AMSU-A Instrument

Identifieramsu-a-noaaNamesAdvanced Microwave Sounding Unit-AAMSU-A About identifiers

Measurements and Applications

All-weather night-day temperature sounding to an altitude of 45 km.

Instrument Summary

Full Name
Advanced Microwave Sounding Unit-A
Status
Operational
Instrument Agencies
NOAA, UKSA
Maturity
High Heritage - Operational
Instrument Type
Atmospheric temperature and humidity sounders
Geometry
Cross-track scanning
Instrument Technology
Absorption-band MW radiometer/spectrometer
Sampling
Sounding
Data Access
Open Access
Data Format
Native, BUFR

Performance Summary

Resolution
48 km
[Best Resolution: 48000m]
Swath
2054 km
[Max Swath: 2054 km]
Accuracy
Temperature profile: 2 K, humidity: 3 kg/m2, ice & snow cover: 10%
Waveband
Microwave: 15 channels, 23.8 - 89.0 GHz
MW (~0.1 cm - ~100 cm)

Instrument Missions

NOAA-15 - National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration - 15 (1998 - 2025) noaa-15_amsu-a-noaa
NOAA-16 - National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration - 16 (2000 - 2014) noaa-16_amsu-a-noaa
NOAA-17 - National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration - 17 (2002 - 2013) noaa-17_amsu-a-noaa
NOAA-18 - National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration - 18 (2005 - 2025) noaa-18_amsu-a-noaa
Metop-A - Meteorological Operational Polar Satellite - A (2006 - 2021) metop-a_amsu-a-noaa
NOAA-19 - National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration - 19 (2009 - 2025) noaa-19_amsu-a-noaa
Metop-B - Meteorological Operational Polar Satellite - B (2012 - 2027) metop-b_amsu-a-noaa
Metop-C - Meteorological Operational Polar Satellite - C (2018 - 2027) metop-c_amsu-a-noaa

Instrument Measurements

CategoryParameter
Atmospheric Humidity FieldsAtmospheric specific humidity (TC)
Atmospheric Temperature FieldsAtmospheric temperature (LT, HT, LS, HS&M, TC)
Height of tropopause
Temperature of tropopause
Cloud particle properties and profileCloud liquid water (TC)
Cloud type, amount and cloud top temperatureCloud type
Liquid water and precipitation ratePrecipitation intensity at the surface (liquid or solid)
Ocean surface windsWind speed over sea surface (horizontal)
Radiation budgetLong-wave Earth surface emissivity
Sea ice cover, edge and thicknessSea-ice cover
Snow cover, edge and depthSnow cover
Snow water equivalent
Soil moistureSoil moisture at the surface
Surface temperature (land)Land surface temperature
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