BackForwardInstrument:  MWS 

Instrument details
Acronym MWS
Full name Micro-Wave Sounder
Purpose Temperature and humidity sounding in nearly-all-weather conditions. Also precipitation
Short description
  • 24 channels including bands 54 GHz and 183 GHz. All single polarisation (either H or V) [see detailed characteristics below]
  • Monitoring and calibration information here
Background

To replace AMSU-A and MHS flown on MetOp A to C
Scanning Technique

Cross-track, swath 2300 km
Resolution 17 km for channels 89 to 229 GHz, 20 km for channels 50 to 58 GHz, 40 km for channels 23.8 and 31.4 GHz
Coverage / Cycle Near-global coverage twice/day
Mass 132 kg Power 137 W Data Rate 30 kbps

 

Providing Agency ESA
Instrument Maturity Demonstrated by simulations
Utilization Period: 2025 to 2047
Last update: 2024-09-23
Detailed characteristics

No.

Central frequency (GHz)

Bandwidth (MHz)

Polarisation

NEΔT

IFOV at s.s.p.

1

23.8

270

V or H

0.25 K

40 km

2

31.4

180

V or H

0.35 K

40 km

3

50.3

180

V or H

0.5 K

20 km

4

52.8

400

V or H

0.35 K

20 km

5

53.246±0.08

2x140

H or V

0.4 K

20 km

6

53.596±0.115

2x170

H

0.4 K

20 km

7

53.948±0.081

2x142

H or V

0.4 K

20 km

8

54.4

400

H or V

0.35 K

20 km

9

54.94

400

V or H

0.35 K

20 km

10

55.5

330

H or V

0.4 K

20 km

11

57.290344

330

H or V

0.4 K

20 km

12

57.290344±0.217

2x78

H or V

0.55 K

20 km

13

57.290344±0.3222±0.048

4x36

H or V

0.6 K

20 km

14

57.290344±0.3222±0.022

4x16

H or V

0.9 K

20 km

15

57.290344±0.3222±0.010

4x8

H or V

1.2 K

20 km

16

57.290344±0.3222±0.0045

4x3

H or V

2.0 K

20 km

17

89

4000

V or H

0.25 K

17 km

18

164-167

2x1350

V or H

0.5 K

17 km

19

183.311±7.0

2x2000

V or H

0.4 K

17 km

20

183.311±4.5

2x2000

V or H

0.4 K

17 km

21

183.311±3.0

2x1000

V or H

0.6 K

17 km

22

183.311±1.8

2x1000

V or H

0.6 K

17 km

23

183.311±1.0

2x500

V or H

0.75 K

17 km

24

229.0

2000

V or H

0.70 K

17 km
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 ice1 - primaryNo specific limitation.MW channels around 37 and 90 GHz, in 54 and 183 GHz bands, and >200 GHz (e.g., 229 GHz) specifically sensitive to ice
Cloud ice Total Column1 - primaryNo specific limitation.MW channels around 37 and 90 GHz, in 54 and 183 GHz bands, and >200 GHz (e.g., 229 GHz) specifically sensitive to ice
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