An Analysis of Simulated and Actual DMSP SSM/T-2 Brightness Temperatures
Abstract
Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) Special Sensor Microwave/T-2 (SSM/T-2 or T-2) global brightness temperature maps are related to some of the known observed general circulation features of the atmosphere and surface characteristics of Earth. The brightness temperatures from two regions with different large scale circulations are compared and contrasted. The concept of the invariance of the weighting functions with respect to water vapor overburden is tested. It is demonstrated that the levels where the 183 + or - 1 and 3 GHz brightness temperatures match the thermodynamic temperature are levels of approximately equal overburden. Water vapor overburden (integrated water vapor above a given level) was retrieved and mapped on a constant pressure surface from T-2 brightness temperatures and atmospheric temperature-pressure data. A simple physical retrieval scheme based on the approximately equal overburden, irrespective of the moisture profile, for the 183 + or - 1 GHz frequency was developed and demonstrated. This simple retrieval could be used to initialize more sophisticated retrievals
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- May 01, 1993
- Accession Number
- ADA268103
Entities
People
- Frank A. Leute Iv
Organizations
- Air Force Institute of Technology