| Instrument | Agency | Missions | Status | Type | Measurements &
applications | Technical characteristics |
AMSU-A
Advanced Microwave Sounding Unit-A | NOAA (UKSA) | Current: Metop-B, Metop-C
Future: -
Complete: Metop-A, NOAA-16, NOAA-17, NOAA-18, NOAA-19, NOAA-15 | Operational | Atmospheric temperature and humidity sounders | All-weather night-day temperature sounding to an altitude of 45 km. |
| Waveband: | Microwave: 15 channels, 23.8 - 89.0 GHz
MW |
| Spatial resolution: | 48 km
Best resolution: 48000 m |
| Swath width: | 2054 km |
| Accuracy: | Temperature profile: 2 K, humidity: 3 kg/m2, ice & snow cover: 10% |
| Data Access: | Open Access |
| Data Format: | Native, BUFR |
|
AMSU-A
Advanced Microwave Sounding Unit-A | NASA | Current: Aqua
Future: -
Complete: - | Operational | Atmospheric temperature and humidity sounders | All-weather night-day temperature sounding to an altitude of 45 km. AMSU-A on Aqua is still partially operational, with 9 of the 15 channels working and collecting data. |
| Waveband: | Microwave: 15 channels, 23.8 - 89.0 GHz
MW |
| Spatial resolution: | 48 km |
| Swath width: | 2054 km |
| Accuracy: | Temperature profile: 2 K, humidity: 3 kg/m2, ice & snow cover: 10% |
| Data Access: | Open Access |
| Data Format: | HDF-EOS |
|
ATMS
Advanced Technology Microwave Sounder | NASA (NOAA) | Current: NOAA-21
Future: JPSS-3, JPSS-4, QuickSounder, Suomi NPP, NOAA-20
Complete: - | Operational | Atmospheric temperature and humidity sounders | Collects microwave radiance data that when combined with the CrIS data will permit calculation of atmospheric temperature and water vapour profiles. |
| Waveband: | Microwave: 22 bands, 23-184 GHz
MW |
| Spatial resolution: | 5.2 - 1.1 deg |
| Swath width: | 2300 km |
| Accuracy: | 0.75 K - 3.60 K |
| Data Access: | Open Access |
| Data Format: | NetCDF-4, HDF5 |
|
HSB
Humidity Sounder for Brazil | INPE (NASA) | Current: Aqua
Future: -
Complete: - | No longer operational | Atmospheric temperature and humidity sounders | Humidity soundings for climatological and atmospheric dynamics applications. The scan mirror motor failed on the 5th of February 2003. |
| Waveband: | Microwave: 5 discreet channels in the range of 150-183 MHz
MW |
| Spatial resolution: | 13.5 km |
| Swath width: | 1650 km |
| Accuracy: | Temperature: 1.0-1.2 K coverage of land and ocean surfaces, Humidity: 20% |
| Data Access: | Open Access |
| Data Format: | HDF-EOS |
|
MHS
Microwave Humidity Sounder | EUMETSAT | Current: Metop-B, Metop-C
Future: -
Complete: Metop-A, NOAA-18, NOAA-19 | Operational | Atmospheric temperature and humidity sounders | Atmospheric humidity profiles, cloud cover, cloud liquid, water content, ice boundaries and precipitation data.
MHS on NOAA-18 is considered failed following an anomaly on 21 October 2018. |
| Waveband: | Microwave: 89 GHz, 166 GHz and 3 channels near 183 GHz
MW |
| Spatial resolution: | Vertical: 3 - 7 km, Horizontal: 30 - 50 km
Best resolution: 30000 m |
| Swath width: | 1650 km |
| Accuracy: | Cloud water profile: 10 g/m2, specific humidity profile: 10 - 20% |
| Data Access: | Open Access |
| Data Format: | BUFR |
|
MTVZA-GY
Scanning microwave imager-sounder | ROSKOSMOS (ROSHYDROMET) | Current: Meteor-M N2-4, Meteor-M N2-3
Future: Meteor-M N2-6, Meteor-M N2-5
Complete: Meteor-3M, Meteor-M N1, Meteor-M N2, Meteor-M N2-1, Meteor-M N2-2 | Operational | Imaging multi-spectral radiometers (passive microwave) | Atmospheric temperature and humidity profiles, precipitation, sea-level wind speed, snow/ice coverage. |
| Waveband: | 18.7 - 183.3 GHz, 26 channels
MW |
| Spatial resolution: | 10000 - 100000 m
Best resolution: 10000 m |
| Swath width: | 1500 km |
| Accuracy: | |
| Data Access: | Constrained Access |
| Data Format: | |
|
MTVZA-GY-MP
Advanced Scanning microwave imager-sounder | ROSHYDROMET | Current: -
Future: Meteor-MP N1, Meteor-MP N2, Meteor-MP N3
Complete: - | Proposed | Imaging multi-spectral radiometers (passive microwave) | Atmospheric temperature and humidity profiles, precipitation, sea-level wind speed, snow/ice coverage. |
| Waveband: | 10.6 - 183.3 GHz, 26 channels
MW |
| Spatial resolution: | 12 - 75 km |
| Swath width: | 2600 km |
| Accuracy: | 0.4 - 2.0 K depending on spectral band |
| Data Access: | Constrained Access |
| Data Format: | |
|
MWHS-2
Micro-Wave Humidity Sounder-2 | NSMC-CMA (CNSA) | Current: FY-3E, FY-3F, FY-3H
Future: FY-3J
Complete: FY-3C, FY-3D | Operational | Atmospheric temperature and humidity sounders | Vertical distribution of large temperature and humidity |
| Waveband: |
MW |
| Spatial resolution: | 16km (183GHz) / 32km (other)
Best resolution: 16000 m |
| Swath width: | Cross-track: 98 steps of 16 km s.s.p., swath 2700 km |
| Accuracy: | |
| Data Access: | Open Access |
| Data Format: | L-1 data: HDF 5.0 |
|
MWR
Microwave Radiometer | ESA | Current: AWS
Future: EPS-Sterna
Complete: - | Operational | Atmospheric temperature and humidity sounders | Cross-track scanning microwave radiometer. Provides measurements of atmospheric humidity and temperature. |
| Waveband: |
MW |
| Spatial resolution: | 10-40 km
Best resolution: 10 m |
| Swath width: | 2000 km |
| Accuracy: | NEDT 0.3 to 1.7 K (depending on channel) radiometric bias below 1.0K. |
| Data Access: | Open Access |
| Data Format: | |
|
MWS
Microwave Sounder | EUMETSAT (ESA) | Current: METOP-SG A1
Future: METOP-SG A2, METOP-SG A3
Complete: - | Being developed | Atmospheric temperature and humidity sounders | All-weather night-day temperature sounding |
| Waveband: | 24 channels from 23.8 to 229 GHz
MW |
| Spatial resolution: | Footprint size 17 - 40 km |
| Swath width: | 1700km |
| Accuracy: | |
| Data Access: | Open Access |
| Data Format: | NetCDF-4 |
|