BackForwardInstrument:  ATMS 

Instrument details
Acronym ATMS
Full name Advanced Technology Microwave Sounder
Purpose Temperature and humidity sounding in nearly-all-weather conditions.  Also precipitation
Short description

22 channels including the 54 and 183 GHz bands; cross-track scanning [see detailed characteristics below]. Details here: https://www.star.nesdis.noaa.gov/jpss/ATMS.php
Background

Development merging AMSU-A flown on NOAA 15 to 19 and AMSU-B on NOAA 15 to 17
Scanning Technique

Cross-track: 96 steps of 16 km s.s.p., swath 2200 km - Along-track: one 16-km line every 8/3 s
Resolution 16 km s.s.p. for channels 165-183 GHz, 32 km for channels 50-90 GHz, 75 km for channels 23-32 GHz
Coverage / Cycle Near-global coverage twice/day
Mass 75.4 kg Power 93 W Data Rate 20 kbps

 

Providing Agency NOAA
Instrument Maturity Flown on operational programme
Utilization Period: 2012 to 2039
Last update: 2024-11-21
Detailed characteristics
No. Central frequency (GHz) Bandwidth (MHz) Quasi-polarisation NEΔT
1 23.800 270 QV 0.90 K
2 31.400 180 QV 0.90 K
3 50.300 180 QH 1.20 K
4 51.760 400 QH 0.75 K
5 52.800 400 QH 0.75 K
6 53.596 ± 0.115 170 QH 0.75 K
7 54.400 400 QH 0.75 K
8 54.940 400 QH 0.75 K
9 55.500 330 QH 0.75 K
10 f0 = 57.290344 330 QH 0.75 K
11 f0 ± 0.217 78 QH 1.20 K
12 f0 ± 0.3222  ± 0.048 36 QH 1.20 K
13 f0 ± 0.3222  ± 0.022 16 QH 1.50 K
14 f0 ± 0.3222  ± 0.010 8 QH 2.40 K
15 f0 ± 0.3222  ± 0.0045 3 QH 3.60 K
16 88.2 2000 QV 0.50 K
17 165.5 3000 QH 0.60 K
18 183.31 ± 7.0 2000 QH 0.80 K
19 183.31 ± 4.5 2000 QH 0.80 K
20 183.31 ± 3.0 1000 QH 0.80 K
21 183.31 ± 1.8 1000 QH 0.80 K
22 183.31 ± 1.0 500 QH 0.90 K
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]
  • MW cross-track upper stratospheric and mesospheric sounders
  • MW cross-track upper stratospheric and mesospheric sounder
Mission objectives
Primary mission objectives
  • Atmospheric temperature
  • 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
Atmospheric temperature*1 - primaryCoarse vertical resolution.Many MW channels in the 54 GHz band. Nearly all-weather sounding
Cloud drop effective radius5 - marginalHighly indirect.MW channels around 37 and 90 GHz, and in 54 GHz band
Cloud ice3 - highNo specific limitation.MW channels around 37 and 90 GHz, and in 54 and 183 GHz bands
Cloud ice Total Column3 - highNo specific limitation.MW channels around 37 and 90 GHz, and in 54 and 183 GHz bands
Cloud ice effective radius2 - very highNo specific limitation.MW channels around 37 and 90 GHz, and in bands 54 and 183 GHz
Cloud liquid water (CLW)2 - very highNo specific limitation.MW channels around 37 and 90 GHz, and in bands 54 and 183 GHz
Cloud liquid water (CLW) total column2 - very highNo specific limitation.MW channels around 37 and 90 GHz, and in bands 54 and 183 GHz
Downward long-wave irradiance at Earth surface5 - marginalHighly indirect.MW channels in bands 54 and 183 GHz to account for downward cloud radiation
Freezing level height in clouds3 - highNo specific limitation.MW channels in the 54 GHz band. Inference from the temperature profile
Melting layer depth in clouds3 - highNo specific limitation.MW channels in the 54 GHz band. Inference from the temperature profile
Precipitation intensity at surface (liquid or solid)4 - fairNo specific limitation.MW channels in the 54 and 183 GHz bands. Suitable for solid and liquid precipitation over sea and land, Insensitive to surface emissivity
Specific humidity*2 - very highCoarse vertical resolution.MW channels in the 183 GHz band, and 54 GHz for temperature and liquid water corrections
Integrated Water Vapour (IWV)1 - primaryNo specific limitation.MW channel(s) in the water vapour bands around 23 and 183 GHz
Upward long-wave irradiance at Earth surface5 - marginalHighly indirect.MW channels is the 54 and 183 GHz bands to infer the impact of clouds on the upward LW radiation