University of Rhode Island AVHRR Level 1b Inventory

NOAA/TirosN AVHRR Overview:

The primary objective of the AVHRR instrument is to provide cloud top
and sea surface temperatures through passively measured visible, near
infrared and infrared spectral radiation bands. NOAA-6, 8, 10 and
TirosN AVHRR sensors measured in 4 spectral bands, while the NOAA 7
and 9 AVHRR instruments measured in 5.

The AVHRR sensors has an instantaneous field of view (IFOV) that
corresponds to a ground resolution of about 1.1km at nadir, and a
total scan field of view (FOV) of +/- 55.4 degrees from nadir
(approximately 2240km). The four spectral bands (TirosN, NOAA-6,8,10)
measured are: Channel 1, visible .58-.68 microns; Channel 2, near
infrared, .725-1.10 microns; Channel 3, infrared, 3.55-3.99 microns;
and Channel 4, thermal infrared, 10.2-11.5 microns. The five spectral
bands (NOAA-7,9) measured are: Channel 1, visible .58-.68 microns;
Channel 2, near infrared, .725-1.10 microns; Channel 3, infrared,
3.55-3.93 microns; Channel 4, thermal infrared, 10.2-11.3 microns; and
Channel 5, a second thermal infrared channel at 11.5-12.5 microns.

Measurements made by the sensor have a 10 bit precision and the data
itself is available as a Level 1b data product from National
Environmental Satellite Data and Information Services, Satellite and
Data Services Division (NESDIS/SDSD) in Suitland, Maryland.

Full Resolution Level 1b Data:

The Level 1b data format corresponds to quality controlled raw AVHRR
data, that is assembled into discrete data sets with sensor
calibration and earth location information appended to the incoming
radiation (video) data (NOAA Polar Orbiter Data Users Guide). At URI
all Level 1b data is stored on 6250bpi computer compatible tapes. The
data tapes originate at NESDIS/SDSD in Suitland, Maryland and the
University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric
Science, Miami, Florida. The two processing facilities support
slightly different data tape formats, the NESDIS/SDSD format is a
packed data format and is described in the NOAA Polar Orbiter Data
User Guide, whereas the Miami format is unpacked to facilitate quicker
tape to disc transfer.

The TIROS-N/NOAA series satellites have two operational modes for
collecting and transmitting full resolution AVHRR data. The normal
operating mode is direct transmission in real time to receiving
stations within line of sight of the orbiting satellite. This direct
transmission data is called HRPT for High Resolution Picture
Transmission. The second full resolution mode is LAC or Local Area
Coverage. LAC data is recorded and stored on-board the satellite for
later transmission. LAC data coverage is scheduled by NOAA/NESDIS and
may be recorded over any portion of the world. The primary receiving
stations for HRPT data are Wallops Island, Virginia and Gilmore Creek,
Alaska. The data collected by these two stations is permanently
stored on magnetic tape at the NESDIS data facility in Suitland,
Maryland. Based on these two stations HRPT areal coverage is of the
western North Atlantic west from about 50W, and north of 18N, the Gulf
of Mexico, north of 18N and the Gulf of Alaska in the North Pacific.
In July of 1987 HRPT collected at the NESDIS facility in Redwood City,
California became available. This archive will contain AVHRR passes
of the west coast of North America from 1984 to the present in
standard Level 1b format. The Naval Ocean Research and Development
Activity facility at NSTL, Mississippi has a non-permanent 90 day
rotating HRPT archive of data collected over the Gulf of Mexico.

Operational History of the TirosN/NOAA Satellites:

start date end date
__________ ________
TirosN 1978-10-19 1980-01-20
NOAA-6 1979-06-27 1985-09-03
NOAA-7 1987-06-23 1984-12-05
NOAA-8 1981-06-23 1984-12-05
NOAA-9 1985-01-22 present
NOAA-10 1986-09-17 present

Presently URI has archived:
94 TirosN Level 1b passes (94 tapes) inactive
251 NOAA-6 Level 1b passes (251 tapes) active
923 NOAA-7 Level 1b passes (923 tapes) active
90 NOAA-8 Level 1b passes (90 tapes) active
507 NOAA-9 Level 1b passes (507 tapes) active and operational
5 NOAA-10 Level 1b passes ( 5 tapes ) active and operational

The majority is HRPT at full resolution, 4 or 5 channel, full pass
(complete 10-15 minute direct transmission reception) data sets.
Copies of the data are available as is, (i.e. complete data set in
the original data tape format).

Related Data Sets:
URI NOAAXX Northeast Area SST Imagery
URI NOAAXX Sargasso Sea SST Imagery
URI NOAAXX Gulf of Maine SST Imagery
URI NOAAXX New York Bight SST Imagery
URI NOAAXX Cape Hatteras SST Imagery
URI NOAAXX Sub-Tropical Convergence Zone SST Imagery