AIRS/Aqua HSB: Microwave Brightness Temperatures for Atmospheric Humidity

Global satellite data from the Humidity Sounder for Brazil (HSB) instrument aboard NASA's Aqua spacecraft provides calibrated microwave brightness temperatures. The dataset contains four channels in the 150-190 GHz spectrum, with daily data organized into 240 six-minute scenes, each comprising 12,150 geolocated footprints. These measurements support the retrieval of atmospheric moisture profiles and provide information on snow/ice cover and precipitation.

Use Cases

• Initializing atmospheric moisture profiles for AIRS geophysical retrievals based on the 183 GHz humidity sounding channels.
• Detecting snow and ice cover using brightness temperatures from the 150 GHz window channel.
• Analyzing coarse tropospheric moisture distribution from the multi-channel microwave measurements.
• Studying precipitation patterns through microwave brightness temperature anomalies.
• Conducting cross-instrument validation by comparing footprints with coincident AIRS infrared data.

Strengths

• Provides high-resolution spatial data with 12,150 geolocated footprints per six-minute scene.
• Offers calibrated, physically meaningful brightness temperatures in degrees Kelvin.
• Data is part of a multi-sensor suite (AIRS, AMSU, HSB) enabling synergistic atmospheric analysis.

Limitations

• The HSB instrument failed in November 2003, limiting the temporal coverage of the dataset.
• Conflicting metadata exists: one source lists a last update in 2026, while another indicates 2003, creating uncertainty about data currency.
• Specific column names and dataset size/row counts are not provided, limiting understanding of the data structure.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

Collection Method

Satellite remote sensing from the HSB instrument on the Aqua spacecraft.

Time Range

Data collection ended in November 2003.

Freshness

2026-04-10 17:55:12.710328

Geography

Global