ATOVS Soundings Products, Day 1

ATOVS Ended Product Distribution As of Feb 15, 2023, the ATOVS application stopped sending file to the NOAA Product Distribution and Access (PDA) and to NOAA Comprehensive Large Array-data Stewardship System (CLASS).

ATOVS Products Termination
All the Advanced TIROS Operational Vertical Sounder (ATOVS) systems and data products are scheduled to be terminated at the end of January 2023. Please let us know if you have any questions or concerns regarding this ATOVS termination.

Currently, no good retrievals are being made from the ATOVS using the MetOp-A (MetOp-2) data due to the degradation of AMSU-A instrument data quality. However, the AMSU-A channel radiances (Brightness Temperatures) included in the ATOVS data file are not affected. The quality of the ATOVS Sounding products has decreased below specification. It is recommended that users should use the available sounding products with caution. We are investigating the problem and a decision will be made whether to terminate the affected ATOVS sounding products based on an upcoming assessment.

The Advanced TIROS Operational Vertical Sounder (ATOVS) consists of High Resolution Infrared Radiation Sounder (HIRS), the Advanced Microwave Sounding Unit-A (AMSU-A) and AMSU-B for retrieving temperature, humidity and ozone sounding in all weather conditions. The Microwave Humidity Sounder (MHS), developed by EUMETSAT, replaced AMSU-B on NOAA-19 and the European MetOp satellites MetOp-1 and MetOp-2. Currently the ATOVS is generating products from the NOAA-19, MetOp-1, and MetOp-2. This instrument package provides information on temperature and humidity profiles, total ozone, clouds and radiation on a global scale to the operational user community.

Retrieval Orbital Data File (RODF)

	NOAA-19		MetOp-2		MetOp-1
Retrieval Temperatures	0 - 12 Z	12 - 24 Z	0 - 12 Z	12 - 24 Z	0 - 12 Z	12 - 24 Z
Retrieval Water Vapor Mixing Ratio	0 - 12 Z	12 - 24 Z	0 - 12 Z	12 - 24 Z	0 - 12 Z	12 - 24 Z
Layer Precipitable Water	0 - 12 Z	12 - 24 Z	0 - 12 Z	12 - 24 Z	0 - 12 Z	12 - 24 Z
Layer Mean Virtual Temperature	0 - 12 Z	12 - 24 Z	0 - 12 Z	12 - 24 Z	0 - 12 Z	12 - 24 Z
Layer Thickness	0 - 12 Z	12 - 24 Z	0 - 12 Z	12 - 24 Z	0 - 12 Z	12 - 24 Z
Retrieved Parameters	0 - 12 Z	12 - 24 Z	0 - 12 Z	12 - 24 Z	0 - 12 Z	12 - 24 Z
Cloud Parameters	0 - 12 Z	12 - 24 Z	0 - 12 Z	12 - 24 Z	0 - 12 Z	12 - 24 Z
Geopotential heights	0 - 12 Z	12 - 24 Z	0 - 12 Z	12 - 24 Z	0 - 12 Z	12 - 24 Z

AMSU Orbital Data File (AODF)

	NOAA-19		MetOp-2		MetOp-1
Brightness Temperatures	0 - 12 Z	12 - 24 Z	0 - 12 Z	12 - 24 Z	0 - 12 Z	12 - 24 Z
Retrieval Parameters	0 - 12 Z	12 - 24 Z	0 - 12 Z	12 - 24 Z	0 - 12 Z	12 - 24 Z

HIRS Orbital Data File (HODF)

	NOAA-19		MetOp-2		MetOp-1
Brightness Temperatures	0 - 12 Z	12 - 24 Z	0 - 12 Z	12 - 24 Z	0 - 12 Z	12 - 24 Z

NOTE: Stars indicate where product no longer exists due to the HIRS failure on NOAA-18.

There are two time periods available for each group of data:
– Time period 1 covers from 00z to 12z of the current day.
– Time period 2 covers from 12z to 24z of the current day.

The data are separated into the following groups:

RODF

Retrieval Temperature: 40 levels of retrieved temperatures from 0.1 mb down to 1000 mb.
Water Vapor Mixing Ratio: 17 levels of retrieved water vapor mixing ratios from 200 mb down to 1000 mb.
Layer Precipitable Water: 15 layers of precipitable warer measured from 7-10 mb to 850-1000 mb.
Layer Mean Virtual Temperature: 15 layers of mean virtual temperature measured from 7-10 mb to 850-1000 mb.
Layer Thickness: 20 layers of thickness measured from 7-10 mb to 1012-1013 mb.
Retrieval Parameters: 10 different retrieval parameters measured under RODF.
Cloud Parameters: 5 different cloud parameters measured under RODF.
Geopotential Height: 38 levels of geopotential heights from 0.1 mb down to 920 mb.

AODF

LIMB-COR AMSU Brightness Temperature: 15 Channels of brightness temperatures.
Retrieval Parameters: 8 different retrieval parameters measured under AODF.

HODF

LIMB Adjusted HIRS Brightness Temperature: 19 channels of brightness temperatures.

ATOVS Soundings Links

GOES Soundings

POES Soundings