BackForwardInstrument:  MWHS-2 

Instrument details
Acronym MWHS-2
Full name Micro-Wave Humidity Sounder -2
Purpose Humidity sounding in nearly-all-weather conditions. Also, precipitation
Short description 15 frequencies including bands 183 GHz (for humidity), and 118 GHz (for supporting information on temperature).
Background Replacing the MWHS-1 of FY-3A and FY-3B
Scanning Technique Cross-track: 98 steps of 16 km s.s.p., swath 2700 km
Resolution Window channels and band 118 GHz: 32 km at s.s.p.; band 183 GHz: 16 km at s.s.p.
Coverage / Cycle Global coverage twice/day
Mass Power Data Rate

 

Providing Agency CMA
Instrument Maturity Flown on operational programme
Utilization Period: 2013 to ≥2021
Last update: 2020-08-19
Detailed characteristics

Central frequency (GHz)

Bandwidth (MHz)

Polarisations

NEΔT

89

1500

V

1.0 K

118.75±5.0

2000

H

1.0 K

118.75±3.0

1000

H

1.0 K

118.75±2.5

200

H

1.6 K

118.75±1.1

200

H

1.6 K

118.75±0.8

200

H

1.6 K

118.75±0.3

165

H

1.6 K

118.75±0.2

100

H

2.0 K

118.75±0.08

20

H

2.6 K

150

1500

V

1.0 K

183±7

2000

H

1.0 K

183±4.5

2000

H

1.0 K

183±3

1000

H

1.0 K

183±1.8

700

H

1.0 K

183±1

500

H

1.0 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 microwave radiometer
  • Cross-track, special or non-scanning microwave radiometer
Mission objectives
Primary mission objectives
  • Specific humidity
Secondary mission objectives
  • Atmospheric temperature
  • Cloud ice Total Column
  • Cloud liquid water (CLW) total column
  • Integrated Water Vapour (IWV)
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Tentative 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
VariableRelevance for measuring this variableOperational limitationsExplanation
Atmospheric temperature2 - very highCoarse vertical resolution.. Inaccurate in low troposphere.Many MW channels in the 118 GHz band. Nearly all-weather sounding
Cloud drop effective radius2 - very highNo specific limitation.MW channels around 90 GHz, and in 118 and 183 GHz bands
Cloud ice3 - highNo specific limitation.MW channels around 90 GHz, and in 118 and 183 GHz bands
Cloud ice Total Column3 - highNo specific limitation.MW channels around 90 GHz, and in 118 and 183 GHz bands
Cloud ice effective radius2 - very highNo specific limitation.MW channels around 90 GHz, and in 118 and 183 GHz bands
Cloud liquid water (CLW)3 - highNo specific limitation.MW channels around 90 GHz, and in 118 and 183 GHz bands
Cloud liquid water (CLW) total column3 - highNo specific limitation.MW channels around 90 GHz, and in 118 and 183 GHz bands
Downward long-wave irradiance at Earth surface5 - marginalHighly indirect.MW channels in 118 and 183 GHz bands to account for downward cloud radiation
Precipitation intensity at surface (liquid or solid)4 - fairNo specific limitation.MW channels in the 118 and 183 GHz bands. Suitable for solid and, to a less extent, liquid precipitation over sea and land, Insensitive to surface emissivity
Specific humidity2 - very highCoarse vertical resolution.MW channels in the 183 GHz band, and 118 GHz for temperature and ice water corrections
Integrated Water Vapour (IWV)2 - very highNo specific limitation.MW channels in the water vapour band around 183 GHz
Upward long-wave irradiance at Earth surface5 - marginalHighly indirect.MW channels is the 118 and 183 GHz bands to infer the impact of clouds on the upward LW radiation