BackBack to listForwardInstrument covering 15 micrometers - 1 mm (300-20,000 GHz) 

Details on this mission type
Full name Instrument covering 15 micrometers - 1 mm (300-20,000 GHz)
Definition This is the FIR range, that includes the Mm/sub-mm range 300-3000 GHz. It is sensitive to cirrus clouds and it is dominated by several bands of H2O and its continuum, as well as O2, and includes bands of ozone, BrO, ClO, HCl, HDO, N2O and OH. Involved instrument types: • Cross-nadir infrared sounder, • Limb sounder.
Relevant instruments and their contribution

The sorting column describes how the instruments, by design, have the potential to contribute to certain pre-determined capabilities, assuming nominal operation of space and ground segments. For this particular capability, instrument performance is considered to be driven by:

  • the spectral range (FIR up to 100 µm or Mm/sub-mm).

The rating criteria are as follows:

  1. Mm/sub-mm range 650-3000 GHz: species H2O, O2, HDO and OH.
  2. Mm/sub-mm range 250-650 GHz - species: H2O, O2, O3, BrO, ClO, HCl and N2O.
  3. Mm/sub-mm range 60-250 GHz - species: H2O, O2, O3.
  4. FIR spectrometer for water vapour in high-troposphere / low stratosphere and cirrus clouds.
  5. FIR radiometer for water vapour in high-troposphere / low stratosphere.