A satellite microwave sounding unit measures the microwave radiation emitted or reflected by the Earth's atmosphere. It is primarily used to gather data about the temperature and humidity profiles of the atmosphere at different altitudes. This information is vital for weather forecasting, climate monitoring, and studying atmospheric phenomena.
The key parameters measured by a satellite microwave sounding unit include:
Brightness Temperature: The unit detects the thermal radiation emitted by the atmosphere at specific microwave frequencies. The recorded brightness temperatures are used to derive information about the atmospheric composition, temperature, and humidity.
Atmospheric Temperature: Microwave sounding units measure the thermal emission from oxygen and water vapor molecules in the atmosphere. By analyzing the specific characteristics of the microwave radiation emitted at different frequencies, scientists can derive vertical profiles of temperature throughout the atmosphere.
Humidity: Water vapor plays a crucial role in weather and climate processes. Microwave sounding units can estimate the amount of water vapor in the atmosphere by detecting the microwave radiation emitted by water vapor molecules. This helps in understanding humidity levels and tracking moisture patterns.
Cloud Properties: Microwave sounding units are capable of distinguishing between cloud droplets and precipitation particles. They provide information on cloud cover, cloud heights, and the presence of liquid or ice within clouds.
Precipitation: The unit can also detect the microwave radiation reflected or scattered by precipitation particles such as rain, snow, and hail. This information aids in monitoring and predicting rainfall patterns.
By continuously collecting data on these parameters from space, satellite microwave sounding units contribute to the global weather observing system and provide valuable inputs for numerical weather prediction models, climate studies, and understanding atmospheric dynamics.