BackForwardInstrument:  MWHS-1 

Instrument details
Acronym MWHS-1
Full name Micro-Wave Humidity Sounder -1
Purpose Humidity sounding in nearly-all-weather conditions
Short description
  • 4 frequencies, 5 channels [see detailed characteristics below]
  • Calibration monitoring here
Background

New development
Scanning Technique

Cross-track: 98 steps of 16 km s.s.p., swath 2700 km - Along-track: one 15-km line every 2.667 s
Resolution 16 km at s.s.p.
Coverage / Cycle Global coverage twice/day
Mass 44 kg Power 60 W Data Rate 7.5 kbps

 

Providing Agency CMA
Instrument Maturity Flown on operational programme
Utilization Period: 2008 to 2021
Last update: 2024-09-09
Detailed characteristics
No. Central frequency (GHz) Bandwidth (MHz) Polarisation NEΔT
1 150 1000 V 0.9 K
2 150 1000 H 0.9 k
5 183.31 ± 7.0 2000 H 0.9 K
4 183.31 ± 3.0 1000 H 0.9 K
3 183.31 ± 1.0 500 H 1.1 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]
Mission objectives
Primary mission objectives
  • 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
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