BackForwardInstrument:  AOS-MWR 

Instrument details
Acronym AOS-MWR
Full name AOS Microwave Radiometer (also SAPHIR-NG)
Purpose To measure ice water path, precipitation, atmospheric humidity.
Short description Passive microwave radiometers with channels in the ranges 89-113, 183 (6 channels), 325 (3 channels) GHz.
Background Similar to AOS-Sky MWR but lacking high frequency channels.
Scanning Technique Cross-track scanning 700 km swath
Resolution 3-10 km
Coverage / Cycle Global coverage in 2 days.
Mass Power Data Rate

 

Providing Agency NASA
Instrument Maturity Flown on an R&D satellite
Utilization Period: 2029 to 2031
Last update: 2023-11-13
Detailed characteristics
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
WIGOS Subcomponents
  • Subcomponent 1
  • MW sounder and imagery in inclined orbits
  • MW sounder and imager in inclined orbits
Mission objectives
Primary mission objectives
  • Cloud ice
  • Cloud ice Total Column
  • Integrated Water Vapour (IWV)
  • Precipitation (liquid or solid)
  • Specific humidity
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
Cloud drop effective radius5 - marginalHighly indirect.MW channels around 90 GHz, and in 183 GHz band
Cloud ice*1 - primaryNo specific limitation.Channels above 200 GHz have more sensitivity to ice cloud
Cloud ice Total Column*1 - primaryNo specific limitation.Channels above 200 GHz have more sensitivity to ice cloud
Cloud ice effective radius3 - highNo specific limitation.MW channels around 90 GHz, and in 183 GHz band
Cloud liquid water (CLW)3 - highNo specific limitation.MW channels around 90 GHz, and in 183 GHz band
Cloud liquid water (CLW) total column3 - highNo specific limitation.MW channels around 90 GHz, and in 183 GHz band
Downward long-wave irradiance at Earth surface5 - marginalHighly indirect.MW channels in 183 GHz band to account for downward cloud radiation
Precipitation intensity at surface (liquid or solid)5 - marginalNo specific limitation.MW channels in the 183 GHz band. Suitable for solid precipitation over sea and land, Insensitive to surface emissivity
Specific humidity*3 - highCoarse vertical resolution.MW channels in the 183 GHz band
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 183 GHz band to infer the impact of clouds on the upward LW radiation