BOREAS RSS-14 GOES-8 Level-1a Visible, Infrared and Water Vapor Images

7.3 Data Characteristics

7.3.1 Parameter/Variable

The parameters contained in the inventory listing file are:

         Column Name
------------------------------
SPATIAL_COVERAGE
DATE_OBS
START_TIME
END_TIME
PLATFORM
INSTRUMENT
NUM_BANDS
BAND_QUALITY
CLOUD_COVER
NUM_VIS_IMAGES
NUM_IR2_IMAGES
NUM_IR3_IMAGES
NUM_IR4_IMAGES
NUM_IR5_IMAGES
CRTFCN_CODE

7.3.2 Variable Description/Definition

The parameters in the inventory listing are:

         Column Name                             Description
------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------
SPATIAL_COVERAGE               The general term used to denote the spatial area 
                               over which the data were collected.
DATE_OBS                       The date on which the data were collected.
START_TIME                     The starting Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) for the
                               data collected.
END_TIME                       The ending Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) for the
                               data collected.
PLATFORM                       The object (e.g., satellite, aircraft, tower,
                               person) that supported the instrument.             
INSTRUMENT                     The name of the device used to make the
                               measurements.
NUM_BANDS                      The number of spectral bands in the data.
BAND_QUALITY                   The data analyst's assessment of the quality of  
                               the spectral bands in the data.
CLOUD_COVER                    The data analyst's assessment of the cloud cover 
                               that exists in the data.
NUM_VIS_IMAGES                 The number of visible GOES-8 images
                               that are contained in the image product.
NUM_IR2_IMAGES                 The  number of GOES-8 IR2 images that are 
                               contained in the data unit.
NUM_IR3_IMAGES                 The number of GOES-8 IR3 (water vapor) images 
                               that are contained in the data unit.
NUM_IR4_IMAGES                 The number of GOES-8 IR4 images that are 
                               contained in the data unit.
NUM_IR5_IMAGES                 The  number of GOES-8 IR5 images that are 
                               contained in the data unit.
CRTFCN_CODE                    The BOREAS certification level of the data.
                               Examples are CPI (Checked by PI), CGR (Certified 
                               by Group), PRE (Preliminary), and CPI-??? (CPI
                               but questionable).

7.3.3 Unit of Measurement

The measurement units for the parameters contained in the inventory listing file 
are:

         Column Name                                Units
------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------
SPATIAL_COVERAGE               [none]
DATE_OBS                       [DD-MON-YYYY]
START_TIME                     [HHMM GMT]
END_TIME                       [HHMM GMT]
PLATFORM                       [none]
INSTRUMENT                     [none]
NUM_BANDS                      [counts]
BAND_QUALITY                   [none]
CLOUD_COVER                    [none]
NUM_VIS_IMAGES                 [counts]
NUM_IR2_IMAGES                 [counts]
NUM_IR3_IMAGES                 [counts]
NUM_IR4_IMAGES                 [counts]
NUM_IR5_IMAGES                 [counts]
CRTFCN_CODE                    [none]

7.3.4 Data Source

The source of the parameter values contained in the inventory listing file are:

         Column Name                             Data Source
------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------
SPATIAL_COVERAGE               [Constant software parameter value]
DATE_OBS                       [Level-1 GOES-8 header record]
START_TIME                     [Constant software parameter value]
END_TIME                       [Constant software parameter value]
PLATFORM                       [Constant software parameter value]
INSTRUMENT                     [Constant software parameter value]
NUM_BANDS                      [Constant software parameter value]
BAND_QUALITY                   [Constant software parameter value]
CLOUD_COVER                    [Constant software parameter value]
NUM_VIS_IMAGES                 [Count from processing software]
NUM_IR2_IMAGES                 [Count from processing software]
NUM_IR3_IMAGES                 [Count from processing software]
NUM_IR4_IMAGES                 [Count from processing software]
NUM_IR5_IMAGES                 [Count from processing software]
CRTFCN_CODE                    [Constant data base value]

7.3.5 Data Range

The following table gives information about the parameter values found in the 
inventory table.

                     Minimum        Maximum        Missng  Unrel  Below   Data
                     Data           Data           Data    Data   Detect  Not
Column Name          Value          Value          Value   Value  Limit   Cllctd
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SPATIAL_COVERAGE     N/A            N/A            None    None   None    None
DATE_OBS             14-JUL-1995    03-OCT-1996    None    None   None    None
START_TIME           15             15             None    None   None    None
END_TIME             2345           2345           None    None   None    None
PLATFORM             GOES-8         GOES-8         None    None   None    None
INSTRUMENT           N/A            N/A            None    None   None    None
NUM_BANDS            3              5              None    None   None    None
BAND_QUALITY         N/A            N/A            None    None   None    None
CLOUD_COVER          N/A            N/A            None    None   None    None
NUM_VIS_IMAGES       1              48             None    None   None    None
NUM_IR2_IMAGES       2              48             None    None   None    Blank
NUM_IR3_IMAGES       1              48             None    None   None    None
NUM_IR4_IMAGES       1              48             None    None   None    None
NUM_IR5_IMAGES       1              48             None    None   None    Blank
CRTFCN_CODE          CPI            CPI            None    None   None    None
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Minimum Data Value -- The minimum value found in the column.
Maximum Data Value -- The maximum value found in the column.
Missng Data Value  -- The value that indicates missing data. This is used to
                      indicate that an attempt was made to determine the
                      parameter value, but the attempt was unsuccessful.
Unrel Data Value   -- The value that indicates unreliable data.  This is used
                      to indicate an attempt was made to determine the
                      parameter value, but the value was deemed to be
                      unreliable by the analysis personnel.
Below Detect Limit -- The value that indicates parameter values below the
                      instruments detection limits.  This is used to
                      indicate that an attempt was made to determine the
                      parameter value, but the analysis personnel determined
                      that the parameter value was below the detection
                      limit of the instrumentation.
Data Not Cllctd    -- This value indicates that no attempt was made to
                      determine the parameter value.  This usually
                      indicates that BORIS combined several similar but
                      not identical data sets into the same data base table
                      but this particular science team did not
                      measure that parameter.

Blank -- Indicates that blank spaces are used to denote that type of value.
N/A   -- Indicates that the value is not applicable to the respective column.
None  -- Indicates that no values of that sort were found in the column.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

7.4 Sample Data Record

SPATIAL_COVERAGE,DATE_OBS,START_TIME,END_TIME,PLATFORM,INSTRUMENT,NUM_BANDS,
BAND_QUALITY,CLOUD_COVER,NUM_VIS_IMAGES,NUM_IR2_IMAGES,NUM_IR3_IMAGES,
NUM_IR4_IMAGES,NUM_IR5_IMAGES,CRTFCN_CODE
'REGION',14-JUL-1995,15,2345,'GOES-8','GOES I-M Imager',3,'NOT ASSESSED',
'NOT ASSESSED',1,,1,1,,'CPI'
'REGION',15-JUL-1995,15,2345,'GOES-8','GOES I-M Imager',3,'NOT ASSESSED',
'NOT ASSESSED',48,,48,48,,'CPI'
