Data Description
Tiros Operational Vertical Sounder -
The TIROS Operational Vertical Sounder (TOVS) system consisted of three instruments: the High Resolution Infrared Radiation Sounder Version 2 (HIRS/2), the Microwave Sounding Unit (MSU) and the Stratospheric Sounding Unit (SSU). This system was onboard the NOAA-6 through NOAA-14 and TIROS-N satellites. The Advanced TOVS (ATOVS) replaced the TOVS instruments starting from NOAA-15 onwards. It consists of HIRS/3, the Advanced Microwave Sounding Unit-A (AMSU-A) and AMSU-B. The Microwave Humidity Sounder (MHS), developed by EUMETSAT, replaced AMSU-B on NOAA-18 and the European MetOp satellites. Currently the ATOVS is generating products from the NOAA-15, 16, 18 and METOP-A satellites. This instrument package provides information on temperature and humidity profiles, total ozone, clouds and radiation on a global scale.
Details - Metadata, Documentation
| CLASS Beginning Date | 19781021 |
| Ending Date | Present |
| FGDC Metadata | Complete Record |
| Instruments | HIRS/2, MSU, SSU, HIRS/3, AMSU-A, AMSU-B, HIRS/4, MHS |
| Transfer Size | MSU/SSU/HIRS/AMSUA&B 0.1/0.5/4.5/2.7 mb |
| Coverage | Geographic Region > Global |
| Update Frequency | Orbitally |
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| Pixel Resolution | 17/109/147 km HIRS/MSU/SSU |
| Producing System | PDP: 1B-Translator, TIP Pre-Processor |
| Output Format | binary, BUFR |
| Units of Measure | counts |
| TOVS Data Available | CLASS Help |
| Satellite Operations | POES Status |
| User's Guide | KLM User's Guide |
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