NOAA POES ATOVS
Courtesy NOAA
The NOAA polar orbiting satellites carry a variety of instruments that in an orbit that provides global coverage. In addition to the high-resolution AVHRR scanner, which can provide stunning false-colour images, the satellites also carry sounders, which operate in the infra-red and microwave bands. The infra-red sounder is called HIRS/3, and the two microwave sounders AMSU-A and AMSU-B respectively.
NOAA17 Hirs l1d ch16
NOAA17 Hirs l1d ch17
NOAA17 Hirs l1d ch18
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These instruments provide much more spectral detail about a pixel, what its apparent temperature is in 40 different wavelengths, but at fewer pixels per scan than the AVHRR scanner.
ATOVS thus allows analysis of the atmospheric state in the vertical profile as well as parallel to the ground.
The Advanced Microwave Sounding Unit-B (AMSU-B) is a 5 channel microwave radiometer. The purpose of the instrument is to receive and measure radiation from a number of different layers of the atmosphere in order to obtain global data on humidity profiles. It works in conjunction with the AMSU-A instruments to provide a 20 channel microwave radiometer.
AMSU-B covers channels 16 through 20. The highest channels: 18, 19 and 20, span the strongly opaque water vapor absorption line at 183 GHz and provide data on the atmosphere's humidity level. Channels 16 and 17, at 89 GHz and 150 GHz, respectively, enable deeper penetration through the atmosphere to the Earth's surface.
ATOVS thus allows analysis of the atmospheric state in the vertical profile as well as parallel to the ground.
The Advanced Microwave Sounding Unit-B (AMSU-B) is a 5 channel microwave radiometer. The purpose of the instrument is to receive and measure radiation from a number of different layers of the atmosphere in order to obtain global data on humidity profiles. It works in conjunction with the AMSU-A instruments to provide a 20 channel microwave radiometer.
AMSU-B covers channels 16 through 20. The highest channels: 18, 19 and 20, span the strongly opaque water vapor absorption line at 183 GHz and provide data on the atmosphere's humidity level. Channels 16 and 17, at 89 GHz and 150 GHz, respectively, enable deeper penetration through the atmosphere to the Earth's surface.
NOAA17 Hirs l1d ch19
NOAA17 Hirs l1d ch20
