AMSR-E Level IC Development
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Sensor Description:
The AMSR-E is a conically scanning passive microwave radiometer sensing microwave radiation at 12 channels and 6 frequencies ranging from 6.9 to 89 GHz (gigahertz). It is built by Mitsubishi Electric Company with NASDA funding. Horizontally and vertically polarized radiation are measured separately at each frequency. The AMSR-E utilizes an offset parabolic reflector 1.6 meters in diameter to focus the radiation into an array of feedhorns that feed the radiation to detectors. During scanning, the instrument spins at 40 revolutions per minute (rpm), covering a swath 1445 km wide on the Earth from an altitude of 705 km.
Table 1. AMSR-E characteristics ::
| Center Frequencies(GHz) | 6.925 | 10.65 | 18.7 | 23.8 | 36.5 | 89.0 |
| Polarization | V/H | V/H | V/H | V/H | V/H | V/H |
| Bandwidth (MHz) | 350 | 100 | 200 | 400 | 1000 | 3000 |
| Sensitivity (K) | 0.3 | 0.6 | 0.6 | 0.6 | 0.6 | 1.1 |
| IFOV (km x km) | 74 x 43 | 51 x 30 | 27 x 16 | 31 x 18 | 14 x 8 | 6 x 4 |
| Sampling Interval (km x km) | 10 x 10 | 10 x 10 | 10 x 10 | 10 x 10 | 10 x 10 | 5 x 5 |
| Integration Time (msec) | 2.6 | 2.6 | 2.6 | 2.6 | 2.6 | 1.3 |
| Main Beam Efficiency (%) | 95.3 | 95.0 | 96.3 | 96.4 | 95.3 | 96.0 |
| Beamwidth (half-power, degrees) | 2.2 | 1.4 | 0.8 | 0.9 | 0.4 | 0.18 |
Source Data:
AMSR-E Level 1B data produced by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA)
Note that significant differences exist between the calibration of the Level 1B brightness temperature data produced by JAXA and the Level 2A brightness temperature data produced by NASA.
Plots of L1B vs. L2A brightness temperaures are available for each AMSR-E channel.
Satellite Intercalibration
Information on the satellite intercalibration is dependent on the version. The table below provides links to the calibration information for the AMSR-E Level 1C versions produced to date.
Additional Documentation/References:
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Related Links:
Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA)
NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center
National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC)