This module introduces the concepts and principles basic to retrieving important land and ocean surface properties using microwave remote sensing observations from polar-orbiting satellites. Section one reviews the advantages of microwave remote sensing from polar-orbiting platforms and briefly highlights some of the unique spectral characteristics that allow for differentiation between various surface types and properties. Subsequent sections present a more in-depth look at the derivation and application of microwave products that quantify four different land and ocean surface properties and their characteristics, including snow cover and water equivalent, sea ice, surface wetness and soil moisture, and sea surface temperature. The module reviews both past and current satellite missions and also discusses the future NPOESS constellation that is expected to include a passive microwave sensing capability beginning with the second NPOESS satellite. This module takes about 120 minutes to complete.
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After completing this module learners will be able to:
• Describe the benefits of microwave remote sensing for observing various surface properties when compared to visible and infrared approaches
• Describe the key application areas and users that benefit from characterization of snow cover, sea ice, sea surface temperature, and surface wetness and soil moisture
• Understand the basic principles that enable the microwave remote sensing of the various surface properties described in the module
• Describe the limitations common to the retrieval of surface properties covered in the module
• Describe some of the limitations unique to each of the four surface properties covered in the module
• Name the polar-orbiting satellite systems currently available and those planned for future implementation
polar-orbiting satellite, polar satellite, microwave, microwave radiation, microwave energy, SMMR, AMSU, AMSU-A, AMSU-B, MHS, AMSR-E SSM/I, SSMIS, TRMM, TMI, TRMM TMI, POES, NPOESS, Metop, ERS-1, ERS-2, soil moisture, soil wetness, surface wetness, snow cover, snowpack, snow water equivalent, sea ice, sea ice cover, sea ice coverage, sea surface temperature, salinity, snow coverage, snow depth, snowpack temperature, wet-dry state, composites, product composites, global composites, cloud cover, coastlines, total precipitable water, tpw, cloud liquid water, clw, ice water path, iwp, rain rate, WindSat, conical scanner, conical scanning, cross-track scanning, cross-track scanner, scatterometer, NOAA, EUMETSAT, viewing geometry, field-of-view, footprint, dielectric, dielectric effect, dielectric constant, emissivity, emission, absorption, transmissivity, scattering, polarization, radio frequency interference, brightness temperature, satellite brightness temperature, Hurricane Katrina, satellite remote sensing, microwave spectrum, channel selection, microwave channel selection, soil penetration depth, emissivity curves, window channel brightness temperature, passive microwave, active microwave
