DMSP SSM/I-SSMIS Daily Polar Gridded Brightness Temperatures, Version 6
Data set id:
NSIDC-0001
DOI: 10.5067/MXJL42WSXTS1
This is the most recent version of these data.
Version Summary
Version Summary
This version contains the following changes:
- Data set was converted from binary to NetCDF format.
- Daily files now contain data from all available sensors for a particular day.
- Data set was converted from binary to NetCDF format.
- Daily files now contain data from all available sensors for a particular day.
Overview
This data set provides daily gridded brightness temperatures derived from passive microwave sensors and distributed in a polar stereographic projection. NSIDC produces daily gridded brightness temperatures from orbital swath data generated by the Special Sensor Microwave/Imager (SSM/I) aboard the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) F8, F11, and F13 platforms and the Special Sensor Microwave Imager/Sounder (SSMIS) aboard DMSP F17 and F18. The SSM/I and SSMIS channels used to calculate brightness temperatures include 19.3 GHz vertical and horizontal, 22.2 GHz vertical, 37.0 GHz vertical and horizontal, 85.5 GHz vertical and horizontal (on SSM/I), and 91.7 GHz vertical and horizontal (on SSMIS). Data at 85.5 GHz and 91.7 GHz are gridded at a resolution of 12.5 km, with all other frequencies at a resolution of 25 km. Orbital data for each 24-hour period are mapped to respective grid cells using a simple sum-and-average method, also known as the drop-in-the-bucket method. Data coverage began on 09 July 1987 and is ongoing through the most current processing, with updated data processed several times annually.
Parameter(s):
BRIGHTNESS TEMPERATURE
Platform(s):
DMSP 5D-2/F11, DMSP 5D-2/F13, DMSP 5D-2/F8, DMSP 5D-3/F17, DMSP 5D-3/F18
Sensor(s):
SSM/I, SSMIS
Data Format(s):
NetCDF
Temporal Coverage:
9 July 1987 to present
Temporal Resolution:
- 1 day
Spatial Resolution:
- 25 km
- 12.5 km
- 25 km
- 12.5 km
Spatial Reference System(s):
WGS 84 / Antarctic Polar Stereographic
EPSG:3031
NSIDC Sea Ice Polar Stereographic North
EPSG:3411
NSIDC Sea Ice Polar Stereographic South
EPSG:3412
WGS 84 / Arctic Polar Stereographic
EPSG:3995
Spatial Coverage:
N:
90
S:
30
E:
180
W:
-180
N:
-39
S:
-90
E:
180
W:
-180
Blue outlined yellow areas on the map below indicate the spatial coverage for this data set.
Data Access & Tools
A free NASA Earthdata Login account is required to access these data. Learn More
Documentation
User Guide
NSIDC Special Reports
Quality Assessment Reports
Sensor and Instrument Information
Help Articles
How to Articles
Many NSIDC DAAC data sets can be accessed using the NSIDC DAAC's Data Access Tool. This tool provides the ability to search and filter data with spatial and temporal constraints using a map-based interface.Users have the option to
The NSIDC provides Python scripts for reformatting specific NSIDC SMMR-SSM/I-SSMIS data products in polar stereographic projections from NetCDF to binary.
Data from the NASA National Snow and Ice Data Center Distributed Active Archive Center (NSIDC DAAC) can be accessed directly from our HTTPS file system. We provide basic command line Wget and curl instructions for HTTPS file system downloads below.