Global Monthly Brightness Temperature at 7GHz from AMSR2 Satellite

Global monthly averaged brightness temperature data at 7GHz, derived from the AMSR2 sensor onboard the JAXA GCOM-W satellite. The dataset provides statistical means, standard deviations, and observation counts on a 0.1-degree grid for each month. It is produced by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) from observations beginning after the satellite's launch in May 2012.

Use Cases

• Analyzing long-term trends in Brightness_Temperature_(H) and Brightness_Temperature_(V) to monitor polar sea ice extent and concentration.
• Using Standard_Deviation values per pixel to assess measurement variability and data reliability for climate model validation.
• Leveraging the Average_Number and Total_Number columns to filter data by observation density and quality for regional studies.
• Mapping global monthly geophysical parameters by combining brightness temperature data with the 0.1-degree equi-rectangular (EQR) or polar stereo (PS) projection grids.

Strengths

• Data is provided on a global 0.1-degree grid, offering detailed spatial resolution.
• Includes separate statistical means for satellite ascending and descending tracks, allowing for diurnal cycle analysis.
• The dataset is part of a long-term observation record from the AMSR2 sensor, launched in 2012.

Limitations

• Missing values and error values (65531 to 65535) are encoded as large integers, requiring specific handling.
• The standard deviation metric (Standard_Deviation) is only available in the monthly product, not daily.
• The temporal coverage and update recency are unspecified.

Provenance

Source

Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA)

Collection Method

Satellite remote sensing via the AMSR2 microwave radiometer onboard the GCOM-W satellite, with Level 3 processing calculating monthly statistical means from daily data.

Time Range

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Freshness

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Geography

global