MRIR/Nimbus-2 Level 1 Meteorological Radiation Data V001 (MRIRN2L1) at GES DISC

The Nimbus 2 Medium Resolution Infrared Radiometer (MRIR) was designed to measure electromagnetic radiation emitted and reflected from the earth and its atmosphere at 5 wavelengths. The five wavelengths regions are as follows:

• 6.7 to 6.9 microns: This channel covers the 6.7 micron water vapor absorption band. Its purpose is to provide information on water vapor distribution in the upper troposphere and, in conjunction with the other channels to provide relative humidities at these altitudes

• 10 to 11 microns: This channel measures surface or near surface temperatures over clear portions of the atmosphere. It also provides cloud cover and cloud height information (day and night).

• 14 to 16 microns: This channel, centered about the strong absorption band of C02 at 15 microns, measures radiation which emanates primarily from the stratosphere.

• 5 to 30 microns: This channel measures the emitted long wavelength infrared energy and, in conjunction with the reflected solar radiation channel furnishes data on the heat budget of the planet.

• 0.2 to 4.0 microns: This channel covers more than 99% of the solar spectrum and yields information on the intensity of the reflected solar energy from the earth and its atmosphere.

The Nimbus 2 HRIR data are stored in a binary TAP format (proprietary Tape emulated format) .The MRIR instrument was launched on the Nimbus-2 satellite and was operational from May 15, 1966 through July 28, 1966.