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Description

The CLIMCAPS (Community Long-term Infrared Microwave Coupled Product System) algorithm is used to analyze data from the AIRS (Atmospheric Infrared Sounder). The AIRS instrument is a grating spectrometer (R = 1200) aboard the second Earth Observing System (EOS) polar-orbiting platform, EOS Aqua. The AIRS CLIMCAPS Retrieval Product consists of retrieved estimates of cloud and surface properties, plus profiles of retrieved temperature, water vapor, ozone, carbon monoxide and methane. The temperature profile vertical resolution is 100 levels total between 1100 mb and 0.1 mb, while moisture profile is reported at atmospheric layers between 1100 mb and 300 mb. The horizontal resolution is 50 km.

The CLIMCAPS algorithm uses an Optimal Estimation methodology and uses an a-priori first guess to start the process. A CLIMCAPS sounding is comprised of a set of parameters that characterizes the full atmospheric state and includes a variety of geophysical parameters derived from the CrIMSS data. These include surface temperature and infrared emissivity; full atmosphere
profiles of temperature, water vapor and ozone; infrared effective cloud top characteristics; carbon monoxide, methane, carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, nitrous oxide, and nitric acid.

An AIRS level 2 granule has been set as 6 minutes of data, 30 footprints cross track by 45 lines along track. There are 240 granules per day, with an orbit repeat cycle of approximately 16 day.

Product Summary

Platforms
Aqua
Instruments
AIRS
Spatial Extent

N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180

Location
GLOBAL
Coordinate System
GEODETIC
Granule Spatial Representation
GEODETIC
Temporal Extent
2002-08-31 to Present
Data Partner
Goddard Earth Sciences Data and Information Services Center (formerly Goddard DAAC), Terrestrial Information Systems Laboratory, Earth Sciences Division, Science and Exploration Directorate, Goddard Space Flight Center, NASA (NASA/GSFC/SED/ESD/TISL/GESDI
Concept ID
C2790952275-GES_DISC
Data State
ACTIVE
Number of Files/Granules
2024676
Processing Level
2
Published
Updated
Science Keywords
Tropospheric Ozone ,
Tropopause ,
Atmospheric Chemistry ,
Carbon And Hydrocarbon Compounds ,
Methane ,
Outgoing Longwave Radiation ,
Atmospheric Temperature ,
Surface Temperature ,
Air Temperature ,
Skin Temperature ,
Upper Air Temperature ,
Vertical Profiles ,
Atmospheric Water Vapor ,
Layered Precipitable Water ,
Total Precipitable Water ,
Cloud Properties ,
Cloud Fraction ,
Cloud Top Temperature ,
Precipitation ,
Skin Temperature ,
Ocean Temperature ,
Sea Surface Skin Temperature

Citation

Citation is critically important for dataset documentation and discovery. This dataset is openly shared, without restriction, in accordance with the EOSDIS Data Use and Citation Guidance.

Copy Citation

Sounder SIPS: Nadia Smith. (2024). Sounder SIPS: AQUA AIRS IR-only Level 2 CLIMCAPS: retrieved atmospheric state V2.1 [Data set]. NASA Goddard Earth Sciences Data and Information Services Center. https://doi.org/10.5067/WZVJ68EXNLK7 Date Accessed: 2026-04-30

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Variables

The table below lists the variables contained within a single granule for this dataset. Variables often contain observed or derived geophysical measurements collected from a variety of sources, including remote sensing instruments on satellite and airborne platforms, field campaigns, in situ measurements, and model outputs. The terms variable, parameter, scientific data set, layer, and band have been used across NASA’s Earth science disciplines; however, variable is the designated nomenclature in NASA’s Common Metadata Repository (CMR). Variable metadata attributes such as Name, Description, Units, Data Type, Fill Value, Valid Range, and Scale Factor allow users to efficiently process and analyze the data. The full range of attributes may not be applicable to all variables. Additional information on variable attributes is typically available in the data, user guide, and/or other product documentation.

For questions on a specific variable, please use the Earthdata Forum.

Name Description Units Data Type Fill Value Valid Range Scale Factor Offset
aux/etarej cloud clearing residual used for rejection at iteration = ieta_rej 1 float32 9.9692099683869E+36 N/A N/A N/A
aux/fg_air_temp air temperature profile from the MERRA2 first guess kelvin float32 9.9692099683869E+36 N/A N/A N/A
aux/fg_air_temp_lay Effective temperature of air pressure layer from MERRA2 first guess, derived from fg_air_temp. kelvin float32 9.9692099683869E+36 N/A N/A N/A
aux/fg_h2o_vap_mol_lay Water vapor layer totals from the MERRA2 first guess. The value for the lowest layer at air_pres_lay_nsurf represents the number of molecules that would be present if the surface was not present and instead there was a full layer between the fixed top and bottom pressures listed in air_pres_lay_bnds. molecules / m2 float32 9.9692099683869E+36 N/A N/A N/A
aux/fg_o3_mol_lay Ozone layer total from the MERRA2 first guess. The value for the lowest layer at air_pres_lay_nsurf represents the number of molecules that would be present if the surface was not present and instead there was a full layer between the fixed top and bottom pressures listed in air_pres_lay_bnds. molecules / m2 float32 9.9692099683869E+36 N/A N/A N/A
aux/fg_surf_air_temp near-surface air temperature (~2 meters above surface) from the MERRA2 first guess kelvin float32 9.9692099683869E+36 N/A N/A N/A
aux/fg_surf_temp Skin depth temperature of the Earth surface from the MERRA2 first guess kelvin float32 9.9692099683869E+36 N/A N/A N/A
aux/fov_weight Contribution weighting of FOV within FOR for cloud cleared radiances. Can be negative. 1 float32 9.9692099683869E+36 N/A N/A N/A
aux/h2o_vap_dof The trace of the averaging kernel matrix as a measure of the number of pieces of information about the water vapor profile provided by the physical retrieval step. 1 float32 9.9692099683869E+36 N/A N/A N/A
aux/hno3_dof The trace of the averaging kernel matrix as a measure of the number of pieces of information about the nitric acid profile provided by the physical retrieval step. 1 float32 9.9692099683869E+36 N/A N/A N/A
aux/idprof profile ID N/A OTHER N/A N/A N/A N/A
aux/ir_precip_est_24hr The thickness of a layer of liquid water equivalent to the estimated precipitation over 24 hours. m float32 9.9692099683869E+36 N/A N/A N/A
aux/ir_precip_est_24hr_err ir_precip_est_24hr error estimate m float32 9.9692099683869E+36 N/A N/A N/A
aux/n2o_dof The trace of the averaging kernel matrix as a measure of the number of pieces of information about the nitrous oxide profile provided by the physical retrieval step. 1 float32 9.9692099683869E+36 N/A N/A N/A
aux/nbest One-based level index of highest pressure (i.e. lowest altitude) for which Quality = 0. A value of 0 indicates that no part of the profile passes the test. 1 int16 -32767 N/A N/A N/A
aux/ngood One-based level index of highest pressure (i.e. lowest altitude) for which Quality = 0 or 1. A value of 0 indicates that no part of the profile passes the test. 1 int16 -32767 N/A N/A N/A
aux/nh3_dbt Brightness temperature difference sum indicating ammonia. Sum of lines near 929 and 966 cm-1. Values over +1.0 K are potential detections. Experimental. kelvin float32 9.9692099683869E+36 N/A N/A N/A
aux/o3_dof The trace of the averaging kernel matrix as a measure of the number of pieces of information about the ozone profile provided by the physical retrieval step. 1 float32 9.9692099683869E+36 N/A N/A N/A
aux/pbest Maximum value of pressure for which temperature is Quality = 0 Pa float32 9.9692099683869E+36 N/A N/A N/A
aux/pgood Maximum value of pressure for which temperature is Quality = 0 or 1 Pa float32 9.9692099683869E+36 N/A N/A N/A
aux/prior_surf_pres surface pressure from forecast Pa float32 9.9692099683869E+36 N/A N/A N/A
aux/qualsurf qualsurf N/A float32 9.9692099683869E+36 N/A N/A N/A
aux/qualtemp qualtemp N/A float32 9.9692099683869E+36 N/A N/A N/A
aux/so2_dof The trace of the averaging kernel matrix as a measure of the number of pieces of information about the sulfur dioxide profile provided by the physical retrieval step. 1 float32 9.9692099683869E+36 N/A N/A N/A
aux/softcode software rejection code N/A float32 9.9692099683869E+36 N/A N/A N/A
aux/surf_dof The trace of the averaging kernel matrix as a measure of the amount of information about the surface extracted from the measured radiation. 1 float32 9.9692099683869E+36 N/A N/A N/A
ave_kern/air_temp_ave_kern Averaging kernel for air temperature retrieval 1.0f float32 9.9692099683869E+36 N/A N/A N/A
ave_kern/air_temp_func_hbot Flag if the bottom air_temperature trapezoidal basis function has value of 1/2 or 1 at 110000 Pa. N/A int16 -32767 N/A N/A N/A
ave_kern/air_temp_func_htop Flag if the top air_temperature trapezoidal basis function has value of 1/2 or 1 at TOA. N/A int16 -32767 N/A N/A N/A
ave_kern/air_temp_func_indxs Pressure indexes defining the trapezoidal basis functions for the air temperature profile 1s int16 -32767 N/A N/A N/A
ave_kern/air_temp_func_last_indx Last valid index for all quantities with dimension air_temp_func_pres for a given profile. Any further basis functions would be cut off by the surface. Zero when the entire ave_kern matrix is invalid. 1s int16 -32767 N/A N/A N/A
ave_kern/air_temp_func_pres Static mean pressures for each vertical basis function used to represent the air temperature profile. Pa float32 9.9692099683869E+36 N/A N/A N/A
ave_kern/ch4_ave_kern Averaging kernel for methane retrieval 1.0f float32 9.9692099683869E+36 N/A N/A N/A
ave_kern/ch4_func_hbot Flag if the bottom methane trapezoidal basis function has value of 1/2 or 1 at 110000 Pa. N/A int16 -32767 N/A N/A N/A
ave_kern/ch4_func_htop Flag if the top methane trapezoidal basis function has value of 1/2 or 1 at TOA. N/A int16 -32767 N/A N/A N/A
ave_kern/ch4_func_indxs Pressure indexes defining the trapezoidal basis functions for the methane profile 1s int16 -32767 N/A N/A N/A
ave_kern/ch4_func_last_indx Last valid index for all quantities with dimension ch4_func_pres for a given profile. Any further basis functions would be cut off by the surface. Zero when the entire ave_kern matrix is invalid. 1s int16 -32767 N/A N/A N/A
ave_kern/ch4_func_pres Static mean pressures for each vertical basis function used to represent the methane profile. Pa float32 9.9692099683869E+36 N/A N/A N/A
ave_kern/co2_ave_kern Averaging kernel for carbon dioxide retrieval 1.0f float32 9.9692099683869E+36 N/A N/A N/A
ave_kern/co2_func_hbot Flag if the bottom carbon dioxide trapezoidal basis function has value of 1/2 or 1 at 110000 Pa. N/A int16 -32767 N/A N/A N/A
ave_kern/co2_func_htop Flag if the top carbon dioxide trapezoidal basis function has value of 1/2 or 1 at TOA. N/A int16 -32767 N/A N/A N/A
ave_kern/co2_func_indxs Pressure indexes defining the trapezoidal basis functions for the carbon dioxide profile 1s int16 -32767 N/A N/A N/A
ave_kern/co2_func_last_indx Last valid index for all quantities with dimension co2_func_pres for a given profile. Any further basis functions would be cut off by the surface. Zero when the entire ave_kern matrix is invalid. 1s int16 -32767 N/A N/A N/A
ave_kern/co2_func_pres Static mean pressures for each vertical basis function used to represent the carbon dioxide profile. Pa float32 9.9692099683869E+36 N/A N/A N/A
ave_kern/co_ave_kern Averaging kernel for carbon monoxide retrieval 1.0f float32 9.9692099683869E+36 N/A N/A N/A
ave_kern/co_func_hbot Flag if the bottom carbon monoxide trapezoidal basis function has value of 1/2 or 1 at 110000 Pa. N/A int16 -32767 N/A N/A N/A
ave_kern/co_func_htop Flag if the top carbon monoxide trapezoidal basis function has value of 1/2 or 1 at TOA. N/A int16 -32767 N/A N/A N/A
ave_kern/co_func_indxs Pressure indexes defining the trapezoidal basis functions for the carbon monoxide profile 1s int16 -32767 N/A N/A N/A
ave_kern/co_func_last_indx Last valid index for all quantities with dimension co_func_pres for a given profile. Any further basis functions would be cut off by the surface. Zero when the entire ave_kern matrix is invalid. 1s int16 -32767 N/A N/A N/A
ave_kern/co_func_pres Static mean pressures for each vertical basis function used to represent the carbon monoxide profile. Pa float32 9.9692099683869E+36 N/A N/A N/A
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