2004 data from the Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer for EOS (AMSR-E), a twelve-channel, six-frequency passive-microwave radiometer system. The instrument measures vertically and horizontally polarized brightness temperatures at frequencies from 6.925 GHz to 89.0 GHz, with spatial resolution varying from 5.4 km to 56 km. It was produced by the organization AMD_KOPRI and collected via a 1.6-meter diameter scanning reflector.
Use Cases
- Retrieve sea ice concentration by analyzing polarization differences in the 6.925 GHz and 36.5 GHz channels.
- Estimate global soil moisture levels using low-frequency brightness temperature measurements at 6.925 GHz and 10.65 GHz.
- Derive atmospheric water vapor and cloud liquid water content from the 23.8 GHz and 36.5 GHz channels.
- Map global precipitation rates by analyzing temporal changes in brightness temperatures across all six frequency bands.
- Study surface properties and emissivity by comparing vertically and horizontally polarized measurements for each frequency.
Strengths
- Provides measurements at six distinct microwave frequencies (6.925 to 89.0 GHz).
- Includes both vertical and horizontal polarization for all twelve channels.
- Offers a constant Earth incidence angle of 55 degrees for consistent geometry.
- Calibrated using cosmic background radiation and an on-board warm target.
Limitations
- Spatial resolution is coarse, varying from 56 km at 6.9 GHz to 5.4 km at 89.0 GHz.
- Dataset is from a single year (2004), limiting long-term trend analysis.
- Specific row count, file size, and data volume are unknown.
Provenance
- Source
- NASA Earthdata via the Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer for EOS (AMSR-E) instrument.
- Collection Method
- Collected by a satellite-borne radiometer system using a 1.6-meter offset parabolic reflector that scans conically.
- Time Range
- 2004
- Freshness
- null
- Geography
- Global coverage from the satellite's swath.