Global Daily Brightness Temperature at 23GHz from AMSR2 Satellite

GCOM-W/AMSR2 L3 Brightness Temperature (23Ghz) (1-Day,0.1 deg) provides daily averaged brightness temperature measurements at 23GHz from the AMSR2 sensor onboard the GCOM-W satellite. The dataset is produced by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) using Level 1B and Level 2 inputs to calculate daily statistical means on a 0.1-degree global grid. GCOM-W was launched on May 18, 2012, and the data supports the creation of long-term global physical datasets.

Use Cases

• Modeling soil moisture and vegetation water content by analyzing daily Brightness_Temperature_(H) and Brightness_Temperature_(V) values at 23GHz.
• Monitoring polar sea ice extent and concentration trends using brightness temperature data from ascending and descending satellite tracks over time.
• Assimilating 0.1-degree gridded brightness temperature observations into numerical weather prediction models to improve atmospheric state estimates.
• Detecting data gaps and sensor errors by identifying pixels with the missing value code 65535 or error codes 65531 to 65534.
• Comparing long-term climate records by utilizing the dataset's daily and monthly statistical mean calculations across its global coverage.

Strengths

• Global coverage with a consistent 0.1-degree spatial sampling resolution.
• Provides separate data for satellite ascending and descending tracks, enabling diurnal cycle analysis.
• Long-term record supported by satellite launch in 2012 and ongoing data production.

Limitations

• Missing values (65535) and error codes (65531-65534) require filtering, which can create spatial gaps in analysis.
• The 1-day temporal resolution may be insufficient for studying sub-daily atmospheric or surface phenomena.
• Relies on a simple arithmetic mean for daily and monthly averages, which may smooth out extreme events.

Provenance

Source

Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA).

Collection Method

Calculated from AMSR2 sensor Level 1B and Level 2 data using a simple arithmetic mean for daily statistical values on a global grid.

Time Range

Records begin after the satellite launch on May 18, 2012.

Freshness

Daily statistical period; update frequency is daily.

Geography

Global coverage.