BackForwardInstrument:  AOS-Sky MWR 

Instrument details
Acronym AOS-Sky MWR
Full name AOS-Sky Microwave Radiometer
Purpose Measurement of ice cloud properties, including ice water path.
Short description High-frequency passive microwave radiometers with channels in the ranges 89-113, 183 (3 channels), 325 (3 channels), 640-700 (2 channels) GHz.
Background New development
Scanning Technique Cross-track scanning 750 km swath
Resolution 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: 2031 to 2036
Last update: 2023-10-31
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 sounders [in SSO]
  • MW sounder [in SSO]
Mission objectives
Primary mission objectives
  • Cloud ice
  • Cloud ice Total Column
  • Cloud liquid water (CLW) total column
  • Integrated Water Vapour (IWV)
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 column*3 - 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 humidity3 - 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