WMO OSCAR | Details for Instrument MRIR

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Instrument: MRIR

Instrument details

Acronym	MRIR
Full name	Medium Resolution Infrared Radiometer
Purpose	To observe integrated short-wave and long-wave radiation from Earth to Space and its main components (water vapour, window, CO2).
Short description	5-channel radiometer, two broad-band (0.2-4.0 μm and 5-30 μm), three narrow-band (6.4-6.9 μm, 10-11 μm and 14-16 μm). On Nimbus-3 the 5-30 μm channel was replaced by 20-23 μm
Background	First Earth radiation budget instrument
Scanning Technique	Cross-track, swath 3000 km
Resolution	55 km at s.s.p.
Coverage / Cycle	Global each day
Mass		Power	Data Rate

Providing Agency	NASA
Instrument Maturity	Flown on an R&D satellite
Utilization Period:	1961 to 1972
Last update:	2014-09-24

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

Nimbus (NASA)
- Nimbus-2 (see instrument status) Aug 1966 - Jan 1969
- Nimbus-3 (see instrument status) Jul 1969 - Jan 1972
Television and Infra-Red Observation Satellite (NASA)
- TIROS-2 (see instrument status) Feb 1961 - Dec 1961
- TIROS-3 (see instrument status) Oct 1961 - Feb 1962
- TIROS-4 (see instrument status) May 1962 - Jul 1962
- TIROS-7 (see instrument status) Sep 1963 - Jun 1968

Instrument classification

Earth observation instrument
Passive optical radiometer or spectrometer
Broadband Earth radiation radiometer

WIGOS Subcomponents

Subcomponent 1
Absolutely calibrated broadband radiometers, and TSI and SSI radiometers
Broadband radiometer (for ERB)

Mission objectives

Primary mission objectives

Upward long-wave irradiance at TOA
Upward short-wave irradiance at TOA

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.

Variable	Relevance for measuring this variable	Operational limitations	Explanation
Upward short-wave irradiance at TOA*	2 - very high	Information on BRDF needed.	SW and LW broadband channels, and supporting narrow-bandwidth channels for cloud detection
Upward long-wave irradiance at TOA*	1 - primary	No specific limitation.	SW and LW broadband channels, and supporting narrow-bandwidth channels for cloud detection