RTTOV v14 Coefficient File Downloads
Contents
- 1 RTTOV v14 Coefficient File Downloads
- 2 RTTOV v13 compatibility
- 3 Hyperspectral UV/VIS/IR coefficients and optical properties
- 4 PC-RTTOV coefficients
- 5 Multispectral UV/VIS/IR coefficients and optical properties
- 6 MFASIS-NN files for visible/near-IR cloud simulations
- 7 MW optical depth coefs and hydrometeor optical properties
- 8 Reference profiles and regression limits
Important notes:
- The optical depth (rtcoef) coefficient files available on this web page are recommended for use with RTTOV v14. All other v13-compatible rtcoef files are deprecated and will no longer be supported or generated after RTTOV v15 is released (no earlier than Q1 2027).
- The NWP SAF only endorses and supports the use of coefficients that are generated by the NWP SAF team. We do not guarantee the quality of any coefficient files obtained from any source other than this website or directly from the NWP SAF team.
- Please submit requests for new coefficients to the help desk. New coefficients are provided on a best efforts basis given resource availability. Requests for sensors with immediate application in NWP are given highest priority, followed by those with a broad user interest for research purposes. Lowest priority is given to those which are very specific or experimental, and to any requests which require that we do not share the resulting coefficients on the website.
- The following sensor coefficient files were generated with Copernicus funding:
– NOAA 5-14 MSU, DMSP 8-15 SSM/I, Nimbus 7 SMMR, DMSP 11-15 SSM/T-2, DMSP 16-19 SSMI/S, Nimbus 5-6 ESMR, Nimbus-5 NEMS, Nimbus-6 SCAMS, DMSP 7-15 SSM/T
– Meteor 25 SI, Nimbus-4 IRIS, DMSP 1-4 SSH
The rttov_coef_download.sh script supplied in the RTTOV package in the rtcoef_rttov14/ directory can be used for downloading coefficient files in bulk or you can download individual files from the links below. You only need to download coefficients for the simulations you wish to carry out.
Update history for this page.
Additional information about coefficient files.
Spectral response functions and passbands used when generating the latest optical depth coefficient files.
Plots/tables comparing RTTOV with line-by-line (LBL) data for each optical depth coefficient file.
RTTOV v13 compatibility
Optical depth (rtcoef) files:
- RTTOV v14 can be used with all ASCII RTTOV v13-compatible optical depth (rtcoef) coefficient files.
- The binary file format has changed so binary files must be regenerated for v14.
- RTTOV v14 no longer supports HDF5 coefficients, so netCDF files must be downloaded via the links below instead.
- Important note: the coefficient files available on this web page are recommended for use with RTTOV v14. All other v13-compatible files are deprecated and will no longer be supported or generated after RTTOV v15 is released (no earlier than Q1 2027).
- All RTTOV v13 coefficients are available on the RTTOV v13 coefficients download page.
Hydrometeor/aerosol optical property files: RTTOV v14 files are available below. These cannot be used with RTTOV v13, and the RTTOV v13 optical property files cannot be used in v14.
MFASIS-NN coefficient files: new v14 files have been trained using RTTOV v14 and are available below. These cannot be used with RTTOV v13, and RTTOV v13 MFASIS-NN coefficient files cannot be used in v14.
PC-RTTOV coefficient files: new files have been trained for RTTOV v14 and are available below. These cannot be used with RTTOV v13, and RTTOV v13 PC coefficient files cannot be used in v14.
Hyperspectral UV/VIS/IR coefficients and optical properties
Optical depth coefs and cloud/aerosol optical properties
General information on hi-res IR sounder optical depth coefficient files:
- Based on LBLRTM v12.8 line-by-line model
- Based on v13 or v9 predictors
- Based on 101 levels
- Coefficients with variable O3+CO2 (v13pred) available for all sensors (UV-only sensors may be O3-only)
- Coefficients with all variable trace gases (v13pred/v9pred) available for selected sensors (others on request)
- Solar-enabled for channels below 5 microns
- Coefficients for GEO sensors support the full range of zenith angles covered by RTTOV (up to ~85 degrees)
- No Planck-weighted channels
Downloads
- All files are linked in the table below.
- v13 predictors are recommended, but some users have found that v9 predictor coefficients give better results so these remain available.
- Due to the large size of the hi-res sounder files netCDF is the preferred format for them. Please contact the NWP SAF Helpdesk to request an ASCII version of a file if required. See here for notes on converting between coefficient file formats (ASCII, binary, netCDF) and extracting subsets of channels from coefficient files.
- The same hydrotable/aertable optical property files are used with all optical depth coefficient files for a given sensor.
- The fast-only hydrotable/aertable files are recommended if you only want to use Chou-scaling or delta-Eddington for IR scattering simulations (no DOM, no solar) as the files are much smaller than the full ones.
- Download to folders as follows:
- v13 predictor 101L rtcoef files – download to rtcoef_rttov14/rttov13pred101L/
- v9 predictor 101L rtcoef files – download to rtcoef_rttov14/rttov9pred101L/
- All hydrometeor rttov_hydrotable files – download to rtcoef_rttov14/hydrotable_visir/
- All aerosol rttov_aertable files – download to rtcoef_rttov14/aertable_visir/
Metop-B/C IASI coefficients, NOAA-20/21 CrIS coefficients: the same coefficient files for a given hyperspectral sensor (including optical depth coefficients, cloud/aerosol properties, and PC coefficient files) can be used for that sensor on all satellite platforms. Therefore the IASI coefficient files for Metop-A can be used for Metop-B/C, and the CrIS NSR and FSR files for S-NPP (JPSS-0) can be used for NOAA-20/21.
*Nimbus-4 IRIS “shifted” coefficients: nominal central wavenumbers are divided by 0.9995. This factor is mentioned in the literature (see the first paragraph under Methods on the last page).
Nimbus-4 IRIS “C3S” coefficients were generated for the Copernicus Climate Change Service: more information is given in the headers which can be displayed using the rttov_coef_info.exe tool which is compiled to the bin/ directory as part of the RTTOV build.
**MTG-IRS coefficients: these have been generated using the latest channel specification (as of summer 2024) which has different spectral resolutions in the long and short wave bands (hence “2mopd” in the filename to distinguish them from earlier files). The “HAOTOLA” files use Hamming-Apodisation-On-Top-Of-Light-Apodisation and are recommended for use with RTTOV. The “atbd” files are generated using the “light apodisation” function described in the ATBD, 16 March 2018, integral of a Gaussian centred on “gate”, reference: MTG-IRS level 1 ATBD, EUM/RSP/TEN/16/878765, V1E draft 7 June 2017. Due to this light apodisation, the errors in the RTTOV optical depth prediction scheme are larger than for other sensors, particularly in the short-wave band. For example see the this page for the LBL vs RTTOV statistics for the RTTOV v13 predictor 101L variable O3+CO2 coefficients (more information about these plots is available on the LBL/RTTOV comparison page, with links to plots for all available MTG-IRS coefficients).
***GIIRS coefficients: these are Hamming apodised (a=0.23, 0.8cm MPD) with a spectral resolution of 0.625 cm-1. They cover the range of channels supported by each instrument, but in practice the distributed data may contain fewer channels (especially for FY-4A) and after apodisation you may optionally choose to remove one or two channels at either end of each band. In that case, you may wish to extract a subset of channels using the rttov_conv_coef.exe executable (see Annex A in the user guide) so that the coefficient file includes only the channels you require. The FY-4A/B files contain the following channels (note that FY-4A contains a subset of the channels in the FY-4B file):
– FY-4A GIIRS, 1682 channels:
721 channels in LW band 680-1130cm-1
961 channels in MW band 1650-2250cm-1
– FY-4B GIIRS 1690 channels:
725 channels in LW band 678.75-1131.25 cm-1
965 channels in MW band 1648.75-2251.25 cm-1
PC-RTTOV coefficients
PC-RTTOV coefficients are available for a subset of hyperspectral IR sounders. It is important to use the same optical depth (rtcoef) coefficient file in the simulation as was used for training the PC coefficients. These are currently the 7gas v13 predictor coefficients on 101L linked in the hyperspectral IR sounder table above. For convenience they are linked again in the table below. RTTOV will not let you use incompatible rtcoef/pccoef files together.
NB Currently all PC coefficient files for RTTOV v14 are being regenerated based on the latest optical depth coefficient files.
These PC coefficients allow all optional RTTOV variable gases (except SO2), NLTE simulations, aerosol simulations using the OPAC optical properties, and hydrometeor (cloud) simulations. See the user guide for more information on this and on how to run PC-RTTOV simulations. See below for information on the PC regression limits for trace gases, aerosols, and clouds.
Downloads
- All files are linked in the table below.
- Due to the large size of the hi-res sounder files netCDF is the preferred format for them. Please contact the NWP SAF Helpdesk to request an ASCII version of a file if required. See here for notes on converting between coefficient file formats and extracting subsets of channels from coefficient files.
- Download to folders as follows:
- PC-RTTOV-compatible v13 predictor 101L rtcoef files – download to rtcoef_rttov14/rttov13pred101L/
- PC-RTTOV pccoef files – download to rtcoef_rttov14/pc/
- OPAC aerosol optical property rttov_aertable files – download to rtcoef_rttov14/aertable_visir/
- Hydrometeor optical property rttov_hydrotable files – download to rtcoef_rttov14/hydrotable_visir/
| Sensor | Trace gases for PC | NLTE for PC? | Aerosols for PC? | Hydrometeors for PC? | Surface types for PC | Optical depth coef filename | Date of rtcoef file creation | PC coef filename | Date of pccoef file creation | Associated OPAC aertable filename | Associated hydrotable filename |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IASI | O3, CO2, N2O CO, CH4 | Y | Y | Y | land, sea | rtcoef_metop_2_iasi_7gas.nc | 29/11/2024 | In preparation | - | rttov_aertable_metop_2_iasi_opac_fast-only.nc | rttov_hydrotable_metop_2_iasi_fast-only.nc |
| IASI-NG | O3, CO2, N2O CO, CH4 | Y | Y | Y | land, sea | rtcoef_metopsg_1_iasing_7gas.nc | 7/10/2024 | In preparation | - | rttov_aertable_metopsg_1_iasing_opac_fast-only.nc | rttov_hydrotable_metopsg_1_iasing_fast-only.nc |
| MTG-IRS HAOTOLA | O3, CO2, N2O CO, CH4 | Y | Y | Y | land, sea | rtcoef_mtg_2_irs-haotola-2mopd_7gas.nc | 14/11/2024 | In preparation | - | rttov_aertable_mtg_2_irs_opac_fast-only.nc | rttov_hydrotable_mtg_2_irs_fast-only.nc |
The Metop-2 (Metop-A) IASI files above can also be used for Metop-B and -C.
Multispectral UV/VIS/IR coefficients and optical properties
General information on visible/IR optical depth coefficient files:
- Based on LBLRTM v12.8 line-by-line model
- Based on v13 predictors
- Based on 54 levels
- Coefficients with variable O3+CO2 for all sensors
- Coefficients with all supported variable gases (“7gas”) for selected sensors (others on request)
- Solar-enabled for channels below 5 microns: all files support all channels for which we have spectral response data
- Coefficients for GEO sensors support the full range of zenith angles covered by RTTOV (up to ~85 degrees)
- Not NLTE compatible
- Not PC compatible
NB Currently NOAA SSU and Nimbus-6 PMR coefficients are not available based on v13 predictors: the RTTOV v12 files based on v8 predictors can be used with RTTOV v14.
Downloads
- 54L v13 predictor variable O3+CO2 files for all supported visible/IR sensors – extract to rtcoef_rttov14/rttov13pred54L/
- 54L v13 predictor 7gas files for selected visible/IR sensors – extract to rtcoef_rttov14/rttov13pred54L/
- Hydrometeor scattering property files for all sensors – extract to rtcoef_rttov14/hydrotable_visir/
- OPAC aerosol scattering property files for all sensors – extract to rtcoef_rttov14/aertable_visir/
- CAMS aerosol scattering property files for all sensors – extract to rtcoef_rttov14/aertable_visir/
- ICON aerosol scattering property files for all sensors – extract to rtcoef_rttov14/aertable_visir/
| Sensor | Trace gases | Filename | Date of file creation | Associated hydrotable filename | Associated OPAC aertable filename | Associated CAMS aertable filename | Associated ICON aertable filename |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (A)ATSR* | O3, CO2 | rtcoef_ers_x_atsr_o3co2.dat rtcoef_envisat_1_atsr_o3co2.dat | 16/10/2020 | rttov_hydrotable_ers_x_atsr.dat rttov_hydrotable_envisat_1_atsr.dat | rttov_aertable_ers_x_atsr_opac.dat rttov_aertable_envisat_1_atsr_opac.dat | rttov_aertable_ers_x_atsr_cams.dat rttov_aertable_envisat_1_atsr_cams.dat | rttov_aertable_ers_x_atsr_icon.dat rttov_aertable_envisat_1_atsr_icon.dat |
| AATSR-shifted Info on AATSR 12 um anomaly | O3, CO2 | rtcoef_envisat_1_atsr-shifted_o3co2.dat | 16/10/2020 | rttov_hydrotable_envisat_1_atsr-shifted.dat | rttov_aertable_envisat_1_atsr-shifted_opac.dat | rttov_aertable_envisat_1_atsr-shifted_cams.dat | rttov_aertable_envisat_1_atsr-shifted_icon.dat |
| ABI | O3, CO2 | rtcoef_goes_xx_abi_o3co2.dat | 16/10/2020 | rttov_hydrotable_goes_xx_abi.dat | rttov_aertable_goes_xx_abi_opac.dat | rttov_aertable_goes_xx_abi_cams.dat | rttov_aertable_goes_xx_abi_icon.dat |
| ABI | O3, CO2, N2O, CO, CH4, SO2 | rtcoef_goes_xx_abi_7gas.dat | 24/09/2020 25/09/2020 | As above | As above | As above | As above |
| AGRI | O3, CO2 | rtcoef_fy4_x_agri_o3co2.dat | 16/10/2020 01/09/2022 | rttov_hydrotable_fy4_x_agri.dat | rttov_aertable_fy4_x_agri_opac.dat | rttov_aertable_fy4_x_agri_cams.dat | rttov_aertable_fy4_x_agri_icon.dat |
| AGRI | O3, CO2, N2O, CO, CH4, SO2 | rtcoef_fy4_x_agri_7gas.dat | 27/09/2024 01/09/2022 | As above | As above | As above | As above |
| AHI | O3, CO2 | rtcoef_himawari_x_ahi_o3co2.dat | 16/10/2020 | rttov_hydrotable_himawari_x_ahi.dat | rttov_aertable_himawari_x_ahi_opac.dat | rttov_aertable_himawari_x_ahi_cams.dat | rttov_aertable_himawari_x_ahi_icon.dat |
| AHI | O3, CO2, N2O, CO, CH4, SO2 | rtcoef_himawari_x_ahi_7gas.dat | 24/09/2020 | As above | As above | As above | As above |
| AMI | O3, CO2 | rtcoef_gkompsat2_1_ami_o3co2.dat | 03/05/2021 | rttov_hydrotable_gkompsat2_1_ami.dat | rttov_aertable_gkompsat2_1_ami_opac.dat | rttov_aertable_gkompsat2_1_ami_cams.dat | rttov_aertable_gkompsat2_1_ami_icon.dat |
| AMI | O3, CO2, N2O, CO, CH4, SO2 | rtcoef_gkompsat2_1_ami_7gas.dat | 03/05/2021 | As above | As above | As above | As above |
| ASTER | O3, CO2 | rtcoef_eos_1_aster_o3co2.dat | 16/10/2020 | rttov_hydrotable_eos_1_aster.dat | rttov_aertable_eos_1_aster_opac.dat | rttov_aertable_eos_1_aster_cams.dat | rttov_aertable_eos_1_aster_icon.dat |
| AVHRR | O3, CO2 | rtcoef_noaa_xx_avhrr_o3co2.dat rtcoef_metop_x_avhrr_o3co2.dat | 16/10/2020 | rttov_hydrotable_noaa_xx_avhrr.dat rttov_hydrotable_metop_x_avhrr.dat | rttov_aertable_noaa_xx_avhrr_opac.dat rttov_aertable_metop_x_avhrr_opac.dat | rttov_aertable_noaa_xx_avhrr_cams.dat rttov_aertable_metop_x_avhrr_cams.dat | rttov_aertable_noaa_xx_avhrr_icon.dat rttov_aertable_metop_x_avhrr_icon.dat |
| CLIM | O3, CO2 | rtcoef_co2m_1_clim_o3co2.dat | 19/06/2023 | rttov_hydrotable_co2m_1_clim.dat | rttov_aertable_co2m_1_clim_opac.dat | rttov_aertable_co2m_1_clim_cams.dat | rttov_aertable_co2m_1_clim_icon.dat |
| CLIM | O3, CO2, N2O, CO, CH4, SO2 | rtcoef_co2m_1_clim_7gas.dat | 19/06/2023 | As above | As above | As above | As above |
| ECOSTRESS | O3, CO2 | rtcoef_iss_1_ecostres_o3co2.dat | 28/10/2020 | rttov_hydrotable_iss_1_ecostres.dat | rttov_aertable_iss_1_ecostres_opac.dat | rttov_aertable_iss_1_ecostres_cams.dat | rttov_aertable_iss_1_ecostres_icon.dat |
| EOIR | O3, CO2 | rtcoef_micro2c_1_eoir_o3co2.dat | 25/10/2024 | - | - | - | - |
| EOIR | O3, CO2, N2O, CO, CH4, SO2 | rtcoef_micro2c_1_eoir_7gas.dat | 26/10/2024 | - | - | - | - |
| EPIC | O3, CO2 | rtcoef_dscovr_1_epic_o3co2.dat | 30/10/2020 | rttov_hydrotable_dscovr_1_epic.dat | rttov_aertable_dscovr_1_epic_opac.dat | rttov_aertable_dscovr_1_epic_cams.dat | rttov_aertable_dscovr_1_epic_icon.dat |
| FCI | O3, CO2 | rtcoef_mtg_1_fci_o3co2.dat | 13/05/2022 | rttov_hydrotable_mtg_1_fci.dat | rttov_aertable_mtg_1_fci_opac.dat | rttov_aertable_mtg_1_fci_cams.dat | rttov_aertable_mtg_1_fci_icon.dat |
| FCI | O3, CO2, N2O, CO, CH4, SO2 | rtcoef_mtg_1_fci_7gas.dat | 13/05/2022 | As above | As above | As above | As above |
| GMS imager | O3, CO2 | rtcoef_gms_x_imager_o3co2.dat | 16/10/2020 | rttov_hydrotable_gms_x_imager.dat | rttov_aertable_gms_x_imager_opac.dat | rttov_aertable_gms_x_imager_cams.dat | rttov_aertable_gms_x_imager_icon.dat |
| GOES imager | O3, CO2 | rtcoef_goes_xx_imager_o3co2.dat | 16/10/2020 | rttov_hydrotable_goes_xx_imager.dat | rttov_aertable_goes_xx_imager_opac.dat | rttov_aertable_goes_xx_imager_cams.dat | rttov_aertable_goes_xx_imager_icon.dat |
| GOES sounder | O3, CO2 | rtcoef_goes_xx_sounder_o3co2.dat | 16/10/2020 | rttov_hydrotable_goes_xx_sounder.dat | rttov_aertable_goes_xx_sounder_opac.dat | rttov_aertable_goes_xx_sounder_cams.dat | rttov_aertable_goes_xx_sounder_icon.dat |
| HIRS | O3, CO2 | rtcoef_noaa_xx_hirs_o3co2.dat rtcoef_metop_x_hirs_o3co2.dat rtcoef_nimbus_6_hirs_o3co2.dat | 16/10/2020 | rttov_hydrotable_noaa_xx_hirs.dat rttov_hydrotable_metop_x_hirs.dat rttov_hydrotable_nimbus_6_hirs.dat | rttov_aertable_noaa_xx_hirs_opac.dat rttov_aertable_metop_x_hirs_opac.dat rttov_aertable_nimbus_6_hirs_opac.dat | rttov_aertable_noaa_xx_hirs_cams.dat rttov_aertable_metop_x_hirs_cams.dat rttov_aertable_nimbus_6_hirs_cams.dat | rttov_aertable_noaa_xx_hirs_icon.dat rttov_aertable_metop_x_hirs_icon.dat rttov_aertable_nimbus_6_hirs_icon.dat |
| HIRS shifted spectral response | O3, CO2 | rtcoef_noaa_xx_hirs-shifted_o3co2.dat rtcoef_metop_x_hirs-shifted_o3co2.dat | 16/10/2020 | rttov_hydrotable_noaa_xx_hirs-shifted.dat rttov_hydrotable_metop_x_hirs-shifted.dat | rttov_aertable_noaa_xx_hirs-shifted_opac.dat rttov_aertable_metop_x_hirs-shifted_opac.dat | rttov_aertable_noaa_xx_hirs-shifted_cams.dat rttov_aertable_metop_x_hirs-shifted_cams.dat | rttov_aertable_noaa_xx_hirs-shifted_icon.dat rttov_aertable_metop_x_hirs-shifted_icon.dat |
| HRIR | O3, CO2 | rtcoef_nimbus_x_hrir_o3co2.dat | 16/10/2020 | rttov_hydrotable_nimbus_x_hrir.dat | rttov_aertable_nimbus_x_hrir_opac.dat | rttov_aertable_nimbus_x_hrir_cams.dat | rttov_aertable_nimbus_x_hrir_icon.dat |
| IIR | O3, CO2 | rtcoef_calipso_1_iir_o3co2.dat | 16/10/2020 | rttov_hydrotable_calipso_1_iir.dat | rttov_aertable_calipso_1_iir_opac.dat | rttov_aertable_calipso_1_iir_cams.dat | rttov_aertable_calipso_1_iir_icon.dat |
| INSAT-3D(R/S) imager | O3, CO2 | rtcoef_insat3_x_imager_o3co2.dat | 16/10/2020 15/09/2023 | rttov_hydrotable_insat3_x_imager.dat | rttov_aertable_insat3_x_imager_opac.dat | rttov_aertable_insat3_x_imager_cams.dat | rttov_aertable_insat3_x_imager_icon.dat |
| INSAT-3D(R/S) sounder | O3, CO2 | rtcoef_insat3_x_sounder_o3co2.dat | 16/10/2020 19/01/2024 | rttov_hydrotable_insat3_x_sounder.dat | rttov_aertable_insat3_x_sounder_opac.dat | rttov_aertable_insat3_x_sounder_cams.dat | rttov_aertable_insat3_x_sounder_icon.dat |
| IRAS | O3, CO2 | rtcoef_fy3_1_iras_o3co2.dat | 16/10/2020 | rttov_hydrotable_fy3_1_iras.dat | rttov_aertable_fy3_1_iras_opac.dat | rttov_aertable_fy3_1_iras_cams.dat | rttov_aertable_fy3_1_iras_icon.dat |
| IRMSS | O3, CO2 | rtcoef_hj1_2_irmss_o3co2.dat | 27/10/2020 | rttov_hydrotable_hj1_2_irmss.dat | rttov_aertable_hj1_2_irmss_opac.dat | rttov_aertable_hj1_2_irmss_cams.dat | rttov_aertable_hj1_2_irmss_icon.dat |
| LI** | O3, CO2 | rtcoef_mtg_1_li_o3co2.dat | 16/10/2020 | - | - | - | - |
| MBFIRI | O3, CO2 | rtcoef_ticfire_1_mbfiri_o3co2.dat | 16/10/2020 | rttov_hydrotable_ticfire_1_mbfiri.dat | rttov_aertable_ticfire_1_mbfiri_opac.dat | rttov_aertable_ticfire_1_mbfiri_cams.dat | rttov_aertable_ticfire_1_mbfiri_icon.dat |
| MERSI-1 | O3, CO2 | rtcoef_fy3_3_mersi1_o3co2.dat | 27/10/2020 | rttov_hydrotable_fy3_3_mersi1.dat | rttov_aertable_fy3_3_mersi1_opac.dat | rttov_aertable_fy3_3_mersi1_cams.dat | rttov_aertable_fy3_3_mersi1_icon.dat |
| MERSI-2 | O3, CO2 | rtcoef_fy3_4_mersi2_o3co2.dat | 16/10/2020 | rttov_hydrotable_fy3_4_mersi2.dat | rttov_aertable_fy3_4_mersi2_opac.dat | rttov_aertable_fy3_4_mersi2_cams.dat | rttov_aertable_fy3_4_mersi2_icon.dat |
| MERSI-LL | O3, CO2 | rtcoef_fy3_5_mersill_o3co2.dat | 08/02/2022 | rttov_hydrotable_fy3_5_mersill.dat | rttov_aertable_fy3_5_mersill_opac.dat | rttov_aertable_fy3_5_mersill_cams.dat | rttov_aertable_fy3_5_mersill_icon.dat |
| MERSI-LL | O3, CO2, N2O, CO, CH4, SO2 | rtcoef_fy3_5_mersill_7gas.dat | 08/02/2022 | As above | As above | As above | As above |
| MERSI-3 | O3, CO2 | rtcoef_fy3_6_mersi3_o3co2.dat | 18/01/2024 | rttov_hydrotable_fy3_6_mersi3.dat | rttov_aertable_fy3_6_mersi3_opac.dat | rttov_aertable_fy3_6_mersi3_cams.dat | rttov_aertable_fy3_6_mersi3_icon.dat |
| MERSI-RM | O3, CO2 | rtcoef_fy3_7_mersirm_o3co2.dat | 22/01/2024 | rttov_hydrotable_fy3_7_mersirm.dat | rttov_aertable_fy3_7_mersirm_opac.dat | rttov_aertable_fy3_7_mersirm_cams.dat | rttov_aertable_fy3_7_mersirm_icon.dat |
| MERSI-RM | O3, CO2, N2O, CO, CH4, SO2 | rtcoef_fy3_7_mersirm_7gas.dat | 23/01/2024 | As above | As above | As above | As above |
| MetImage | O3, CO2 | rtcoef_metopsg_1_metimage_o3co2.dat | 16/10/2020 | rttov_hydrotable_metopsg_1_metimage.dat | rttov_aertable_metopsg_1_metimage_opac.dat | rttov_aertable_metopsg_1_metimage_cams.dat | rttov_aertable_metopsg_1_metimage_icon.dat |
| MI | O3, CO2 | rtcoef_coms_1_mi_o3co2.dat | 16/10/2020 | rttov_hydrotable_coms_1_mi.dat | rttov_aertable_coms_1_mi_opac.dat | rttov_aertable_coms_1_mi_cams.dat | rttov_aertable_coms_1_mi_icon.dat |
| MODIS | O3, CO2 | rtcoef_eos_x_modis_o3co2.dat | 16/10/2020 | rttov_hydrotable_eos_x_modis.dat | rttov_aertable_eos_x_modis_opac.dat | rttov_aertable_eos_x_modis_cams.dat | rttov_aertable_eos_x_modis_icon.dat |
| MODIS shifted spectral response | O3, CO2 | rtcoef_eos_x_modis-shifted_o3co2.dat | 16/10/2020 | rttov_hydrotable_eos_x_modis-shifted.dat | rttov_aertable_eos_x_modis-shifted_opac.dat | rttov_aertable_eos_x_modis-shifted_cams.dat | rttov_aertable_eos_x_modis-shifted_icon.dat |
| MODIS shifted spectral response | O3, CO2, N2O, CO, CH4, SO2 | rtcoef_eos_x_modis-shifted_7gas.dat | 25/09/2020 | As above | As above | As above | As above |
| MODIS-C7 shifted spectral response | O3, CO2 | rtcoef_eos_x_modis-C7_o3co2.dat | 17/10/2024 06/11/2024 | rttov_hydrotable_eos_x_modis-C7.dat | rttov_aertable_eos_x_modis-C7_opac.dat | rttov_aertable_eos_x_modis-C7_cams.dat | rttov_aertable_eos_x_modis-C7_icon.dat |
| MODIS-C7 shifted spectral response | O3, CO2, N2O, CO, CH4, SO2 | rtcoef_eos_x_modis-C7_7gas.dat | 17/10/2024 06/11/2024 | As above | As above | As above | As above |
| MRIR | O3, CO2 | rtcoef_nimbus_x_mrir_o3co2.dat | 16/10/2020 | rttov_hydrotable_nimbus_x_mrir.dat | rttov_aertable_nimbus_x_mrir_opac.dat | rttov_aertable_nimbus_x_mrir_cams.dat | rttov_aertable_nimbus_x_mrir_icon.dat |
| Earth-CARE MSI | O3, CO2 | rtcoef_earthcare_1_msi_o3co2.dat | 06/05/2022 | rttov_hydrotable_earthcare_1_msi.dat | rttov_aertable_earthcare_1_msi_opac.dat | rttov_aertable_earthcare_1_msi_cams.dat | rttov_aertable_earthcare_1_msi_icon.dat |
| Earth-CARE MSI | O3, CO2, N2O, CO, CH4, SO2 | rtcoef_earthcare_1_msi_7gas.dat | 10/05/2022 | As above | As above | As above | As above |
| Sentinel-2 MSI | O3, CO2 | rtcoef_sentinel2_x_msi_o3co2.dat | 16/10/2020 | rttov_hydrotable_sentinel2_x_msi.dat | rttov_aertable_sentinel2_x_msi_opac.dat | rttov_aertable_sentinel2_x_msi_cams.dat | rttov_aertable_sentinel2_x_msi_icon.dat |
| MSUGS | O3, CO2 | rtcoef_electro-l_2_msugs_o3co2.dat | 16/10/2020 | rttov_hydrotable_electro-l_2_msugs.dat | rttov_aertable_electro-l_2_msugs_opac.dat | rttov_aertable_electro-l_2_msugs_cams.dat | rttov_aertable_electro-l_2_msugs_icon.dat |
| MSUMR | O3, CO2 | rtcoef_meteor-m_x_msumr_o3co2.dat | 16/10/2020 | rttov_hydrotable_meteor-m_x_msumr.dat | rttov_aertable_meteor-m_x_msumr_opac.dat | rttov_aertable_meteor-m_x_msumr_cams.dat | rttov_aertable_meteor-m_x_msumr_icon.dat |
| MTSAT imager | O3, CO2 | rtcoef_mtsat_x_imager_o3co2.dat | 29/10/2020 16/10/2020 | rttov_hydrotable_mtsat_x_imager.dat | rttov_aertable_mtsat_x_imager_opac.dat | rttov_aertable_mtsat_x_imager_cams.dat | rttov_aertable_mtsat_x_imager_icon.dat |
| MVIRI (IR channels only) | O3, CO2 | rtcoef_meteosat_x_mviri_o3co2.dat | 16/10/2020 | rttov_hydrotable_meteosat_x_mviri.dat | rttov_aertable_meteosat_x_mviri_opac.dat | rttov_aertable_meteosat_x_mviri_cams.dat | rttov_aertable_meteosat_x_mviri_icon.dat |
| MVIRI-VIS**** | O3, CO2 | rtcoef_meteosat_x_mviri-vis_o3co2.dat | 31/05/2021 01/06/2021 02/06/2021 27/05/2021 | - | - | - | - |
| MVISR | O3, CO2 | rtcoef_fy1_x_mvisr_o3co2.dat | 16/10/2020 | rttov_hydrotable_fy1_x_mvisr.dat | rttov_aertable_fy1_x_mvisr_opac.dat | rttov_aertable_fy1_x_mvisr_cams.dat | rttov_aertable_fy1_x_mvisr_icon.dat |
| OLCI*** | O3, CO2 | rtcoef_sentinel3_x_olci_o3co2.dat | 16/10/2020 | rttov_hydrotable_sentinel3_1_olci.dat rttov_hydrotable_sentinel3_2_olci.dat | rttov_aertable_sentinel3_1_olci_opac.dat rttov_aertable_sentinel3_2_olci_opac.dat | rttov_aertable_sentinel3_1_olci_cams.dat rttov_aertable_sentinel3_2_olci_cams.dat | rttov_aertable_sentinel3_1_olci_icon.dat rttov_aertable_sentinel3_2_olci_icon.dat |
| OLI | O3, CO2 | rtcoef_landsat_x_oli_o3co2.dat | 16/10/2020 23/06/2023 | rttov_hydrotable_landsat_x_oli.dat | rttov_aertable_landsat_x_oli_opac.dat | rttov_aertable_landsat_x_oli_cams.dat | rttov_aertable_landsat_x_oli_icon.dat |
| OLI | O3, CO2, N2O, CO, CH4, SO2 | rtcoef_landsat_9_oli_7gas.dat | 23/06/2023 | As above | As above | As above | As above |
| SBG | O3, CO2 | rtcoef_sbg_1_sbg_o3co2.dat | 22/10/2024 | rttov_hydrotable_sbg_1_sbg.dat | rttov_aertable_sbg_1_sbg_opac.dat | rttov_aertable_sbg_1_sbg_cams.dat | rttov_aertable_sbg_1_sbg_icon.dat |
| SBG | O3, CO2, N2O, CO, CH4, SO2 | rtcoef_sbg_1_sbg_7gas.dat | 23/10/2024 | As above | As above | As above | As above |
| SEVIRI | O3, CO2 | rtcoef_msg_x_seviri_o3co2.dat | 16/10/2020 | rttov_hydrotable_msg_x_seviri.dat | rttov_aertable_msg_x_seviri_opac.dat | rttov_aertable_msg_x_seviri_cams.dat | rttov_aertable_msg_x_seviri_icon.dat |
| SEVIRI | O3, CO2, N2O, CO, CH4, SO2 | rtcoef_msg_x_seviri_7gas.dat | 24/09/2020 | As above | As above | As above | As above |
| SGLI | O3, CO2 | rtcoef_gcom-c_1_sgli_o3co2.dat | 16/10/2020 | rttov_hydrotable_gcom-c_1_sgli.dat | rttov_aertable_gcom-c_1_sgli_opac.dat | rttov_aertable_gcom-c_1_sgli_cams.dat | rttov_aertable_gcom-c_1_sgli_icon.dat |
| SIRS / SIRS-BLUR | O3, CO2 | rtcoef_nimbus_x_sirs_o3co2.dat rtcoef_nimbus_x_sirs-blur_o3co2.dat | 16/10/2020 | rttov_hydrotable_nimbus_x_sirs.dat (same file for sirs-blur) | rttov_aertable_nimbus_x_sirs_opac.dat (same file for sirs-blur) | rttov_aertable_nimbus_x_sirs_cams.dat (same file for sirs-blur) | rttov_aertable_nimbus_x_sirs_icon.dat (same file for sirs-blur) |
| SLSTR | O3, CO2 | rtcoef_sentinel3_x_slstr_o3co2.dat | 16/10/2020 | rttov_hydrotable_sentinel3_x_slstr.dat | rttov_aertable_sentinel3_x_slstr_opac.dat | rttov_aertable_sentinel3_x_slstr_cams.dat | rttov_aertable_sentinel3_x_slstr_icon.dat |
| SLSTR | O3, CO2, N2O, CO, CH4, SO2 | rtcoef_sentinel3_x_slstr_7gas.dat | 16/10/2020 | As above | As above | As above | As above |
| SSH | O3, CO2 | rtcoef_dmsp_x_ssh_o3co2.dat | 28/07/2022 | rttov_hydrotable_dmsp_x_ssh.dat | rttov_aertable_dmsp_x_ssh_opac.dat | rttov_aertable_dmsp_x_ssh_cams.dat | rttov_aertable_dmsp_x_ssh_icon.dat |
| SSTM | O3, CO2 | rtcoef_oceansat_3_sstm_o3co2.dat | 02/12/2022 | rttov_hydrotable_oceansat_3_sstm.dat | rttov_aertable_oceansat_3_sstm_opac.dat | rttov_aertable_oceansat_3_sstm_cams.dat | rttov_aertable_oceansat_3_sstm_icon.dat |
| THIR | O3, CO2 | rtcoef_nimbus_x_thir_o3co2.dat | 16/10/2020 | rttov_hydrotable_nimbus_x_thir.dat | rttov_aertable_nimbus_x_thir_opac.dat | rttov_aertable_nimbus_x_thir_cams.dat | rttov_aertable_nimbus_x_thir_icon.dat |
| TIRS | O3, CO2 | rtcoef_landsat_x_tirs_o3co2.dat | 16/10/2020 25/06/2023 | rttov_hydrotable_landsat_x_tirs.dat | rttov_aertable_landsat_x_tirs_opac.dat | rttov_aertable_landsat_x_tirs_cams.dat | rttov_aertable_landsat_x_tirs_icon.dat |
| TIRS | O3, CO2, N2O, CO, CH4, SO2 | rtcoef_landsat_9_tirs_7gas.dat | 25/06/2023 | As above | As above | As above | As above |
| TM | O3, CO2 | rtcoef_landsat_x_tm_o3co2.dat | 27/10/2022 | rttov_hydrotable_landsat_x_tm.dat | rttov_aertable_landsat_x_tm_opac.dat | rttov_aertable_landsat_x_tm_cams.dat | rttov_aertable_landsat_x_tm_icon.dat |
| TRISHNA-TIR | O3, CO2 | rtcoef_trishna_1_tir_o3co2.dat | 06/05/2021 | rttov_hydrotable_trishna_1_tir.dat | rttov_aertable_trishna_1_tir_opac.dat | rttov_aertable_trishna_1_tir_cams.dat | rttov_aertable_trishna_1_tir_icon.dat |
| TRISHNA-TIR | O3, CO2, N2O, CO, CH4, SO2 | rtcoef_trishna_1_tir_7gas.dat | 06/05/2021 | As above | As above | As above | As above |
| VIIRS | O3, CO2 | rtcoef_jpss_0_viirs_o3co2.dat rtcoef_noaa_xx_viirs_o3co2.dat | 16/10/2020 30/06/2022 | rttov_hydrotable_jpss_0_viirs.dat rttov_hydrotable_noaa_xx_viirs.dat | rttov_aertable_jpss_0_viirs_opac.dat rttov_aertable_noaa_xx_viirs_opac.dat | rttov_aertable_jpss_0_viirs_cams.dat rttov_aertable_noaa_xx_viirs_cams.dat | rttov_aertable_jpss_0_viirs_icon.dat rttov_aertable_noaa_xx_viirs_icon.dat |
| VIIRS | O3, CO2, N2O, CO, CH4, SO2 | rtcoef_noaa_21_viirs_7gas.dat | 30/06/2022 | As above | As above | As above | As above |
| VIMS | O3, CO2 | rtcoef_gf5_1_vims_o3co2.dat | 16/10/2020 | rttov_hydrotable_gf5_1_vims.dat | rttov_aertable_gf5_1_vims_opac.dat | rttov_aertable_gf5_1_vims_cams.dat | rttov_aertable_gf5_1_vims_icon.dat |
| VIRR | O3, CO2 | rtcoef_fy3_3_virr_o3co2.dat | 16/10/2020 | rttov_hydrotable_fy3_3_virr.dat | rttov_aertable_fy3_3_virr_opac.dat | rttov_aertable_fy3_3_virr_cams.dat | rttov_aertable_fy3_3_virr_icon.dat |
| VISSR | O3, CO2 | rtcoef_fy2_x_vissr_o3co2.dat | 16/10/2020 10/05/2021 | rttov_hydrotable_fy2_x_vissr.dat | rttov_aertable_fy2_x_vissr_opac.dat | rttov_aertable_fy2_x_vissr_cams.dat | rttov_aertable_fy2_x_vissr_icon.dat |
| VTPR | O3, CO2 | rtcoef_noaa_x_vtpr1_o3co2.dat | 16/10/2020 | - | - | - | - |
NB “NOAA-5” is TIROS-N.
* The ERS-1 ATSR coefficient file contains coefficients for 7 channels: 1-4 are the standard channels (12, 11, 3.7, 1.6 microns respectively) and 5-7 are additional coefficients for the 12 micron channel using spectral responses valid at different sensor temperatures. The corresponding cloud and aerosol coefficients have been generated using this coefficient file and as such contain data for the 7 channels in the rtcoef file.
** The MTG LI file contains coefficients for two channels with SRFs corresponding to incidence angles of 0 and 5.1 degrees (channels 1 and 2 respectively).
*** The channel indexing in the OLCI coefficients is a special case: see the file headers for information on the channel indexing. Due to their size, the OLCI hydrometeor and aerosol optical property files are linked in the table above.
**** The MVIRI-VIS files contain coefficients for the MVIRI visible channel at 0.6 microns. As described in Quast et al (2019), the spectral response functions (SRFs) for this channel on each MVIRI platform have been changing over time, typically with more rapid change earlier in their lifetime than towards the end. The SRFs have been characterised at 45 day intervals throughout each satellite’s lifetime. Within each full year the SRFs were determined for the same days, starting at day 33 and ending at day 348. These MVIRI-VIS coefficient files contain one channel for each SRF for each platform and each file has a different number of channels since each platform had a different lifespan. The “README_SPECTRAL_RESPONSE_FUNCTION” section within each file provides the validity date of the first and last SRFs/channels in each file as YYYYDDD where YYYY is the year, and DDD is the day of the year. Users may wish to select the SRF/channel closest in time to that of their simulation. The contents of the files are summarised in this text file. An example Python function has been created which can be used to return the channel number corresponding to the SRF valid closest to the specified date for the specified Meteosat platform.
***** PMR coefficients are a special case: the zenith angle must be set to zero as the zenith angle is part of each channel definition. The CO2 profiles used for training the PMR coefficients are different to those used for other coefficients: see the coefficient file for the reference (background) profile and the profile min/max envelope.
MFASIS-NN files for visible/near-IR cloud simulations
MFASIS-NN files are used alongside visible/IR rtcoef and rttov_hydrotable files for the same sensor.
The table below lists the channels currently supported by MFASIS-NN for each coefficient file. Not all channels can be supported by MFASIS-NN currently, but the model is being activately developed to extend support to new channels.
This document gives some guidance on the accuracy of the MFASIS-NN parameterisation vs the RTTOV-DOM training simulations.
Downloads
- RTTOV MFASIS-NN coefficient files for all currently supported sensors – extract to rtcoef_rttov14/mfasis_nn/.
- MFASIS-NN files for sensors not listed in the table can be requested via the NWP SAF Helpdesk, but note the limitations given above related to certain sensor channels.
- MFASIS currently supports channels at wavelengths up to ~2.3 microns.
| Sensor | Associated rtcoef filename | Associated hydrotable filename | Supported channels (RTTOV channel numbers) | MFASIS NN file | Date of MFASIS-NN file creation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ABI | rtcoef_goes_16_abi*.dat rtcoef_goes_17_abi*.dat rtcoef_goes_18_abi*.dat rtcoef_goes_19_abi*.dat | rttov_hydrotable_goes_16_abi.dat rttov_hydrotable_goes_17_abi.dat rttov_hydrotable_goes_18_abi.dat rttov_hydrotable_goes_19_abi.dat | 1,2,3,5,6 | rttov_mfasis_nn_hydro_goes_16_abi.dat rttov_mfasis_nn_hydro_goes_17_abi.dat rttov_mfasis_nn_hydro_goes_18_abi.dat rttov_mfasis_nn_hydro_goes_19_abi.dat | 13/12/2024 13/12/2024 13/12/2024 13/12/2024 |
| AGRI | rtcoef_fy4_1_agri*.dat rtcoef_fy4_2_agri*.dat | rttov_hydrotable_fy4_1_agri*.dat rttov_hydrotable_fy4_2_agri*.dat | 1,5 (FY-4A) 1,2,5 (FY-4B) | rttov_mfasis_nn_hydro_fy4_1_agri*.dat rttov_mfasis_nn_hydro_fy4_2_agri*.dat | 13/12/2024 13/12/2024 |
| AHI | rtcoef_himawari_8_ahi*.dat rtcoef_himawari_9_ahi*.dat | rttov_hydrotable_himawari_8_ahi.dat rttov_hydrotable_himawari_9_ahi.dat | 1,2,3,4,5,6 | rttov_mfasis_nn_hydro_himawari_8_ahi.dat rttov_mfasis_nn_hydro_himawari_9_ahi.dat | 13/12/2024 13/12/2024 |
| AMI | rtcoef_gkompsat2_1_ami*.dat | rttov_hydrotable_gkompsat2_1_ami.dat | 1,2,3,4,6 | rttov_mfasis_nn_hydro_gkompsat2_1_ami.dat | 13/12/2024 |
| AVHRR | rtcoef_metop_1_avhrr*.dat rtcoef_metop_2_avhrr*.dat rtcoef_metop_3_avhrr*.dat | rttov_hydrotable_metop_1_avhrr.dat rttov_hydrotable_metop_2_avhrr.dat rttov_hydrotable_metop_3_avhrr.dat | 1,3 | rttov_mfasis_nn_hydro_metop_1_avhrr.dat rttov_mfasis_nn_hydro_metop_2_avhrr.dat rttov_mfasis_nn_hydro_metop_3_avhrr.dat | 13/12/2024 13/12/2024 13/12/2024 |
| AVHRR | rtcoef_noaa_14_avhrr*.dat | rttov_hydrotable_noaa_14_avhrr.dat | 1 | rttov_mfasis_nn_hydro_noaa_14_avhrr.dat | 13/12/2024 |
| EPIC (see notes below) | rtcoef_dscovr_1_epic*.dat | rttov_hydrotable_dscovr_1_epic.dat | 1,2,3,6 | rttov_mfasis_nn_hydro_dscovr_1_epic.dat | 13/12/2024 |
| FCI | rtcoef_mtg_1_fci*.dat | rttov_hydrotable_mtg_1_fci.dat | 1,2,3,4,7,8 | rttov_mfasis_nn_hydro_mtg_1_fci.dat | 13/12/2024 |
| GOES imager | rtcoef_goes_13_imager*.dat rtcoef_goes_14_imager*.dat rtcoef_goes_15_imager*.dat | rttov_hydrotable_goes_13_imager.dat rttov_hydrotable_goes_14_imager.dat rttov_hydrotable_goes_15_imager.dat | 1 | rttov_mfasis_nn_hydro_goes_13_imager.dat rttov_mfasis_nn_hydro_goes_14_imager.dat rttov_mfasis_nn_hydro_goes_15_imager.dat | 13/12/2024 13/12/2024 13/12/2024 |
| MERSI2 | rtcoef_fy3_4_mersi2*.dat | rttov_hydrotable_fy3_4_mersi2.dat | 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8, 10,11,12,16,18 | rttov_mfasis_nn_hydro_fy3_4_mersi2.dat | 13/12/2024 |
| METImage | rtcoef_metopsg_1_metimage*.dat | rttov_hydrotable_metopsg_1_metimage.dat | 1,2,3,4,6,8,10,11 | rttov_mfasis_nn_hydro_metopsg_1_metimage.dat | 13/12/2024 |
| MODIS | rtcoef_eos_1_modis*.dat rtcoef_eos_2_modis*.dat | rttov_hydrotable_eos_1_modis.dat rttov_hydrotable_eos_2_modis.dat | 1,2,3,4,5,6,8,9,10, 11,12,13,14,15,16 | rttov_mfasis_nn_hydro_eos_1_modis.dat rttov_mfasis_nn_hydro_eos_2_modis.dat | 13/12/2024 13/12/2024 |
| SEVIRI | rtcoef_msg_1_seviri*.dat rtcoef_msg_2_seviri*.dat rtcoef_msg_3_seviri*.dat rtcoef_msg_4_seviri*.dat | rttov_hydrotable_msg_1_seviri.dat rttov_hydrotable_msg_2_seviri.dat rttov_hydrotable_msg_3_seviri.dat rttov_hydrotable_msg_4_seviri.dat | 1,3 | rttov_mfasis_nn_hydro_msg_1_seviri.dat rttov_mfasis_nn_hydro_msg_2_seviri.dat rttov_mfasis_nn_hydro_msg_3_seviri.dat rttov_mfasis_nn_hydro_msg_4_seviri.dat | 13/12/2024 13/12/2024 13/12/2024 13/12/2024 |
| VIRR | rtcoef_fy3_3_virr*.dat | rttov_hydrotable_fy3_3_virr.dat | 1,2,3,4,7 | rttov_mfasis_nn_hydro_fy3_3_virr.dat | 13/12/2024 |
| VIIRS | rtcoef_jpss_0_viirs*.dat rtcoef_noaa_20_viirs*.dat rtcoef_noaa_21_viirs*.dat | rttov_hydrotable_jpss_0_viirs.dat rttov_hydrotable_noaa_20_viirs.dat rttov_hydrotable_noaa_21_viirs.dat | 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9, 11,13,14,15 | rttov_mfasis_nn_hydro_jpss_0_viirs.dat rttov_mfasis_nn_hydro_noaa_20_viirs.dat rttov_mfasis_nn_hydro_noaa_21_viirs.dat | 13/12/2024 13/12/2024 13/12/2024 |
Notes:
EPIC
RTTOV currently only supports channels 5-10 of the EPIC sensor. In RTTOV these supported channels are numbered 1-6. The EPIC MFASIS NNs support only channels 1, 2, 3 and 6 of these (5, 6, 7, and 10 in the instrument channel numbering): channels 4 and 5 (8 and 9, at 688nm and 764nm) are not currently simulated by MFASIS because the significant O2 absorption means that the amount of atmosphere between the sensor and the cloud must be accounted for, and this is not yet implemented in MFASIS-NN. In addition the EPIC NNs are trained for a restricted set of scattering angles (4-14 degrees, where zero represents direct back-scatter) appropriate to the orbit of this sensor.
MW optical depth coefs and hydrometeor optical properties
General information on MW sensor optical depth coefficient files:
- Based on Liebe 89/92 LbL model
- All on 54 levels except for the Zeeman files
- v13 predictors
- Coefficients with variable O3 for all sensors except for the Zeeman files
- No Planck-weighted channels
- Not solar compatible
- Not NLTE compatible
- Not PC compatible
Downloads
- MW rtcoef optical depth coefficients based on top-hat (box-car) pass bands – extract to rtcoef_rttov14/rttov13pred54L/.
- MW rtcoef optical depth coefficients based on measured SRFs – extract to rtcoef_rttov14/rttov13pred54L/.
- MW Zeeman-enabled rtcoef optical depth coefficients, fixed ozone, old WV and O3 spectroscopy – extract to rtcoef_rttov14/rttov13pred54L/.
- Hydrometeor optical property rttov_hydrotable files are linked in the table below – extract to rtcoef_rttov14/hydrotable_mw/
- When using the ARO scaled polarisation option, this sensor-independent file is required. Download to rtcoef_rttov14/hydrotable_mw/ or otherwise place in the same directory as your hydrotable(s).
| Sensor | Filename | Date of rtcoef file creation | Associated hydrotable filename | Date of hydrotable file creation | Hydrotable radar-enabled? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AltiKa | rtcoef_saral_1_altika_o3.dat | 06/12/2024 | rttov_hydrotable_saral_altika.dat | 29/01/2024 | N |
| AMR | rtcoef_jason_2_amr_o3.dat | 06/12/2024 | - | ||
| AMR-C | rtcoef_jasoncs_1_amrc_o3.dat | 06/12/2024 | rttov_hydrotable_jasoncs_amrc.dat | 29/10/2024 | N |
| AMSR-E | rtcoef_eos_2_amsre_o3.dat | 06/12/2024 | rttov_hydrotable_eos_amsre.dat | 29/01/2024 | N |
| AMSR2 | rtcoef_gcom-w_1_amsr2_o3.dat | 06/12/2024 | rttov_hydrotable_gcom-w_amsr2.dat | 29/01/2024 | N |
| AMSR3 | rtcoef_gosat-gw_1_amsr3_o3.dat | 06/12/2024 | rttov_hydrotable_gosat-gw_amsr3.dat | 29/01/2024 | N |
| AMSU-A | rtcoef_noaa_xx_amsua_o3.dat rtcoef_metop_x_amsua_o3.dat rtcoef_eos_2_amsua_o3.dat | 06/12/2024 | rttov_hydrotable_noaa_amsua.dat rttov_hydrotable_metop_amsua.dat (rename/copy noaa file) rttov_hydrotable_eos_amsua.dat (rename/copy noaa file) | 29/01/2024 | N |
| AMSUA-A SRF | rtcoef_noaa_19_amsua_o3_srf.dat | 10/12/2024 | As above | ||
| AMSU-B | rtcoef_noaa_xx_amsub_o3.dat | 06/12/2024 | rttov_hydrotable_noaa_amsub.dat | 29/01/2024 | N |
| ATMS | rtcoef_jpss_0_atms_o3.dat rtcoef_noaa_20_atms_o3.dat | 06/12/2024 | rttov_hydrotable_jpss_atms.dat hydrotable_noaa_atms.dat (rename/copy jpss file) | 29/01/2024 | N |
| ATMS SRF | rtcoef_jpss_0_atms_o3_srf.dat rtcoef_noaa_xx_atms_o3_srf.dat | 17/12/2024 | As above | ||
| AWS | rtcoef_aws_1_aws_o3.dat | 06/12/2024 | rttov_hydrotable_aws_aws.dat | 29/01/2024 | N |
| AWS SRF | rtcoef_aws_1_aws_o3_srf.dat | 10/12/2024 | As above | ||
| CIMR | rtcoef_cimr_1_cimr_o3.dat | 06/12/2024 | rttov_hydrotable_cimr_cimr.dat | 29/01/2024 | N |
| COWVR | rtcoef_ors_6_cowvr_o3.dat | 06/12/2024 | - | ||
| CPR (CloudSat) | rtcoef_cloudsat_1_cpr_o3.dat | 06/12/2024 | rttov_hydrotable_cloudsat_cpr.dat | 29/01/2024 | Y |
| CPR (EarthCARE) | rtcoef_earthcare_1_eccpr_o3.dat | 10/02/2025 | rttov_hydrotable_earthcare_eccpr.dat | 29/01/2024 | Y |
| DPR | rtcoef_gpm_1_dpr_o3.dat | 06/12/2024 | rttov_hydrotable_gpm_dpr.dat | 29/01/2024 | Y |
| ESMR | rtcoef_nimbus_x_esmr_o3.dat | 06/12/2024 | - | ||
| GEMS1 | rtcoef_oms_1_gems1_o3.dat | 06/12/2024 | - | ||
| GEMS1 SRF | rtcoef_oms_1_gems1_o3_srf.dat | 10/12/2024 | - | ||
| GMI | rtcoef_gpm_1_gmi_o3.dat | 06/12/2024 | rttov_hydrotable_gpm_gmi.dat | 29/01/2024 | N |
| GMI SRF | rtcoef_gpm_1_gmi_o3_srf.dat | 10/12/2024 | As above | ||
| HSB | rtcoef_eos_2_hsb_o3.dat | 06/12/2024 | - | ||
| ICI | rtcoef_metopsg_2_ici_o3.dat | 06/12/2024 | rttov_hydrotable_metopsg_ici.dat | 29/01/2024 | N |
| ICI SRF | rtcoef_metopsg_2_ici_o3_srf.dat | 10/12/2024 | As above | ||
| JIHENG | rtcoef_jiheng_1_jiheng_o3f.dat | 06/12/2024 | rttov_hydrotable_jiheng_jiheng.dat | 13/03/2024 | N |
| JIHENG SRF | rtcoef_jiheng_1_jiheng_o3_srf.dat | 10/12/2024 | As above | ||
| MADRAS | rtcoef_meghatr_1_madras_o3.dat | 06/12/2024 | rttov_hydrotable_meghatr_madras.dat | 29/01/2024 | N |
| MHS | rtcoef_noaa_xx_mhs_o3.dat rtcoef_metop_x_mhs_o3.dat | 06/12/2024 | rttov_hydrotable_noaa_mhs.dat rttov_hydrotable_metop_mhs.dat (rename/copy noaa file) | 29/01/2024 | N |
| Microsat2b MHS | rtcoef_micro2b_0_mhsm2b_o3.dat | 06/12/2024 | rttov_hydrotable_micro2b_mhsm2b.dat | 29/01/2024 | N |
| Microsat2b MHS SRF | rtcoef_micro2b_0_mhsm2b_o3_srf.dat | 10/12/2024 | As above | ||
| MIRAS | rtcoef_smos_1_miras_o3.dat | 06/12/2024 | rttov_hydrotable_smos_miras.dat | 13/12/2024 | N |
| MSU | rtcoef_noaa_xx_msu_o3.dat | 06/12/2024 | - | ||
| MTVZA-GY | rtcoef_meteor-m_2_mtvzagy_o3.dat | 06/12/2024 | rttov_hydrotable_meteor-m_mtvzagy.dat | 29/01/2024 | N |
| MWHS | rtcoef_fy3_x_mwhs_o3.dat | 06/12/2024 | rttov_hydrotable_fy3_mwhs.dat | 29/01/2024 | N |
| FY-3C/D MWHS2 | rtcoef_fy3_x_mwhs2_o3.dat | 06/12/2024 | rttov_hydrotable_fy3_mwhs2.dat | 29/01/2024 | N |
| FY-3E/F MWHS2 | rtcoef_fy3_x_mwhs2e_o3.dat | 06/12/2024 | rttov_hydrotable_fy3_mwhs2e.dat | 29/01/2024 | N |
| FY-3E/F MWHS2 SRF | rtcoef_fy3_x_mwhs2e_o3_srf.dat | 17/12/2024 | As above | ||
| MetopSG MWI | rtcoef_metopsg_2_mwi_o3.dat | 06/12/2024 | rttov_hydrotable_metopsg_mwi.dat | 23/02/2024 | N |
| WSF-M MWI | rtcoef_wsfm_1_wsfmmwi_o3.dat | 06/12/2024 | - | ||
| WSF-M MWI SRF | rtcoef_wsfm_1_wsfmmwi_o3_srf.dat | 28/01/2025 | - | ||
| MWR | rtcoef_ers_x_mwr_o3.dat rtcoef_envisat_1_mwr_o3.dat rtcoef_sentinel3_1_mwr_o3.dat | 06/12/2024 | rttov_hydrotable_ers_mwr.dat rttov_hydrotable_envisat_mwr.dat (rename/copy ers file) rttov_hydrotable_sentinel3_mwr.dat (rename/copy ers file) | 29/01/2024 | N |
| FY3 MWRI | rtcoef_fy3_x_mwri_o3.dat | 06/12/2024 | rttov_hydrotable_fy3_mwri.dat | 29/01/2024 | N |
| FY3 MWRI2 | rtcoef_fy3_6_mwri2_o3.dat | 06/12/2024 | rttov_hydrotable_fy3_mwri2.dat | 23/02/2024 | N |
| FY3 MWRI2 SRF | rtcoef_fy3_6_mwri2_o3_srf.dat | 10/12/2024 | As above | ||
| FY3 MWRI-RM | rtcoef_fy3_7_mwrirm_o3.dat | 06/12/2024 | rttov_hydrotable_fy3_mwrirm.dat | 23/02/2024 | N |
| FY3 MWRI-RM SRF | rtcoef_fy3_7_mwrirm_o3_srf.dat | 10/12/2024 | As above | ||
| HY2 MWRI | rtcoef_hy2_1_hy2mwri_o3.dat | 06/12/2024 | - | ||
| MWS | rtcoef_metopsg_1_mws_o3.dat | 06/12/2024 | rttov_hydrotable_metopsg_mws.dat | 29/01/2024 | N |
| MWS SRF | rtcoef_metopsg_1_mws_o3_srf.dat | 10/12/2024 | As above | ||
| MWTS | rtcoef_fy3_x_mwts_o3.dat | 06/12/2024 | rttov_hydrotable_fy3_mwts.dat | 29/01/2024 | N |
| MWTS2 | rtcoef_fy3_x_mwts2_o3.dat | 06/12/2024 | rttov_hydrotable_fy3_mwts2.dat | 29/01/2024 | N |
| MWTS3 | rtcoef_fy3_x_mwts3_o3.dat | 06/12/2024 | rttov_hydrotable_fy3_mwts3.dat | 29/01/2024 | N |
| MWTS3 SRF | rtcoef_fy3_x_mwts3_o3_srf.dat | 17/12/2024 | As above | ||
| NEMS | rtcoef_nimbus_5_nems_o3.dat | 18/12/2024 | - | ||
| FY3-G PMR | rtcoef_fy3_7_fy3pmr_o3.dat | 06/12/2024 | rttov_hydrotable_fy3_fy3pmr.dat | 23/02/2024 | Y |
| POLSIR | rtcoef_polsir_1_polsir_o3.dat | 21/01/2025 | rttov_hydrotable_polsir_polsir.dat | 29/01/2024 | N |
| SAPHIR | rtcoef_meghatr_1_saphir_o3.dat | 06/12/2024 | rttov_hydrotable_meghatr_saphir.dat | 29/01/2024 | N |
| SCAMS | rtcoef_nimbus_6_scams_o3.dat | 06/12/2024 | - | ||
| SMAP | rtcoef_smap_1_smap_o3.dat | 04/02/2025 | - | ||
| SMMR | rtcoef_nimbus_7_smmr_o3.dat | 06/12/2024 | - | ||
| SSM/I | rtcoef_dmsp_xx_ssmi_o3.dat | 06/12/2024 | rttov_hydrotable_dmsp_ssmi.dat | 29/01/2024 | N |
| SSMIS | rtcoef_dmsp_xx_ssmis_o3.dat | 06/12/2024 | rttov_hydrotable_dmsp_ssmis.dat | 29/01/2024 | N |
| SSMIS Zeeman (84L) | rtcoef_dmsp_xx_ssmis_zeeman.dat | 16/01/2023 | As above | ||
| SSM/T | rtcoef_dmsp_xx_ssmt_o3.dat | 18/12/2024 | - | ||
| SSM/T2 | rtcoef_dmsp_xx_ssmt2_o3.dat | 06/12/2024 | rttov_hydrotable_dmsp_ssmt2.dat | 29/01/2024 | N |
| TEMPEST | rtcoef_tempest_0_tempest_o3.dat rtcoef_tempest_1_tempest_o3.dat | 06/12/2024 | rttov_hydrotable_tempest_tempest.dat | 29/01/2024 | N |
| TEMPEST SRF | rtcoef_tempest_0_tempest_o3_srf.dat rtcoef_tempest_1_tempest_o3_srf.dat | 17/12/2024 | As above | ||
| TMI | rtcoef_trmm_1_tmi_o3.dat | 06/12/2024 | rttov_hydrotable_trmm_tmi.dat | 29/01/2024 | N |
| TROPICS | rtcoef_tropics_x_tropics_o3.dat | 06/12/2024 | rttov_hydrotable_tropics_tropics.dat | 29/01/2024 | N |
| TROPICS SRF | rtcoef_tropics_x_tropics_o3_srf.dat | 17/12/2024 | As above | ||
| Windsat | rtcoef_coriolis_1_windsat_o3.dat | 06/12/2024 | rttov_hydrotable_coriolis_windsat.dat | 29/01/2024 | N |
NB “NOAA-5” is TIROS-N.
“SRF” refers to coefficients based on measured spectral responses. Where available, coefficients based on measured SRFs are recommended. SRF-based files are unique to specific sensors. Other MW coefficients are based on top-hat (box-car) pass bands and are identical for the same sensor on different platforms. However in some cases, the satellite height and/or channel polarisations may differ between platforms, but these do not affect the gas optical depth coefficients themselves.
Hydrotables, containing hydrometeor optical properties for scattering simulations, are computed at channel nominal central frequencies and are unpolarised. Therefore generally one file is produced per sensor and this can be used for that sensor on all platforms. You can either make copies of the relevant file or use symbolic links.
Reference profiles and regression limits
RTTOV rtcoef coefficients
RTTOV gas optical depth coefficients are trained using a set of diverse profiles which cover a wide range of values for each atmospheric variable. The latest coefficients are trained using diverse profiles which are designed to be applicable to the whole satellite era (1970-202x). H2O is the only gas for which profiles must always be supplied. The v13 predictors introduced in RTTOV v13 support different selections of optional variable trace gases as indicated in the filename and listed below. Note that simulations using a coefficient file with more optional variable gases run slower. Although RTTOV v14 supports all RTTOV v13-compatible ASCII gas optical depth coefficients, only those found on this page are considered non-deprecated.
- v13 predictors rtcoef_*_o3 : O3 (primarily MW sensors)
- v13 predictors rtcoef_*_o3co2 : O3 and CO2 (all VIS/IR sensors)
- v13 predictors rtcoef_*_7gas : O3, CO2, N2O, CO, CH4 and SO2 (selected VIS/IR sensors)
If no optional gas profile is supplied a fixed background profile is used. These fixed profiles are also used in training coefficients for which a particular gas cannot vary. The fixed profile concentrations are contemporary values: when simulating older instruments you may wish to use variable-CO2 coefficients so that you can supply more appropriate CO2 profiles. The fixed background profiles are contained in the following comma-separated value files (gas units are ppmv with respect to dry air). Values are provided for the layers bound by the pressure levels.
The diverse profile set also includes a selection of gases with fixed profiles in all training simulations (the “mixed gases”):
The fast optical depth calculations can be expected to be accurate for input profiles which lie within the profile “envelopes” defined by the minimum and maximum values for each profile variable on each level. By default RTTOV checks the input profile against a set of profile regression limits: it can warn if the regression limits are exceeded or, if the apply_reg_limits option is set to TRUE, clip the values to the limits where the limits are exceeded.
For some time it has been the practice in RTTOV to set the regression limits to +/-10% of the profile envelope for temperature and +/-20% of the profile envelope for each gas. For highly variable gases (such as water vapour) this stretching may be reasonable, but for less variable gases (such as CO2) the limits should probably be closer to the strict min/max envelope. It is planned to investigate and apply more appropriate stretches to the limits for each individual gas. The comma-separated value files below show the stretched limits applied within RTTOV (gas units are ppmv with respect to dry air). Coefficient files contain the strict profile min/max envelopes and the stretched profile limits applied within RTTOV are calculated when the coefficients are read in.
PC-RTTOV
PC-RTTOV coefficients for RTTOV v14 allow all variable trace gases (except SO2). PC-RTTOV is trained on a different set of profiles to the RTTOV optical depth coefficient files. The files linked below give the minimum and maximum temperature and gas limits and surface variables for PC-RTTOV coefficients. These are never enforced in the code, even if the apply_reg_limits option is true. Where any of these limits are exceeded the qflag_reg_limits quality flag is set in radiance%quality(:) for the corresponding predictor channels.
PC-RTTOV coefficients for RTTOV v14 allow aerosol-affected simulations. These are trained using profiles based on the OPAC aerosol components. These PC coefficients must only be used with the OPAC aerosol files (the “fast-only” files are recommended) and you should only specify non-zero concentrations for aerosol indices 1-10 (the components taken from OPAC). The minimum and maximum aerosol concentrations are given below in number density (cm^-3). Among the training profiles the aerosol concentrations did not vary for every type in every layer. Where the minimum and maximum limits are the same there was no variability and RTTOV automatically resets the aerosol concentrations to the values used in the training for those components/layers (which includes layers where there was no aerosol in the training set). If any regression limit is exceeded among the components/layers which varied in the training profiles, the qflag_pc_aer_reg_limits bit is set in radiance%quality(:) for the corresponding predictor channels. Flags are not set if the input aerosol concentration is zero. If the apply_reg_limits option is true, any values falling outside the limits are clipped to the respective minimum or maximum value.
PC-RTTOV coefficients for RTTOV v14 allow hydrometeor-affected simulations. These may be used with any cloud liquid or ice water type available with the NWP SAF VIS/IR hydrotables (see the user guide) including the Baran ice scheme. The “fast-only” hydrotable files are recommended. It is recommended to specify non-zero hydrometeor concentrations for at most one cloud liquid and one cloud ice type in each layer. The minimum and maximum hydrometeor concentrations are given below in density (g.m^-3). Where there were no hydrometeors in the training profiles RTTOV automatically resets the hydrometeor concentrations to zero. If any regression limit is exceeded among the layers which varied in the training profiles, the qflag_pc_hydro_reg_limits bit is set in radiance%quality(:) for the corresponding predictor channels. Flags are not set if the input hydrometeor concentration or corresponding hydro fraction is zero. If the apply_reg_limits option is true, any values falling outside the limits are clipped to the respective minimum or maximum value.