A-Train Data Depot

The A-Train Data Depot (ATDD) has been developed to process, archive, allow access to, visualize, analyze and correlate distributed atmospheric measurements from A-Train instruments. The ATDD portal provides easy on-line data access and services for science, applications, and educational use so that users get exactly the data they want, and not large files of data which would take much time and effort by individuals to be co-registered and refined.

On September 15, 2009, the A-Train formation happened to fly over the super-typhoon Choi-wan. Just one such event can yield enormous amounts of data of various science content and format from the diverse A-Train sensors. Plotting quickly retrievals like cloud profiles, cloud top temperatures, rain rates, water vapor content, etc., for head-to-head previews, is the strength of the Giovanni web tool. An example of the tool output is shown on the left. Apart from these 2-dimensional plots, Giovanni provides KMZ (GoogleEarth) format of the vertical atmospheric profiles (far left). Thus, it is now possible to combine horizontal and vertical data layers in one three-dimensional object, and preview data from different geometrical aspects. The far left plate shows a snapshot from a GoogleEarth KMZ file where CloudSat profiles are pictured together with MODIS/Aqua true-color image, and AMSR-E rain rate.

(Download the KMZ).

A-Train Data Depot:

Facilitates the visibility of participating A-Train missions.
Provides data previews through GIOVANNI.
Provides MODIS/Aqua subsets collocated with CloudSat and MLS.
Provides Google-Earth KMZ files of CALIPSO expedited browse (in collaboration with LaRC), and many other vertical profiles in Giovanni

Latest News

A-Train reconfiguration.

Dec 11, 2008

An important event of 2008 was the A-Train reconfiguration. Aura was left to drift forward and closer to CloudSat and CALIPSO, which was finalized in May 2008 and now has a profound impact on MLS collocation with these instruments.

2008 Fall AGU Meeting: Atmospheric aerosols presentations

Dec 10, 2008

Atmospheric aerosols (such as dust, soot, smoke, and sulfate) affect the Earth and remote sensing observations of the Earth, which is why the GES DISC has four posters concerning atmospheric aerosol data at the 2008 Fall AGU Meeting in San Francisco.

2008 Fall AGU Meeting: Atmospheric data and visualization presentations

Dec 07, 2008

Outstanding atmospheric data products and services at the GES DISC are featured in presentations about the Aura mission sensors, the A-Train Data Depot, and simulated atmospheric data fly-throughs in Google Earth, all at the Fall AGU meeting in San Francisco.

2008 Fall AGU Meeting: Climate, models, and oceans presentations

Dec 04, 2008

Thirty years of meteorological data; 6 years of AIRS data; a new system for 8 years of IR data from geostationary satellites; 11 years of ocean color data over the Chesapeake Bay--the GES DISC will describe its tools and data for studying climate at the Fall AGU Meeting in San Francisco.