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TOVS Pathfinder Path-P Daily and Monthly Polar Gridded Atmospheric Parameters

Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC) Metadata:

Identification_Information
Data_Quality_Information
Spatial_Reference_Information
Distribution_Information
Metadata_Reference_Information

Identification_Information:

Citation:

Citation_Information:

Originator: J. A. Francis and A. J. Schweiger

Publication_Date: 19990901, updated 2008

Title: TOVS Pathfinder Path-P Daily and Monthly Polar Gridded Atmospheric Parameters

Edition:

Geospatial_Data_Presentation_Form:

Series_Information:

Series_Name:
Issue_Identification:

Publication_Information:

Publication_Place: Boulder, Colorado USA
Publisher: National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC)

Other_Citation_Details:

Online_Linkage: http://nsidc.org/data/nsidc-0027.html

Description:

Abstract:: The TIROS-N Operational Vertical Sounder (TOVS) Polar Pathfinder (Path-P) data set consists of gridded daily and monthly Arctic and Antarctic atmospheric data derived from various NOAA satellites. TOVS Path-P daily files are available for the Northern and Southern Hemispheres from 60Â° poleward at 100 km gridded spatial resolution in an Equal-Area Scalable Earth Grid (EASE-Grid). TOVS Path-P monthly files are available for the Northern Hemisphere only from 60Â° poleward at 100 km gridded spatial resolution in EASE-Grid. Daily and monthly Northern Hemisphere data are available from January 1979 through current processing, and daily Southern Hemisphere data are available from July 1979 through current processing. Data were created from a modified version of the Improved Initialization Inversion Algorithm (3I) (Chedin et al. 1985), a physical-statistical retrieval method improved for use in identifying geophysical variables in snow- and ice-covered areas (Francis 1994). Variables retrieved from satellite-observed radiances for this product include atmospheric temperature, water vapor, skin surface temperature, total effective cloud fraction, cloud top pressure and temperature, solar zenith elevation, surface pressure, turning angle between geostrophic wind and surface stress over ice, emissivity, boundary layer stratification, and geostrophic drag coefficient. The algorithm used to generate these grids has been validated through comparisons with surface observations from the North Pole drifting meteorological stations (Schweiger et al. 1999). The complete TOVS data set is available via FTP in Hierarchical Data Format (HDF). Data users are encouraged to register before accessing the TOVS data. Registered users automatically receive release notes via e-mail containing notification of data manipulation or formatting modifications.
Purpose:: Not Available
Supplemental_Information:: REFERENCE: Brodzik, M.J. 1998. The EASE-Grid, A Versatile Set of Equal-Area Projections and Grids. Special report to the National Snow and Ice Data Center, Boulder, CO. Chedin, A., N. A. Scott, C. Wahiche and P. Moulinier. 1985. The Improved Initialization Inversion Method: A high resolution physical method for temperature retrievals from satellites of the TIROS-N series. Journal of Climate and Applied Meteorology. 24:128-143. Francis, J. A. 1994. Improvements to TOVS retrievals over sea ice and applications to estimating Arctic energy fluxes. Journal of Geophysical Research. 99(D5):10,395-408. Schweiger, A. J., R. W. Lindsay, J. R. Key, and J. A. Francis. 1999. Arctic clouds in multiyear satellite data sets. Geophysical Research Letters 26(13):1,845-48. Schweiger, A. J., R. W. Lindsay, J. A. Francis, J. R. Key, J. Intrieri, M. Shupe. Validation of TOVS Path-P data during SHEBA. Submitted to Journal of Geophysical Research, May 2000.

Time_Period_of_Content:

Time_Period_Information:

Range_of_Dates/Times:

Beginning_Date: 19790101
Ending_Date: Unknown

Currentness_Reference:Unknown

Time_Period_of_Content:

Time_Period_Information:

Range_of_Dates/Times:

Beginning_Date: 19790712
Ending_Date: Unknown

Currentness_Reference:Unknown

Status:

Progress: In Work
Maintenance_and_Update_Frequency: As needed

Spatial_Domain:

Description_of_Geographic_Extent:

Bounding_Coordinates:

West_Bounding_Coordinate: -180.0
East_Bounding_Coordinate: 180.0
North_Bounding_Coordinate: -60.0
South_Bounding_Coordinate: -90.0

Spatial_Domain:

Description_of_Geographic_Extent:

Bounding_Coordinates:

West_Bounding_Coordinate: -180.0
East_Bounding_Coordinate: 180.0
North_Bounding_Coordinate: 90.0
South_Bounding_Coordinate: 60.0

Keywords:

Theme:

Theme_Keyword_Thesaurus: GCMD SCIENCE PARAMETERS
Theme_Keyword_Thesaurus: GCMD PLATFORM
Theme_Keyword_Thesaurus: GCMD INSTRUMENT
Theme_Keyword_Thesaurus: PROJECT
Theme_Keyword_Thesaurus: ANCILLARY KEYWORDS
Theme_Keyword_Thesaurus: ISO TOPIC CATEGORY
Theme_Keyword_Thesaurus: DATA SET LANGUAGE
Theme_Keyword: EARTH SCIENCE > ATMOSPHERE > ATMOSPHERIC TEMPERATURE > AIR TEMPERATURE
Theme_Keyword: EARTH SCIENCE > ATMOSPHERE > ATMOSPHERIC TEMPERATURE > SKIN TEMPERATURE
Theme_Keyword: EARTH SCIENCE > ATMOSPHERE > ATMOSPHERIC TEMPERATURE > SURFACE AIR TEMPERATURE
Theme_Keyword: EARTH SCIENCE > ATMOSPHERE > ATMOSPHERIC WATER VAPOR > PRECIPITABLE WATER
Theme_Keyword: EARTH SCIENCE > ATMOSPHERE > ATMOSPHERIC WINDS > WIND STRESS > GEOSTROPHIC DRAG COEFFICIENT
Theme_Keyword: EARTH SCIENCE > ATMOSPHERE > CLOUDS > CLOUD PROPERTIES > CLOUD FREQUENCY > EFFECTIVE CLOUD FRACTION
Theme_Keyword: EARTH SCIENCE > ATMOSPHERE > CLOUDS > CLOUD PROPERTIES > CLOUD TOP PRESSURE
Theme_Keyword: EARTH SCIENCE > ATMOSPHERE > CLOUDS > CLOUD PROPERTIES > CLOUD TOP TEMPERATURE
Theme_Keyword: EARTH SCIENCE > ATMOSPHERE > ATMOSPHERIC RADIATION > EMISSIVITY
Theme_Keyword: EARTH SCIENCE > OCEANS > OCEAN WINDS > WIND STRESS
Theme_Keyword: NOAA-10 > NATIONAL OCEANIC & ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION-10
Theme_Keyword: NOAA-11 > NATIONAL OCEANIC & ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION-11
Theme_Keyword: NOAA-12 > NATIONAL OCEANIC & ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION-12
Theme_Keyword: NOAA-13 > NATIONAL OCEANIC & ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION-13
Theme_Keyword: NOAA-14 > NATIONAL OCEANIC & ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION-14
Theme_Keyword: NOAA-6 > NATIONAL OCEANIC & ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION-6
Theme_Keyword: NOAA-7 > NATIONAL OCEANIC & ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION-7
Theme_Keyword: NOAA-8 > NATIONAL OCEANIC & ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION-8
Theme_Keyword: NOAA-9 > NATIONAL OCEANIC & ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION-9
Theme_Keyword: HIRS > HIGH RESOLUTION INFRARED RADIATION SOUNDER
Theme_Keyword: SOUNDERS
Theme_Keyword: TOVS > TIROS OPERATIONAL VERTICAL SOUNDER
Theme_Keyword: MSU > MICROWAVE SOUNDING UNIT
Theme_Keyword: CEAREX > COORDINATED EASTERN ARCTIC EXPERIMENT
Theme_Keyword: EOSDIS > EARTH OBSERVING SYSTEM DATA INFORMATION SYSTEM
Theme_Keyword: ESIP > EARTH SCIENCE INFORMATION PARTNERS PROGRAM
Theme_Keyword: NOAA/NASA PATHFINDER > NOAA/NASA PATHFINDER PROGRAM
Theme_Keyword: Atmospheric Stratification
Theme_Keyword: Boundary Layer
Theme_Keyword: Boundary Layer Stratification
Theme_Keyword: Cloud Fraction
Theme_Keyword: Cloud Properties
Theme_Keyword: Cloud Top Pressure
Theme_Keyword: Cloud Top Temperature
Theme_Keyword: Cloud Tops
Theme_Keyword: Daac
Theme_Keyword: Eosdis
Theme_Keyword: Geostrophic Drag Coefficient
Theme_Keyword: Geostrophic Wind
Theme_Keyword: Humidity Profiles
Theme_Keyword: Ice
Theme_Keyword: Ice Surface Skin Temperature
Theme_Keyword: Initialization Inversion Algthm
Theme_Keyword: Noaa/nasa Pathfinder
Theme_Keyword: North Polar Basin
Theme_Keyword: Nsidc Daac
Theme_Keyword: Ocean Surface Skin Temperature
Theme_Keyword: Path P
Theme_Keyword: Polar Exchange At Sea Surface
Theme_Keyword: Poles
Theme_Keyword: Snow Ice
Theme_Keyword: Temperature Profiles
Theme_Keyword: Tovs
Theme_Keyword: Turning Angle
Theme_Keyword: CLIMATOLOGY/METEOROLOGY/ATMOSPHERE
Theme_Keyword: ENGLISH

Place:

Place_Keyword_Thesaurus: GCMD
Place_Keyword: CONTINENT > ANTARCTICA
Place_Keyword: GEOGRAPHIC REGION > ARCTIC
Place_Keyword: GEOGRAPHIC REGION > NORTHERN HEMISPHERE
Place_Keyword: GEOGRAPHIC REGION > POLAR
Place_Keyword: GEOGRAPHIC REGION > SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE

Temporal:

Temporal_Keyword_Thesaurus: GCMD
Temporal_Keyword: Daily, Monthly
Temporal_Keyword: Daily - < Weekly

Access_Constraints: Users are strongly encouraged to register before accessing data. Registered users automatically receive release notes via e-mail containing notification of data manipulation or formatting modifications.

Use_Constraints:

Not Available

Point_of_Contact:

Contact_Information:

Contact_Person_Primary:

Contact_Person: NSIDC USER SERVICES

Contact_Position: TECHNICAL CONTACT

Contact_Address:

Address_Type: Mailing and Physical Address
Address: National Snow and Ice Data Center
Address: CIRES, 449 UCB
Address: University of Colorado
City: Boulder
State_or_Province: CO
Postal_Code: 80309-0449
Country: USA

Contact_Voice_Telephone: +1 (303) 492-6199

Contact_Facsimile_Telephone: +1 (303) 492-2468

Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: nsidc@nsidc.org

Data_Quality_Information:

Attribute_Accuracy:

Attribute_Accuracy_Report:: The algorithm used to generate these grids has been validated directly through comparisons with surface observations from the CEAREX experiment and with radiosonde data from Soviet ice stations. Comparisons with other TOVS retrieval algorithms provided further validation. Additionally, Schweiger et al. (1999) found a strong correlation between the TOVS Path-P data and surface cloud observations obtained from the North Polar drifting meteorological stations, which indicates that the TOVS data effectively represent annual cloud cover.

Logical_Consistency_Report:

Not Available

Completeness_Report:

Not Available

Lineage:

Process_Step:

Process_Description:: Not Available
Process_Date: Unknown

Spatial_Reference_Information:

Horizontal_Coordinate_System_Definition:

Geographic:

Latitude_Resolution: 100 km
Longitude_Resolution: 100 km
Geographic_Coordinate_Units: Decimal degrees

Distribution_Information:

Distributor:

Contact_Information:

Contact_Organization_Primary:

Contact_Organization: NSIDC_DAAC > NSIDC Distributed Active Archive Center
Contact_Person: NSIDC USER SERVICES

Contact_Position: DATA CENTER CONTACT

Contact_Address:

Address_Type: Mailing and Physical Address
Address: National Snow and Ice Data Center
Address: CIRES, 449 UCB
Address: University of Colorado
City: Boulder
State_or_Province: CO
Postal_Code: 80309-0449
Country: USA

Contact_Voice_Telephone: +1 (303) 492-6199

Contact_Facsimile_Telephone: +1 (303) 492-2468

Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: nsidc@nsidc.org

Distributor:

Contact_Information:

Contact_Organization_Primary:

Contact_Organization: NSIDC > National Snow and Ice Data Center
Contact_Person: NSIDC USER SERVICES

Contact_Position: DATA CENTER CONTACT

Contact_Address:

Address_Type: Mailing and Physical Address
Address: National Snow and Ice Data Center
Address: CIRES, 449 UCB
Address: University of Colorado
City: Boulder
State_or_Province: CO
Postal_Code: 80309-0449
Country: USA

Contact_Voice_Telephone: +1 (303) 492-6199

Contact_Facsimile_Telephone: +1 (303) 492-2468

Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: nsidc@nsidc.org

Resource_Description: NSIDC-0027

Distribution_Liability:

Not Available

Standard_Order_Process:

Digital_Form:

Digital_Transfer_Information:

Format_Name: HDF
Transfer_Size: 506,437 to 778,864 KB uncompressed

Digital_Transfer_Option:

Online_Option:

Computer_Contact_Information:

Network_Address:

Network_Resource_Name:: http://nsidc.org/daac/index.html

Access_Instructions:

DATA CENTER URL

Online_Option:

Computer_Contact_Information:

Network_Address:

Network_Resource_Name:: http://nsidc.org

Access_Instructions:

DATA CENTER URL

Digital_Transfer_Option:

Online_Option:

Computer_Contact_Information:

Network_Address:

Network_Resource_Name:: http://nsidc.org/data/ease/

Access_Instructions:

Digital_Transfer_Option:

Online_Option:

Computer_Contact_Information:

Network_Address:

Network_Resource_Name:: http://psc.apl.washington.edu/pathp/

Access_Instructions:

Digital_Transfer_Option:

Online_Option:

Computer_Contact_Information:

Network_Address:

Network_Resource_Name:: http://nsidc.org/data/nsidc-0069.html

Access_Instructions:

Digital_Transfer_Option:

Online_Option:

Computer_Contact_Information:

Network_Address:

Network_Resource_Name:: http://nsidc.org/daac/pathfinder/index.html

Access_Instructions:

Fees: None

Metadata_Reference_Information:

Metadata_Date: 19990901

Metadata_Review_Date: 20110630

Metadata_Contact:

Contact_Information:

Contact_Person_Primary:

Contact_Person: GCMD User Support Office
Contact_Organization: NASA Global Change Master Directory

Contact_Address:

Address_Type: Mailing and Physical Address
Address: Not Available
City: Lanham
State_or_Province: MD
Postal_Code: 20706
Country: USA

Contact_Voice_Telephone: Not Available

Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: gcmduso@gcmd.gsfc.nasa.gov

Metadata_Standard_Name: FGDC Content Standards for Digital Geospatial Metadata

Metadata_Standard_Version: FGDC-STD-001-1998

Metadata_Time_Convention: local time

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