Tiros Operational Vertical Sounder (TOVS)

Archive Header

Delivery option that allows the user to specify whether or not the ordered data will include an archive header. In particular, for data from NOAA-14 and earlier NOAA satellites, the archive header is the TBM (Tera Byte Memory) header which is described in the NOAA Polar Orbiter Data User's Guide located at http://www2.ncdc.noaa.gov/docs/podug/index.htm

For data from NOAA-15 and later NOAA satellites, the archive header is the ARS (Archive Retrieval System) header which is described in the NOAA KLM User's Guide located at http://www2.ncdc.noaa.gov/docs/klm/

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Data Usage Guidance/Restrictions

The operational data for this datatype is available to all registered CLASS users. Pre-operational data may be restricted to authorized users. To become an authorized user, send a request to the CLASS Help Desk.

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Dataset Name

The name of the Level 1B data set archived at CLASS. The name has the following format: Processing-Center.Data-Type.Spacecraft-Unique-ID.Year-Day.Start-Time.Stop-Time.Processing-Block-ID.Source with each qualifier defined below:

Qualifier Details
Processing-Center Three characters identifying where the data was created. Recognized character groups are:
CMS = Centre de Meteorologie Spatiale/France
DSS=Dundee Satellite Receiving Station - Dundee, Scotland, UK
NSS = NOAA/NESDIS - Suitland, Maryland, USA
UKM = United Kingdom Meteorological Office - Bracknell, England, UK
Data-Type Four characters identifying the data type and transmission method. Recognized character groups are:
HIRX= HIRS/2, HIRS/3 or HIRS/4 data set derived from GAC embedded TIP
AMAX= AMSU-A data set derived from GAC embedded TIP
AMBX= AMSU-B data set derived from GAC embedded TIP
HIRS= HIRS/2, HIRS/3 or HIRS/4 data set derived from stored TIP
AMAS= AMSU-A data set derived from stored TIP
AMBS= AMSU-B data set derived from stored TIP
MSUX= MSU data set derived from GAC embedded TIP
SSUX= SSU data set derived from GAC embedded TIP
MSUS= MSU data set derived from stored TIP
SSUS= SSU data set derived from stored TIP
Spacecraft-Unique-ID

TN = TIROS-N
NA = NOAA-6 (aka NOAA-A)
NB = NOAA-B
NC = NOAA-7 (NOAA-C)
ND = NOAA-12 (NOAA-D)
NE = NOAA-8 (NOAA-E)
NF = NOAA-9 (NOAA-F)
NG = NOAA-10 (NOAA-G)
NH = NOAA-11 (NOAA-H)
NJ = NOAA-14 (NOAA-J)
NK = NOAA-15 (NOAA-K)
NL = NOAA-16 (NOAA-L)
NM = NOAA-17 (NOAA-M)
NN = NOAA-18 (NOAA-N)
NP = NOAA-19 (NOAA-NPrime)

Year-Day e.g. D79104, where "D" identifies this group as a Julian day delimiter, "79" identifies the year in which the spacecraft began recording the data and "104" identifies the Julian day on which the spacecraft began recording the data.
Start-Time e.g. S1355, where "S" identifies this group as a start time delimiter. "1355" denotes 13 hours 55 minutes UTC (to the nearest minute) and represents the time at which spacecraft recording began.
Stop-Time e.g. E1456, where "E" identifies this group as an end time delimiter. "1456" denotes 14 hours 56 minutes UTC (to the nearest minute) and denotes the time of spacecraft recording of the last usable data in the data set.
Processing-Block-ID e.g. B0016465, where "B" identifies this group as a processing block ID delimiter. "0016465" is a seven digit number identifying the spacecraft revolution (orbit) in which recording of this data set began and the revolution in which the recording of the data set ended (the first five digits identifying the beginning revolution and the last two being the two least significant digits of the ending revolution).
Source Two characters identifying data acquisition source. Valid character groups are:DU = Dundee, Scotland, UKGC = Fairbanks, Alaska, USA (formerly Gilmore Creek)HO = Honolulu, Hawaii, USAMO = Monterey, California, USASO = Satellite Operations Control Center, Suitland, Maryland, USAWE = Western Europe, Lannion, FranceWI = Wallops Island, Virginia, USA

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Datatype

The data types available for TOVS are:

Datatype Name Code Description
ATOV_AMSUA Advanced TOVS Advanced Microwave Sounding Unit-A (AMSU-A) Level 1B
ATOV_AMSUB Advanced TOVS Advanced Microwave Sounding Unit-B (AMSU-B) Level 1B
TOVS_HIRS TOVS High Resolution Infrared Radiation Sounder (HIRS) Level 1B
TOVS_MSU TOVS Microwave Sounding Unit (MSU) Level 1B
TOVS_SSU TOVS Stratospheric Sounding Unit (SSU) Level 1B

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End Time

The UTC date and time corresponding to the end of the coverage of the given dataset. Format is yyyy-mm-dd hh:mm:ss.fff where fff is the fraction of a second in milliseconds.

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Inventory ID

A unique numerical ID assigned to the data set for CLASS inventory purposes.

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Node

The ascending node refers to that portion of the orbit during which the satellite is heading northward. Descending refers to the southbound portion.

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Orbit

The number of the orbit (revolution) in which the satellite was traveling when the data was acquired.

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Quality

Flags indicating data quality.

Character Position Meaning
1 G = gaps were present in the data set
N = no gaps were found
X = data set was not verified for gaps
2 B = both the start and end times were adjusted
S = start time was adjusted
E = end time was adjusted
N = neither time was adjusted
X = data set was not verified for times
3 Reserved for future use

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Receiving Station

The ground station to which data was transmitted for the given data set.

Two character at end of 1B data set name Receiving Station
DU Dundee, Scotland, UK
GC Fairbanks, Alaska, USA (formerly Gilmore Creek)
HO Honolulu, Hawaii, USA
MO Monterey, California, USA
SO Satellite Operations Control Center, Suitland, Maryland, USA (SOCC)
WE Western Europe, Lannion, France
WI Wallops Island, Virginia, USA

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Satellite

The satellite that acquired the TOVS data.

TN TN TIROS-N
N06 NA NOAA-6
N07 NC NOAA-7
N08 NE NOAA-8
N09 NF NOAA-9
N10 NG NOAA-10
N11 NH NOAA-11
N12 ND NOAA-12
N14 NJ NOAA-14
N15 NK NOAA-15
N16 NL NOAA-16
N17 NM NOAA-17
N18 NN NOAA-18
N19 NPrime NOAA-19

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Size

The size in bytes of the file to be delivered to the user.

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Spatial

Refers to the geographic area of interest to the user. This section of the search page allows the user to define the geographic area of interest.

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Start Time

The UTC date and time corresponding to the beginning of the coverage of the given dataset. Format is yyyy-mm-dd hh:mm:ss.fff where fff is the fraction of a second in milliseconds.

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Temporal

Refers to the time span of interest to the user. This section of the search page allows the user to define the range of dates/times of interest.

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UTC

Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) is the international time standard. It is the current term for what was referred to as Greenwich Meridian Time (GMT). Zero (0) hours UTC is midnight in Greenwich England, which lies on the zero longitudinal meridian. Universal time is based on a 24 hour clock, therefore, afternoon hours such as 4 pm UTC are expressed as 16:00 UTC (sixteen hours, zero minutes).

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