Overview
NSIDC archives and distributes a suite of NOAA/NASA Polar Pathfinder data products from four primary satellite instruments, including the Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR), the Scanning Multichannel Microwave Radiometer (SMMR), the Special Sensor Microwave/Imager (SSM/I), and the TIROS Operational Vertical Sounder (TOVS). In all, NSIDC offers six sensor-specific data products and two combined data products as part of the Polar Pathfinder program.
The particular advantage of Polar Pathfinder data is that they share
a common equal-area projection, file naming convention, and validation
convention. This is especially helpful when comparing parameters measured
by different instruments. Additionally, Polar Pathfinder data are designed
to provide scientists with a time series of global-scale remote sensing
data for the period prior to the Earth Observing System (EOS) satellite
launches. These combined features provide for a consistent and convenient
suite of data products for scientists conducting cryospheric research.
For more information regarding specific NOAA/NASA Polar Pathfinder
data sets at NSIDC, visit the Data
Summaries Web page.
The following list provides a brief description of the contents of each Web page within the NOAA/NASA Polar Pathfinder Data Web site:
- Grid Relationships - Describes map coordinate transformations and relationships of the various resolution grids.
- Data Summaries - Lists individual Polar Pathfinder data sets and provides links to both data and documentation.
