AIRS/AMSU/HSB on the aqua mission: design, science objectives, data products, and processing systems

TLDR

The AIRS/AMSU/HSB suite on Aqua provides integrated infrared and microwave temperature and humidity soundings, enabling global retrieval accuracy better than 1 K and supporting NASA climate research and operational weather forecasting. This paper outlines the science objectives, data products, retrieval algorithms, and ground‑data processing concepts for the AIRS/AMSU/HSB system. AIRS is a 2378‑channel infrared spectrometer, AMSU is a 15‑channel microwave radiometer, and HSB is a four‑channel microwave radiometer, all launched into a 705‑km sun‑synchronous orbit on May 4 2002 to deliver high‑resolution atmospheric profiles. Pre‑ and on‑orbit testing confirm AIRS’s superior radiometric performance, and its assimilation into numerical weather models is expected to markedly extend forecast range and improve reliability.

Abstract

The Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS), the Advanced Microwave Sounding Unit (AMSU), and the Humidity Sounder for Brazil (HSB) form an integrated cross-track scanning temperature and humidity sounding system on the Aqua satellite of the Earth Observing System (EOS). AIRS is an infrared spectrometer/radiometer that covers the 3.7-15.4-/spl mu/m spectral range with 2378 spectral channels. AMSU is a 15-channel microwave radiometer operating between 23 and 89 GHz. HSB is a four-channel microwave radiometer that makes measurements between 150 and 190 GHz. In addition to supporting the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's interest in process study and climate research, AIRS is the first hyperspectral infrared radiometer designed to support the operational requirements for medium-range weather forecasting of the National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration's National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) and other numerical weather forecasting centers. AIRS, together with the AMSU and HSB microwave radiometers, will achieve global retrieval accuracy of better than 1 K in the lower troposphere under clear and partly cloudy conditions. This paper presents an overview of the science objectives, AIRS/AMSU/HSB data products, retrieval algorithms, and the ground-data processing concepts. The EOS Aqua was launched on May 4, 2002 from Vandenberg AFB, CA, into a 705-km-high, sun-synchronous orbit. Based on the excellent radiometric and spectral performance demonstrated by AIRS during prelaunch testing, which has by now been verified during on-orbit testing, we expect the assimilation of AIRS data into the numerical weather forecast to result in significant forecast range and reliability improvements.