ccccccccccc Data format       
c      The data being read are stored in the array with a dimension 144 X 72 X NT 
c          (longitude by latitude by monthly number)

ccccccccccc Longitude and Latitude    
c      The data grid resolution is 2.5 longitude by 2.5 latitude. Therefore, there are 144 
c      grid boxes in the first latitude zone near the South Pole,then 144 boxes in the next 
c      latitude zone right above it, all the way to the North Pole. There are 72 latitude 
c      zones in all, so the first month contains 144x72 = 10,368 temperatures, then on to 
c      the next month, and so forth.  Longitude starts from 180W to 180E, which means the 
c      first longitude index (nx=1) represents the grid box centered at 178.75W (-178.75), and
c      so fourth; and the last longitude index (nx=144) represents the box centered at 178.75E.
c      Please also use "lat.txt" and "lon.txt" files for specific values for the lad/lon definition. 
      
ccccccccccc Time 
c      Use extra caution when handling time dimesion because TMT(ch2) and TLS(ch4) start from Nov.1978,
c      while TUT(ch3) from Jan.1981.
c        

ccc   compile with option :       f77  -ffixed-line-length-150 -ff77 sample_read_monthly.f

         PARAMETER    ( missing = -9999.0 )
         PARAMETER    ( nx=144, ny=72, nt=446) 

c      nx is the longitude(nx =1 for -178.75, nx=2 for -178.75+2.5....,and nx=144 for 178.25)
c      ny is the latitude (ny=1 for 88.75S, ny=2 for 88.75S+2.5,..., and ny=72 for 88.75N)
c      nt is time (see the explanation above) 


         real      tmsu_am(nx,ny,nt)
         CHARACTER*150   filename

         filename='NESDIS-STAR_TCDR_TMT_merged_msu_ch2_amsua_ch5_ATMS_Ch6_monthly_1978-Dec2023_v5.0.dat'
         OPEN ( 88, file=filename, status='old' )
         PRINT*,"reading! TMT ............"
	 do k=1,nt
	    do j=1,ny
	     READ ( 88,'(144(f10.3,1x))')(tmsu_am(i,j,k),i=1,nx)
	  enddo
        enddo
	    
    
c    you are ready to go !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
         END