BackForwardInstrument:  AMSR3 

Instrument details
Acronym AMSR3
Full name Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer 3
Purpose Multi-purpose MW imager
Short description Large antenna, 11 frequencies / 21 channels in the range 6.9 to 183 GHz, [see detailed characteristics below].
Background Follow-on of AMSR flown on ADEOS-2, AMSR-E on EOS-Aqua and AMSR-2 flown on GCOM-W
Scanning Technique Conical: 55° zenith angle; swath: 1450 km - Scan rate: 40 scan/min = 10 km/scan. Channel 89 GHz, that subtends smaller IFOV, is sampled by two parallel scans for image continuity reasons.
Resolution Changing with frequency, consistent with an antenna diameter of 2 m. See table below.
Coverage / Cycle Global coverage once/day
Mass Power Data Rate 87.4 kbps

 

Providing Agency JAXA
Instrument Maturity Flown on an R&D satellite
Utilization Period: 2025 to 2031
Last update: 2023-12-05
Detailed characteristics

Central frequency

Bandwidth

Polarisation

NEΔT

IFOV

Pixel

6.925 GHz

350 MHz

H, V

0.34 K

34x58 km

10x10 km

7.3 GHz

350 MHz

H, V

0.34 K

34x58 km

10x10 km

10.25 GHz

500 MHz

H, V

0.34 K

22x39 km

10x10 km

10.65 GHz

100 MHz

H, V

0.7 K

22x39 km

10x10 km

18.7 GHz

200 MHz

H, V

0.7 K

12x21 km

10x10 km

23.8 GHz

400 MHz

H, V

0.6 K

14x24 km

10x10 km

36.42GHz

840 MHz

H, V

0.7 K

7x11 km

10x10 km

89.0 GHz (A)

3000 MHz

H, V

1.2 K

3x5 km

5x5 km

89.0 GHz (B)

3000 MHz

H, V

1.2 K

3x5 km

5x5 km

165.5 GHz

4000 MHz

V

1.5 K

4x9 km

5x5 km

183.31±7 GHz

4000 MHz

V

1.5 K

4x8 km

5x5 km

183.31±3 GHz

4000 MHz

V

1.5 K

4x8 km

5x5 km
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
  • Conical scanning microwave radiometer
WIGOS Subcomponents
  • Subcomponent 1
  • MW imagery [in SSO]
  • MW imager [in SSO]
  • MW imagery for surface temperature
  • MW imager for surface temperature
Mission objectives
Primary mission objectives
  • Integrated Water Vapour (IWV)
  • Precipitation intensity at surface (liquid or solid)
  • Sea surface temperature
  • Sea-ice cover
  • Snow cover
  • Snow water equivalent
  • Soil moisture at surface
  • Wind speed (near surface)
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
Accumulated precipitation2 - very highPoor time sampling.. Time sampling to be interpolated by GEO.MW channels around 10, 19, 23, 37 and 90 GHz, with high spatial resolution
Biomass3 - highIndex only.. Coarse spatial resolution.Derived from differential effect of vegetation across MW frequencies around 7, 10 and 19 GHz
Cloud ice3 - highNo specific limitation.MW channels around 37 and 90 GHz, and in 183 GHz band
Cloud ice Total Column3 - highNo specific limitation.MW channels around 37 and 90 GHz, and in 183 GHz band
Cloud liquid water (CLW)2 - very highNo specific limitation.MW channels around 37 and 90 GHz, and in 183 GHz band
Cloud liquid water (CLW) total column2 - very highNo specific limitation.MW channels around 37 and 90 GHz, and in 183 GHz band
Land surface temperature5 - marginalCoarse spatial resolution.MW channels around 7 and 10 GHz
Long-wave Earth surface emissivity3 - highLong time series needed.MW channels around 7, 10, 19, 37 and 90 GHz. Emissivity across this MW range inferred by statistical analysis
Precipitation intensity at surface (liquid or solid)*2 - very highNo specific limitation.MW channels around 10, 19, 23, 37 and 90 GHz, to cover sea and land, heavy and light precipitation. High spatial resolution consistent with the scale of precipitation
Sea surface temperature*3 - highNo specific limitation.MW channels around 7 and 10 GHz
Sea-ice cover*1 - primaryNo specific limitation.MW channels around 7, 10, 19, 37 and 90 GHz, with high spatial resolution for accurate contour detection
Sea-ice type4 - fairNo specific limitation.MW channels around 7, 10, 19, 37 and 90 GHz. Type interpreted as age/roughness
Snow cover*2 - very highCoarse spatial resolution.MW channels around 19, 37 and 90 GHz. Higher frequencies less sensitive to emissivity from ground under snow . High resolution closer to the scale of snow fields
Snow status (wet/dry)1 - primaryCoarse spatial resolution.MW channels around 19, 37 and 90 GHz. Higher frequencies less sensitive to emissivity from ground under snow. High resolution closer to the scale of snow fields
Snow water equivalent*1 - primaryCoarse spatial resolution.. Ground stations network needed.MW channels around 19, 37 and 90 GHz. Higher frequencies less sensitive to emissivity from ground under snow. High resolution closer to the scale of snow fields
Soil moisture (in the roots region)4 - fairCoarse spatial resolution.. Affected by vegetation.MW channels around 7 GHz. Assimilation process required
Soil moisture at surface*3 - highCoarse spatial resolution.. Affected by vegetation.MW channels around 7 and 10 GHz
Specific humidity3 - highCoarse vertical resolution.MW channels in the 183 GHz band
Integrated Water Vapour (IWV)*1 - primaryNo specific limitation.Use of water vapour band around 23 GHz with dual polarisation. High resolution useful for tomography
Wind speed (near surface)*2 - very highOver sea only.MW channels around 7, 10, 19 and 37 GHz