We are in the process of migrating all NASA Earth science data sites into Earthdata from now until end of 2026. Not all NASA Earth science data and resources will appear here until then. Thank you for your patience as we make this transition.
Read about the Web Unification Project
Atmospheric Rivers Data Access and Tools
From discovery to visualization, data tools such as Earthdata Search, Worldview, and Application for Extracting and Exploring Analysis Ready Samples (AppEEARS) guide users in making the most of atmospheric rivers data.
Atmospheric Rivers Datasets
| Dataset | Version Sort ascending | Platforms | Instruments | Temporal Extent | Spatial Extent | Spatial Resolution | Data Format |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SBU Meteorological Station IMPACTS V1 | 1 | GROUND STATIONS | ANEMOMETERS, BAROMETERS, GPS, HUMIDITY SENSORS, THERMOMETERS | 2020-01-01 to 2023-01-25 |
N: 43.256 S: 40.718 E: -73.02 W: -76.882 |
netCDF-4 - ASCII | |
| BOREAS TF-02 SSA-OA Tower Flux, Meteorological, and Precipitation Data | 1 | FIXED OBSERVATION STATIONS | RAIN GAUGES, SONIC ANEMOMETER, THERMOCOUPLES, BAROMETERS, PYRANOMETERS, LICOR QUANTUM SENSOR, OZONE SENSOR, NET RADIOMETERS, IRGA, DEWPOINT HYDROMETERS | 1994-01-01 to 1994-10-27 |
N: 53.63 S: 53.63 E: -106.2 W: -106.2 |
ASCII | |
| NWS Daily Climatology Data: 1990 (SNF) | 1 | METEOROLOGICAL STATIONS | HYGROMETERS, RAIN GAUGES, PYRANOMETERS, THERMOMETERS | 1990-01-01 to 1990-12-31 |
N: 48.1697 S: 47.6575 E: -91.7658 W: -92.5058 |
ASCII | |
| HURRICANE AND SEVERE STORM SENTINEL (HS3) GLOBAL HAWK HIGH ALTITUDE MMIC SOUNDING RADIOMETER (HAMSR) V1 | 1 | GLOBAL HAWK | HAMSR | 2011-09-09 to 2013-09-26 |
N: 51.942 S: 9.239 E: -54.876 W: -175.713 |
netCDF-3 - PDF | |
| MACPEX Balloonsondes and Ozonesondes Data | 1 | GROUND-BASED OBSERVATIONS | OZONESONDES, RADIOSONDES, HYGROMETERS | 2011-04-12 to 2011-04-25 | ICARTT | ||
| ACEPOL ER-2 Meteorological and Navigational Data Version 1 | 1 | NASA ER-2 | GPS, HYGROMETERS, PRESSURE TRANSDUCERS, PITOT-STATIC SYSTEM, TEMPERATURE SENSORS | 2017-10-19 to 2017-11-09 | ICARTT | ||
| First ISCCP Regional Experiment (FIRE) Marine Stratocumulus Colorado State University (CSU) Tethered Balloon Data | 1 | GROUND STATIONS, BALLOONS | PSYCHROMETERS, PYRANOMETERS, Pyrgeometer | 1987-07-07 to 1987-07-14 | Binary | ||
| TRACE-A Merge Data | 1 | Data Analysis | 1990-03-13 to 1992-11-02 |
N: 43.575 S: -59.98 E: 58.68 W: -180 |
GTE | ||
| CAMEX-3 AIRBORNE VERTICAL ATMOSPHERE PROFILING SYSTEM (AVAPS) V1 | 1 | NASA DC-8 | AVAPS | 1998-08-15 to 1998-09-22 |
N: 34.06 S: 14.0367 E: -63.549 W: -85.7233 |
ASCII - netCDF-3 | |
| P-3 Meteorological and Navigation Data IMPACTS | 1 | NASA P-3 | GPS, HYGROMETERS, KT19 Pyrometer, RADAR ALTIMETERS, TEMPERATURE PROBES, TEMPERATURE SENSORS | 2020-01-12 to 2023-02-28 |
N: 48.237 S: 33.261 E: -64.987 W: -95.243 |
ASCII |
SHOWING 10 OF 1001
Featured Atmospheric Rivers Observation Method: VIIRS
The Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) instruments are aboard the joint NASA/NOAA Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership (Suomi NPP) and NOAA-platforms. The orbits of the platforms make them ideally positioned to observe atmospheric rivers reaching the west coast of North America. The VIIRS instruments include five high-resolution image bands, sixteen moderate-resolution bands, and one unique panchromatic day/night band ultra-sensitive in low-light conditions. The VIIRS instruments build on the heritage of their successful predecessors, the Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR), the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), and the Sea-viewing Wide Field-of-view Sensor (SeaWIFS).
The Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) will help ensure continuity of Earth observations after the upcoming retirement of the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS).
With the eventual retirement of the Terra and Aqua platforms, the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) instruments will take the lead in daily Earth observations.
19 MIN READ
Frequently Asked Questions
Earthdata Forum
Our online forum provides a space for users to browse thousands of FAQs about research needs, data, and data applications. You can also submit new questions for our experts to answer.
Submit Questions to Earthdata Forumand View Expert Responses