BackForwardInstrument:  VTIR 

Instrument details
Acronym VTIR
Full name Visible and Thermal Infrared Radiometer
Purpose Multipurpose VIS/IR imagery
Short description 4-channel radiometer, 1 VIS, 3 TIR including a water-vapour channel [see detailed characteristics below]
Background New development
Scanning Technique Mechanical, cross-track, swath 1500 km
Resolution VIS channel: 0.9 km s.s.p.; IR channels: 2.7 km s.s.p.
Coverage / Cycle Global coverage once/day (IR) or once / two days (VIS)
Mass 25 kg Power Data Rate 0.8 Mbps

 

Providing Agency JAXA
Instrument Maturity Flown on an R&D satellite
Utilization Period: 1987 to 1996
Last update: 2012-09-17
Detailed characteristics

Central wavelength

Spectral interval

SNR or NEΔT @ specified input

0.6 µm

0.5-0.7 µm

.... @ .... % albedo

6.5 µm

6.0-7.0 µm

.... K @ .... K

11 µm

10.5-11.5 µm

.... K @ .... K

12 µm

11.5-12.5 µm

.... K @ .... K

Satellites this instrument is flying on

Note: a red tag indicates satellites no longer operational, a green tag indicates operational satellites, a blue tag indicates future satellites

Instrument classification
  • Earth observation instrument
  • Passive optical radiometer or spectrometer
  • Moderate resolution optical imager
WIGOS Subcomponents
  • Subcomponent 1
  • VIS/IR imagery; realisation of a Day/Night band [in SSO]
  • VIS/IR imager [in SSO]
Mission objectives
Primary mission objectives
  • Cloud cover
  • Cloud top height
  • Cloud top temperature
  • Cloud type
  • Integrated Water Vapour (IWV)
Evaluation of Measurements

The following list indicates which measurements can typically be retrieved from this category of instrument. To see a full Gap Analysis by Variable, click on the respective variable.

Note: table can be sorted by clicking on the column headers
Note: * Primary mission objective.
VariableRelevance for measuring this variableOperational limitationsExplanation
Cloud cover*4 - fairNo specific limitation.VIS and TIR channels
Cloud top height*3 - highNo specific limitation.TIR channels in window and water vapour band (for emissivity) to estimate cloud top height from its temperature
Cloud top temperature*2 - very highNo specific limitation.TIR channels in window and water vapour band (for emissivity)
Cloud type*4 - fairDaylight only.VIS and TIR channels
Fire fractional cover4 - fairCloud sensitive.. Coarse spatial resolution.VIS and TIR channels
Fire radiative power5 - marginalCloud sensitive.. Coarse spatial resolution.TIR channels
Fire temperature5 - marginalCloud sensitive.. Coarse spatial resolution.TIR channels
Land surface temperature4 - fairCloud sensitive.TIR split window channels around 11 micrometers for water vapour correction
Sea surface temperature4 - fairCloud sensitive.TIR split window channels around 11 micrometers for water vapour correction
Snow cover5 - marginalCloud sensitive.. Daylight only.VIS channel(s)
Soil moisture at surface4 - fairCloud sensitive.. Index only.VIS and TIR window channels. Soil moisture inferred from thermal inertia
Integrated Water Vapour (IWV)*2 - very highCloud sensitive.TIR channels around 6.3 micrometers and in the 11 micrometers split window
Wind (horizontal)4 - fairLimited to high latitudes.. Cloud or water vapour tracers needed.TIR channels in the 11 micrometers window and the 6.3 micrometers water vapour band
Sea-ice cover5 - marginalCloud sensitive.VIS and TIR channels