DOC > NOAA > NESDIS > NCDC

Search Field:

Introduction Page, NOAA KLM TOC, Acronyms,
Previous Section, Next Section

---

9.6.4 Microwave Integrated Retrieval System Products

The Microwave Integrated Retrieval System (MIRS) was developed with an end to end capability of calibrating and characterizing the radiances measured from satellite-based microwave instruments, and retrieving the environmental data records with state-of-the-art algorithm science. The MIRS replaced the MSPPS on August 30, 2007. This system is an upgrade from the NESDIS operational MSPPS and is a one-stop resource for microwave-derived products from various polar-orbiting satellite instrument configurations. The MIRS is capable of optimally retrieving atmospheric and surface state parameters and provides physical-based retrievals/products in a consistent fashion. The MIRS is also designed to be instrument/spectrum-independent, parameter-independent, and platform-independent. MIRS produces advanced near-real-time operational surface and precipitation products in all-weather and over all-surface conditions using brightness temperatures from multiple microwave instruments.

These instruments include the Advanced Microwave Sounding Unit-A (AMSU-A) and Microwave Humidity Sounder (MHS) on board the Initial Joint Polar-orbiting Operational Satellite (IJPS) System (NOAA-N, -N', MetOp-1, -2, -3), the Special Sensor Microwave Imager/Sounder (SSMIS) on Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) F-16, F 17, F-18, F-19 and F-20 polar satellites, and the Advanced Technology Microwave Sounder (ATMS) that will fly on National Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System (NPOESS) and on NPOESS Preparatory Project (NPP).

Operational products currently or will include: vertical profiles of temperature, moisture and hydrometeors, and also rain rate, total precipitable water, cloud liquid water, falling snow, snow cover, snow water equivalent, sea ice concentration, ice water path, surface emissivity spectra and land surface temperature.

The following table shows the current delivery schedule to CLASS and the available operational products from each version. Additional products will be added as they become operational

9.6.4.1 MIRS File Naming Convention

The MIRS file naming convention is similar to the standard Level 1b file naming convention described in Section 8.2.    The filename has the following format:


< PROCESSING-CENTER>.< PROJECT-ID>.< VERSION>.< PRODUCT-TYPE>.< SENSOR-ID>.< SPACECRAFT-ID>.< YEAR-DAY>.< START-TIME>.< STOP-TIME>.< 
PROCESSING-BLOCK-ID>.< SOURCE>.< FILE-TYPE>


Where:

PROCESSING-CENTER = Processing-Center where the data were created.
Length: 3 char. 
Domain:

   "NPR" = NOAA/NESDIS Product – Suitland, Maryland, USA

PROJECT-ID = Identifies the project name.
Length:  4 char. 
Domain:
     “MIRS” =  Microwave Integrated Retrieval System (fixed)

VERSION = The product’s algorithm version number.
Length:  2 char.
Domain: 
     “V1” = MIRS Version 1.0

PRODUCT-TYPE = Identifies the type of product.
Length:  3 char. 
Domain:
     “SND” = 3-dimentional sounding-type products.
     “IMG” = 2-dimensional surface and precipitation type products. 

Note that the filename convention covers two types of products, and each type includes a suite of individual products. For example, the “SND” file 
will contain three sounding profiles: T(z), Q(z) and hydrometeor(Z), and the “IMG” file will contain 9 integrated precipitation and surface 
products: TPW, CLW, RR, SWE, Snow Cover, Sea Ice, LSE, LST and IWP. This approach allows one file to store duplicate geolocation and other 
auxiliary data for each individual product type. 

SENSOR-ID = Short name for the instrument used to derive the product.
Length:  4 to 5 char. 
Domain:
     “AAMH”= derived from combined AMSU-A and MHS data on POES/MetOp spacecraft.
     “SSMIS” = derived from SSMIS data on DMSP.
     “ATMS”= derived from ATMS data on NPP

SPACECRAFT-ID = Spacecraft-Unique-ID.
Length:  2 char.
Domain:
     “NN” = NOAA-18 (NOAA-N)
     “SA” = DMSP Air Force F16
     “SB” = DMSP Air Force F17
     “M2” = MetOp-2

YEAR-DAY = Year-Day. E.g. “D79104”, where “D” identifies this group as a Julian day delimiter, “79” identifies the year in which the 
spacecraft began recording the data set and “104” identifies the Julian day on which the spacecraft began recording the data set.
Length:  6 char. (5 characters for the date string, plus one for the “D” at the beginning).
Domain: 
     “D”+”YYJJJ” 

START-TIME = e.g. “S1355”, where “S” identifies this group as a start time delimiter. “1355” denotes 13 hours 55 minutes UTC (to the 
nearest minute) and represents the time at which spacecraft recording began.
Length:  5 char. (4 characters for the time string, plus one for the “S” at the beginning).
Domain:
     “S”+”HHMM” 

STOP-TIME = e.g. “E1456”, where “E” identifies this group as an end time delimiter. “1456” denotes 14 hours 56 minutes UTC (to the nearest 
minute) and denotes the time of spacecraft recording of the last usable data in the data set.
Length:  5 char. (4 characters for the time string, plus one for the “E” at the beginning).
Domain:
     “E”+”HHMM”

PROCESSING-BLOCK-ID = e.g. “B0016465”, where “B” identifies this group as a processing block ID delimiter. “0016465” is a seven digit 
number identifying the spacecraft revolution (orbit) in which recording of this data set began and the revolution in which the recording of 
the data set ended (the first five digits identifying the beginning revolution and the last two being the two least significant digits of the ending revolution). 
Length:  8 char. (7 characters for the orbit number, plus one for the “B” at the beginning). 
Domain:
     “B”+”XXXXXXX”

SOURCE = Identifies the data acquisition source.
Length:  2 char. 
Domain:
     “NS” = Fixed field designating No Station.


FILE-TYPE = File extension that indicates file type. 
Length:  variable.
Domain: 
     “hdf”, “he4”, “netcdf”, “bin”, etc.  Note that initial format will be HDF-EOS 4, yet BUFR and NetCDF formats should be available later during the FY09 
      time frame when the full suite of MIRS products is available.  This may occur earlier if there is a strong user request.

Filename example:
NPR.MIRS.V0.SND.AAMH.NN.D07077.S0855.E1030.B0940405.NS.he4

9.6.4.2 Dynamic Metadata to be Captured

This section identifies the subset of granule (dynamic) metadata attributes to be used by the Archive and the valid range of values that will be used for validation of these attributes. Listed below are the metadata items to be utilized by the Archive. The “Source” column indicates the location of a particular metadata element. The “Use” column indicates how the metadata item will be utilized within the Archive: “S” for searching; “D” for displaying in the search results; or “SD” for both searching and displaying.

9.6.4.3 MIRS Swath Data Fields and Attributes

Table 9.6.4.3-1and Table 9.6.4.3-2 list the attributes and Table 9.6.4.3-3 and Table 9.6.4.3-4 list the retrieved products in the HDF-EOS data files that will be archived in CLASS in the first phase

Flag Value             Explanation
-999                   Missing product
-888                   Products not available
bkv                    Background values used when not retrievals available

Flag Value             Explanation
-999                   Missing Product
-888                   Operational Products not available
bkv                    Background values when no retrievals available

9.6.4.4 Data Access

The MIRS data sets can be accessed via CLASS. The URLs to access the data are listed below:
http://www.class.noaa.gov
http://www.class.ncdc.noaa.gov
http://www.class.ngdc.noaa.gov

Amended October 1, 2007

 

http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/pod-guide/ncdc/docs/klm/html/c9/sec96-4.htm
Downloaded Monday, 16-Feb-2009 17:18:33 EST
Last Updated Thursday, 24-Apr-2008 08:39:37 EDT
Please see the NCDC Contact Page if you have questions or comments.