Dataset Format Description
NESDIS SST Temporary Observation File
This file contains retrievals or observations in a format which can be readily sorted according to 100km field row and column or 5 degree and 1 degree square.
This file is a sequential data set with fixed-length data records. The data record length is 104 bytes. Since no HIRS data are included in the retrievals, bytes 65 through 104 in each data record are padded with zeroes.
Following normal convention, the first (most significant) bit in the byte sequence for each value is the sign bit (0-positive, 1-negative).
Below are the contents of each data record in this file.
BYTE(S) |
VALUE |
UNITS |
NOTE |
1-2 |
5 degree Square # |
Numeric |
Range is 1 to 2592. |
3-4 |
1 degree Square # |
Numeric |
Range is 1 to 25. |
5-6 |
Row # of nearest 100km field point (row -6 is 77S & incr. by 1 each degree northward) |
Numeric |
Range is -6 to 151 (77S to 80N). |
7-8 |
Column of nearest 100km field point (row 1 is 179W & incr. by 1 each degree eastward) |
Numeric |
Range is 1 to 360. |
9 |
Type of SST observation/retrieval |
Numeric |
See local BUFR code table 0-06-193. (Currently see values of 151, 152, 159.) |
10 |
SST observation source |
Numeric |
See local BUFR code table 0-06-194. (Currently see values of 6, 7, 8, 9.) |
11 |
2-digit year |
Numeric |
Range is 00 to 99. |
12 |
Month of year |
Numeric |
Range is 1 to 12. |
13-14 |
Latitude |
degrees*100 (N+, S-) |
Range is -9000 to 9000. |
15-16 |
Longitude |
degrees*100 (E+, W-) |
Range is -18000 to 17999. |
17 |
Day of month |
Numeric |
Range is 1 to 31. |
18 |
Hour (UTC) |
Numeric |
Range is 0 to 23. |
19 |
Minute |
Numeric |
Range is 0 to 59. |
20 |
Second |
Numeric |
Range is 0 to 59. |
21-22 |
SST |
deg C*10 |
Range is -20 to 350. A value of -3000 means the data is missing. |
23-24 |
Meaningless placeholder, ignore |
=100 |
|
25-26 |
Solar zenith angle |
degrees*10 |
Range is 0 to 1800. |
27-28 |
Satellite zenith angle |
degrees*100 |
Range is -600 to 600. A value of -3000 means the data is missing. |
29-30 |
Analyzed Field SST |
deg C*10 |
Range is -20 to 350. A value of -3000 means the data is missing. |
31-32 |
Meaningless placeholder, ignore |
=80 or 110 |
|
33-34 |
Solar azimuth angle |
degrees*10 |
Range is 0 to 1800. A value of -3000 means the data is missing. |
35-36 |
Climatological SST |
deg C*10 |
Range is -20 to 350. A value of -3000 means the data is missing. |
37 |
Beginning row of unit array |
Numeric |
Range is 1 to 11. |
38 |
Beginning column of unit array |
Numeric |
Range is 1 to 11. |
39-40 |
AVHRR Channel 1 albedo |
percent*100 |
Range is 0 to 10000. |
41-42 |
AVHRR Channel 2 albedo |
percent*100 |
Range is 0 to 10000. |
43-44 – daytime for morning satellites (e.g., METOP-2, NOAA-17) |
AVHRR Channel 3a albedo |
percent*100 |
Range is 0 to 10000. |
43-44 – daytime and nighttime for afternoon satellites (e.g., NOAA-19, NOAA-18); nighttime for morning satellites (e.g., METOP-2, NOAA-17) |
AVHRR Channel 3b brightness temperature |
K*100 |
Range is 0 to 32767. |
45-46 |
AVHRR Channel 4 brightness temperature |
K*100 |
Range is 0 to 32767. |
47-48 |
AVHRR Channel 5 brightness temperature |
K*100 |
Range is 0 to 32767. |
49-50 |
Space view SDEV Channel 1 (albedo) |
percent*100 |
Range is 0 to 10000. (Range
observed is 41 to 290) |
51-52 |
Space view SDEV Channel 2 (albedo) |
percent*100 |
Range is 0 to 10000. (Range observed is 10 to 91) |
53-54 – 50% of the time for morning satellites (e.g., METOP-2, NOAA-17) |
Space view SDEV Channel 3a (albedo) |
percent*100 |
Range is 0 to 10000. (Range
observed is 21 to 93) |
53-54
– 100% of the time for afternoon satellites (e.g., NOAA-19,
NOAA-18); 50% of the time for morning satellites (e.g., METOP-2,
NOAA-17) |
Space
view SDEV Channel 3b (brightness
temperature) (?) |
K*100 |
Range
is 0 to 32767. (Range observed is 0 to 315) |
55-56 |
Channel 4 black body temperature |
K*100 |
Range is 0 to 32767. |
57-58 |
Channel 5 black body temperature |
K*100 |
Range is 0 to 32767. |
59-60 |
4-digit year |
Numeric |
Range is 1998 to present. |
61-62 – when the value for byte 9 is 157 or 158 |
Aerosol optical thickness |
m |
Range is 0 to 2440. A value of -1 means that no current data exists for the given area. |
61-62 – when the value for byte 9 is something other than 157 or 158 |
Meaningless placeholder, ignore |
|
Appears to be some type of temperature (SST, black body, brightness?) with units K*100. A few large negative values are also observed (e.g., in the range of -3000 to -31000). |
63-64 |
Spare |
=0 |
|
65-104 |
Spares |
=0 |
|