Microwave Brightness Temperature and Its Relation to Atmospheric General Circulation Features

Abstract

Microwave Sounding Unit (MSU) global brightness temperature fields are compared with observed atmospheric general circulation features for the purpose of determining the extent to which MSU brightness temperature relates to observed atmospheric circulation. A six-week MSU data set covering 8 Jan 87 - 18 Feb 87 is analyzed. Global and hemispheric projections of MSU Channel 2 (53.74 GHz), Channel 3 (54.96 GHz), and Channel 4 (57.95 GHz) brightness temperature fields are presented in two divisions; 8-31 Jan and 1-18 Feb 87. Complementary data sets of temperature, zonal wind, geopotential height, and streamfunction are developed using model analyses from the European Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) and the National Meteorological Center (NMC) for the purpose of a comparative study. MSU thermal fields may be considered an estimate of atmospheric mean-layer temperature through levels determined by each channel's weighting function.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
May 17, 1989
Accession Number
ADA218312

Entities

People

  • Theodore T. Vroman

Organizations

  • Air Force Institute of Technology

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Space

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Artificial Satellites
  • Atmospheric Sciences
  • Climate Change
  • Computer Programming
  • Computers
  • Data Analysis
  • Electromagnetic Radiation
  • Geography
  • Isotherms
  • Jet Propulsion
  • Measurement
  • North America
  • Ridges
  • Stratified Fluids
  • Temperature Gradients
  • Terrain
  • Topography

Fields of Study

  • Environmental science

Readers

  • Atmospheric Science/Meteorology
  • Radio communications and signal processing.