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NOAA POES & MetOp Space Environment Monitor (SEM) Data

Metadata Updated: March 8, 2024

The Space Environment Monitor (SEM) instrument onboard the NOAA POES satellite series and MetOp satellite series measures the flux of energetic ions and electrons at the altitude of the satellite. This data is used to detect and monitor space weather activity that may disrupt radio communications and/or the proper operation of satellite systems. The NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC) processes the particle counts received from SEM instruments and uses the data to monitor solar activity and the state of the Earth's near space environment. Observations are acquired by the SEM Total Energy Detector (TED) and the SEM Medium Energy Proton and Electron Detector (MEPED). SEM/TED measures the energy flux of auroral particles for both positively charged ions (assumed here to be protons) and electrons, into the polar atmosphere. SEM/MEPED monitors the intensities of protons and electrons over a range extending from 30 keV to more than 200 MeV. Particles having those energies include the radiation belt (Van Allen belt) populations, the particles in energetic solar particle events (solar proton events), and the low energy portion of the galactic cosmic ray population. This data collection includes Level 0b raw counts (operation data stream) acquired by the SEM-1 and SEM-2 instruments and the following derived products generated from SEM-2 instrument observations: Level 1a count rates, Level 1b flux, and Level 2 count rates. The Level 0b raw counts are produced operationally by the NOAA National Environmental Satellite Data, and Information Service and distributed by NOAA’s National Center for Environmental Information (NCEI) as orbital files or daily Tar files in NetCDF and binary formats. The derived L1a, L1b, and Level 2 products are produced by NCEI and distributed by NCEI as daily files or monthly Tar files in the NetCDF format. The temporal period of record extends from Nov 1978 to the present for the operational data stream; from Jan 2012 to the present for the L1a and L1b products; and from July 1998 to Dec 2014 for the L2 product.

Access & Use Information

License: No license information was provided. If this work was prepared by an officer or employee of the United States government as part of that person's official duties it is considered a U.S. Government Work.

Downloads & Resources

Dates

Metadata Date March 6, 2024
Metadata Created Date March 8, 2024
Metadata Updated Date March 8, 2024
Reference Date(s) 1978-11 (publication)
Frequency Of Update continual

Metadata Source

Harvested from NGDC STP Space Weather

Graphic Preview

Flux map of the POES-SEM energetic particle data, combining 5 days and 3 satellites to obtain global coverage.

Additional Metadata

Resource Type Dataset
Metadata Date March 6, 2024
Metadata Created Date March 8, 2024
Metadata Updated Date March 8, 2024
Reference Date(s) 1978-11 (publication)
Responsible Party DOC/NOAA/NESDIS/NCEI > National Centers for Environmental Information, NESDIS, NOAA, U.S. Department of Commerce (Point of Contact)
Contact Email
Guid gov.noaa.ngdc.sem:poes_sem_g00188
Access Constraints Cite as: NOAA POES & MetOp Space Environment Monitor (SEM) Data. [indicate subset used]. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. [access date]., Distribution liability: NOAA and NCEI make no warranty, expressed or implied, regarding these data, nor does the fact of distribution constitute such a warranty. NOAA and NCEI cannot assume liability for any damages caused by any errors or omissions in these data. If appropriate, NCEI can only certify that the data it distributes are an authentic copy of the records that were accepted for inclusion in the NCEI archives., Use liability: NOAA and NCEI cannot provide any warranty as to the accuracy, reliability, or completeness of furnished data. Users assume responsibility to determine the usability of these data. The user is responsible for the results of any application of this data for other than its intended purpose.
Coupled Resource
Frequency Of Update continual
Graphic Preview Description Flux map of the POES-SEM energetic particle data, combining 5 days and 3 satellites to obtain global coverage.
Graphic Preview File https://www1.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/data/metadata/images/g00188_poes-sem.jpg
Graphic Preview Type PNG
Harvest Object Id dbdb4c76-052b-4b53-abbe-9e48de0980fd
Harvest Source Id 720e273e-9143-4e92-8a4c-fe2bf3aacd0b
Harvest Source Title NGDC STP Space Weather
Licence
Lineage The data were produced by the NOAA National Environmental Satellite Data, and Information Service (NESDIS), the European operational satellite agency (EUMETSAT), the NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC), and NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI).
Metadata Language eng; USA
Metadata Type geospatial
Progress
Spatial Data Service Type
Spatial Reference System Non geographic dataset
Spatial Harvester True
Temporal Extent Begin 1978-11-01

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