JPSS-1 ATMS: Satellite Microwave Brightness Temperature Measurements

22-channel microwave radiometer data from the NOAA-20 satellite measures upwelling radiances across six frequency bands. The instrument scans cross-track with a period of 8/3 seconds, producing brightness temperature arrays of 135 rows by 96 columns per channel. NASA provides this Level 1B product, which has an instantaneous ground resolution ranging from 16 km to 75 km depending on the channel.

Use Cases

• Calibrating atmospheric models based on 22-channel brightness temperature measurements
• Analyzing cross-track scanning patterns based on the 8/3 second scan period
• Mapping geospatial data based on the 135x96 pixel arrays per channel
• Studying microwave spectral signatures across six frequency bands from 23 GHz to 183 GHz

Strengths

• Data is collected from a satellite orbiting at an altitude of about 830 km, providing a global perspective.
• The instrument has 22 channels across six distinct frequency bands, offering spectral diversity.
• Brightness temperature data is structured in a 135x96 array per channel, providing spatial granularity.
• Scanning is synchronized with the Cross-track Infrared Sounder (CrIS) using a spacecraft-provided pulse.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Last updated 2026-03-13 01:22:19.256378; freshness should be verified.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Collection Method

Data collected by the Advanced Technology Microwave Sounder (ATMS) instrument on the NOAA-20 satellite.

Geography

Global coverage from satellite orbit.