01-01 | GLOBAL OCEAN | |
| NCEP/DOE Reanalysis II, for GSSTF, 0.25x0.25 deg, Monthly grid V3 (GSSTFM_NCEP) at GES DISC | NCEP-GFS | NOT APPLICABLE | 1987-07-01 to 2008-12-31 | GLOBAL OCEAN | |
| NCSU Soundings IMPACTS | GROUND STATIONS | RAWINSONDES | 2020-02-20 to 2023-02-12 | NORTH CAROLINA | netCDF-4 |
| NEMS/Nimbus-5 Level 2 Output Data V001 (NEMSN5L2) at GES DISC | Nimbus-5 | NEMS | 1972-12-17 to 1973-10-31 | GLOBAL | |
| New York State Mesonet IMPACTS | GROUND STATIONS | BAROMETERS, DISDROMETERS, LIDAR, RADIOMETERS, THERMOMETERS, WIND PROFILERS | 2020-01-03 to 2023-03-02 | UNITED STATES OF AMERICA | PNG |
| Nimbus Temperature-Humidity Infrared Radiometer 6.7 µm Grayscale Swath Data L1, TIFF V001 | Nimbus-4, Nimbus-5, Nimbus-6 | THIR | 1970-04-18 to 1971-04-08, 1973-01-01 to 1975-03-17, 1975-06-13 to 1975-11-11 | GLOBAL | TIFF |
| Nimbus Temperature-Humidity Infrared Radiometer 6.7 µm Water Vapor Remapped Digital Data Daily L3, GeoTIFF V001 | Nimbus-4 | 6.7um Radiometer, THIR | 1970-05-10 to 1971-03-25 | GLOBAL | GeoTIFF |
| Nimbus Temperature-Humidity Infrared Radiometer 6.7 µm Water Vapor Remapped Digital Data Daily L3, HDF5 V001 | Nimbus-4 | 6.7um Radiometer, THIR | 1970-05-10 to 1971-03-25 | GLOBAL | HDF5 |
| Nimbus Temperature-Humidity Infrared Radiometer Global Montage Grayscale L1, TIFF V001 | Nimbus-7 | THIR | 1978-10-30 to 1984-05-18 | GLOBAL | TIFF |
| NLDAS Primary Forcing Data L4 Hourly 0.125 x 0.125 degree V2.0 (NLDAS_FORA0125_H) at GES DISC | Forcing-LSM | NOT APPLICABLE | 1979-01-01 to Present | NORTH AMERICA |
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Featured Atmospheric Rivers Observation Method: VIIRS
The Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) instruments are aboard the joint NASA/NOAA Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership (Suomi NPP) and NOAA-platforms. The orbits of the platforms make them ideally positioned to observe atmospheric rivers reaching the west coast of North America. The VIIRS instruments include five high-resolution image bands, sixteen moderate-resolution bands, and one unique panchromatic day/night band ultra-sensitive in low-light conditions. The VIIRS instruments build on the heritage of their successful predecessors, the Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR), the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), and the Sea-viewing Wide Field-of-view Sensor (SeaWIFS).
The Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) will help ensure continuity of Earth observations after the upcoming retirement of the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS).
With the eventual retirement of the Terra and Aqua platforms, the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) instruments will take the lead in daily Earth observations.
19 MIN READ
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