BackBack to listInstruments covering 1-300 GHz 

Details on this mission type
Full name Instruments covering 1-300 GHz
Definition his is the MW range, that includes several window regions for surface observations including wind stress, areas of different sensitivity to liquid water and ice water for precipitation inference, absorption bands of O2 (~54 and ~118 GHz) and H2O (~23 and ~183 GHz) for atmospheric temperature and humidity, and bands of O3 and some other species such as HNO3. Involved instrument types: • Microwave conical scanning radiometer, • Microwave cross-track scanning radiometer, • 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 sounding and/or imaging capability
  • the spatial resolution
  • the main addressed observations.

The rating criteria are as follows:

  1. Imaging sounder for surface temperatures, sea-surface wind, sea-ice, surface soil moisture, precipitation and temperature/humidity; OR Cross-track scanning sounder for temperature and humidity profiles and humidity profiles; OR Large-antenna imaging radiometer for surface temperatures and moisture, sea-surface wind, sea-ice and precipitation.
  2. Imaging sounder for surface observation, precipitation, and temperature and humidity profiles; OR Sounder for temperature OR humidity.
  3. Imaging radiometer for surface observation and precipitation.
  4. Low-frequency radiometer for ocean salinity and volumetric soil moisture.
  5. Radiometer for precipitable water over the sea, support to altimeter, and VTEC.