Skip to main content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Sounder SIPS: AQUA AIRS IR-only Level 2 CLIMCAPS: retrieved atmospheric state V2.1 (SNDRAQIL2CPS) at GES DISC

Published by NASA/GSFC/SED/ESD/TISL/GESDISC | National Aeronautics and Space Administration | Catalog Last Checked: May 18, 2026 at 02:52 PM | Dataset Last Updated: May 11, 2026
The CLIMCAPS (Community Long-term Infrared Microwave Coupled Product System) algorithm is used to analyze data from the AIRS (Atmospheric Infrared Sounder). The AIRS instrument is a grating spectrometer (R = 1200) aboard the second Earth Observing System (EOS) polar-orbiting platform, EOS Aqua. The AIRS CLIMCAPS Retrieval Product consists of retrieved estimates of cloud and surface properties, plus profiles of retrieved temperature, water vapor, ozone, carbon monoxide and methane. The temperature profile vertical resolution is 100 levels total between 1100 mb and 0.1 mb, while moisture profile is reported at atmospheric layers between 1100 mb and 300 mb. The horizontal resolution is 50 km. 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. An AIRS level 2 granule has been set as 6 minutes of data, 30 footprints cross track by 45 lines along track. There are 240 granules per day, with an orbit repeat cycle of approximately 16 day.

Resources

12 resources available

Find Related Datasets

Search by Tags

Click any tag below to search for similar datasets

earth-science-air-quality-atmosphere-tropospheric-ozone earth-science-altitude-atmosphere-tropopause earth-science-atmospheric-chemistry-atmosphere earth-science-atmospheric-chemistry-atmosphere-carbon-and-hydrocarbon-compounds earth-science-atmospheric-chemistry-atmosphere-carbon-and-hydrocarbon-compounds-methane earth-science-atmospheric-radiation-atmosphere-outgoing-longwave-radiation earth-science-atmospheric-temperature-atmosphere earth-science-atmospheric-temperature-atmosphere-surface-temperature

Complete Metadata
@type dcat:Dataset
accessLevel public
bureauCode 
                                            [
  "026:00"
]
contactPoint 
                                            {
  "fn": "Earthdata Forum",
  "@type": "vcard:Contact",
  "hasEmail": "mailto:earthdata-support@nasa.gov"
}
description The CLIMCAPS (Community Long-term Infrared Microwave Coupled Product System) algorithm is used to analyze data from the AIRS (Atmospheric Infrared Sounder). The AIRS instrument is a grating spectrometer (R = 1200) aboard the second Earth Observing System (EOS) polar-orbiting platform, EOS Aqua. The AIRS CLIMCAPS Retrieval Product consists of retrieved estimates of cloud and surface properties, plus profiles of retrieved temperature, water vapor, ozone, carbon monoxide and methane. The temperature profile vertical resolution is 100 levels total between 1100 mb and 0.1 mb, while moisture profile is reported at atmospheric layers between 1100 mb and 300 mb. The horizontal resolution is 50 km. 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. An AIRS level 2 granule has been set as 6 minutes of data, 30 footprints cross track by 45 lines along track. There are 240 granules per day, with an orbit repeat cycle of approximately 16 day.
distribution 
                                            [
  {
    "@type": "dcat:Distribution",
    "title": "Original Metadata",
    "format": "ISO",
    "mediaType": "text/xml",
    "conformsTo": "http://www.isotc211.org/2005/gmi",
    "description": "The metadata's original source.",
    "downloadURL": "https://cmr.earthdata.nasa.gov/search/concepts/C2790952275-GES_DISC.iso19115"
  },
  {
    "@type": "dcat:Distribution",
    "format": "BIN",
    "mediaType": "application/octet-stream",
    "downloadURL": "https://airs.jpl.nasa.gov/data/guides-docs/climcaps-science/"
  },
  {
    "@type": "dcat:Distribution",
    "format": "HTML",
    "mediaType": "text/html",
    "downloadURL": "https://disc.gsfc.nasa.gov/datacollection/SNDRAQIL2CPS_2.1.html"
  },
  {
    "@type": "dcat:Distribution",
    "format": "PNG",
    "mediaType": "image/png",
    "downloadURL": "https://docserver.gesdisc.eosdis.nasa.gov/public/project/Images/SNDRAQIL2CPS_2.1.png"
  },
  {
    "@type": "dcat:Distribution",
    "format": "PDF",
    "mediaType": "application/pdf",
    "downloadURL": "https://docserver.gesdisc.eosdis.nasa.gov/public/project/Sounder/CLIMCAPS.V1.ATBD.pdf"
  },
  {
    "@type": "dcat:Distribution",
    "format": "PDF",
    "mediaType": "application/pdf",
    "downloadURL": "https://docserver.gesdisc.eosdis.nasa.gov/public/project/Sounder/CLIMCAPS.V2.1.README.pdf"
  },
  {
    "@type": "dcat:Distribution",
    "format": "PDF",
    "mediaType": "application/pdf",
    "downloadURL": "https://docserver.gesdisc.eosdis.nasa.gov/public/project/Sounder/CLIMCAPS.V2.Test.Report.pdf"
  },
  {
    "@type": "dcat:Distribution",
    "format": "PDF",
    "mediaType": "application/pdf",
    "downloadURL": "https://docserver.gesdisc.eosdis.nasa.gov/public/project/Sounder/CLIMCAPS_V2_L2_science_guides.pdf"
  },
  {
    "@type": "dcat:Distribution",
    "format": "PDF",
    "mediaType": "application/pdf",
    "downloadURL": "https://docserver.gesdisc.eosdis.nasa.gov/public/project/Sounder/L2_CLIMCAPS_V2.to.V2.1_Mapping.pdf"
  },
  {
    "@type": "dcat:Distribution",
    "format": "BIN",
    "mediaType": "application/octet-stream",
    "downloadURL": "https://search.earthdata.nasa.gov/search?q=SNDRAQIL2CPS%2B2.1"
  },
  {
    "@type": "dcat:Distribution",
    "format": "BIN",
    "mediaType": "application/octet-stream",
    "downloadURL": "https://sounder.gesdisc.eosdis.nasa.gov/data/Aqua_Sounder_Level2/SNDRAQIL2CPS.2.1/"
  },
  {
    "@type": "dcat:Distribution",
    "format": "BIN",
    "mediaType": "application/octet-stream",
    "downloadURL": "https://sounder.gesdisc.eosdis.nasa.gov/opendap/Aqua_Sounder_Level2/SNDRAQIL2CPS.2.1/"
  }
]
identifier 10.5067/WZVJ68EXNLK7
keyword 
                                            [
  "earth-science-air-quality-atmosphere-tropospheric-ozone",
  "earth-science-altitude-atmosphere-tropopause",
  "earth-science-atmospheric-chemistry-atmosphere",
  "earth-science-atmospheric-chemistry-atmosphere-carbon-and-hydrocarbon-compounds",
  "earth-science-atmospheric-chemistry-atmosphere-carbon-and-hydrocarbon-compounds-methane",
  "earth-science-atmospheric-radiation-atmosphere-outgoing-longwave-radiation",
  "earth-science-atmospheric-temperature-atmosphere",
  "earth-science-atmospheric-temperature-atmosphere-surface-temperature",
  "earth-science-atmospheric-temperature-atmosphere-surface-temperature-air-temperature",
  "earth-science-atmospheric-temperature-atmosphere-surface-temperature-skin-temperature",
  "earth-science-atmospheric-temperature-atmosphere-upper-air-temperature",
  "earth-science-atmospheric-temperature-atmosphere-upper-air-temperature-vertical-profiles",
  "earth-science-atmospheric-water-vapor-atmosphere",
  "earth-science-atmospheric-water-vapor-atmosphere-water-vapor-indicators-layered-precipitable-wa",
  "earth-science-atmospheric-water-vapor-atmosphere-water-vapor-indicators-total-precipitable-wate",
  "earth-science-clouds-atmosphere-cloud-properties",
  "earth-science-clouds-atmosphere-cloud-properties-cloud-fraction",
  "earth-science-clouds-atmosphere-cloud-properties-cloud-top-temperature",
  "earth-science-ocean-temperature-oceans",
  "earth-science-ocean-temperature-oceans-sea-surface-temperature-sea-surface-skin-temperature",
  "earth-science-precipitation-atmosphere",
  "earth-science-surface-thermal-properties-land-surface-skin-temperature"
]
license https://www.usa.gov/government-works
modified 2026-05-11
programCode 
                                            [
  "026:000"
]
publisher 
                                            {
  "name": "NASA/GSFC/SED/ESD/TISL/GESDISC",
  "@type": "org:Organization"
}
spatial 
                                            "["GEODETIC",[{"WestBoundingCoordinate":-180,"NorthBoundingCoordinate":90,"EastBoundingCoordinate":180,"SouthBoundingCoordinate":-90}]]"
temporal 2002-08-31/2026-05-04
theme 
                                            [
  "Earth Science"
]
title Sounder SIPS: AQUA AIRS IR-only Level 2 CLIMCAPS: retrieved atmospheric state V2.1 (SNDRAQIL2CPS) at GES DISC

data.gov

An official website of the GSA's Technology Transformation Services

Looking for U.S. government information and services?
Visit USA.gov