Sounder SIPS: Suomi NPP CrIMSS Level 3 Comprehensive Quality Control Gridded Monthly CLIMCAPS Full Spectral Resolution V2 at GES DISC

The CrIS/ATMS instruments used for this product are on board the Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership (SNPP) platform and use the Full Spectral Resolution (FSR) data. The CrIS instrument is a Fourier transform spectrometer with a total of 2211 FSR infrared sounding channels covering the longwave (645-1095 cm-1), midwave (1210-1750 cm-1), and shortwave (2000-2550 cm-1) spectral regions. The ATMS instrument is a cross-track scanner with 22 channels in spectral bands from 23 GHz through 183 GHz.

The CLIMCAPS algorithm uses an Optimal Estimation methodology and uses an a-priori first guess to start the process. A CLIMCAPS sounding is comprised of a set of parameters that characterizes the full atmospheric state and includes a variety of geophysical parameters derived from the CrIMSS data. These include surface temperature and infrared emissivity; full atmosphere profiles of temperature, water vapor and ozone; infrared effective cloud top characteristics; carbon monoxide, methane, carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, nitrous oxide, and nitric acid.

This monthly one degree latitude by one degree longitude level-3 product starts with level-2 retrieval products with QC values of 0 (best), 1 (good), and 2 (don't use) which are provided for each variable. Comprehensive QC accepts a retrieval if the profile is good to the surface and ensures consistent analysis across all levels and variables.