The document discusses monitoring changing climate from space using satellite observations. The A-Train satellite constellation provides simultaneous measurements of atmospheric trace gases, temperature, water vapor, clouds and aerosols. Specific instruments discussed include AIRS, OCO-2, MLS, CloudSat, CALIPSO, and GPM. These instruments observe key climate variables like greenhouse gases, cloud properties, precipitation, and aerosols. Satellite observations are crucial for understanding climate change and improving climate models.
The document discusses monitoring changing climate from space using satellite observations. The A-Train satellite constellation provides simultaneous measurements of atmospheric trace gases, temperature, water vapor, clouds and aerosols. Specific instruments discussed include AIRS, OCO-2, MLS, CloudSat, CALIPSO, and GPM. These instruments observe key climate variables like greenhouse gases, cloud properties, precipitation, and aerosols. Satellite observations are crucial for understanding climate change and improving climate models.
The document discusses monitoring changing climate from space using satellite observations. The A-Train satellite constellation provides simultaneous measurements of atmospheric trace gases, temperature, water vapor, clouds and aerosols. Specific instruments discussed include AIRS, OCO-2, MLS, CloudSat, CALIPSO, and GPM. These instruments observe key climate variables like greenhouse gases, cloud properties, precipitation, and aerosols. Satellite observations are crucial for understanding climate change and improving climate models.
The document discusses monitoring changing climate from space using satellite observations. The A-Train satellite constellation provides simultaneous measurements of atmospheric trace gases, temperature, water vapor, clouds and aerosols. Specific instruments discussed include AIRS, OCO-2, MLS, CloudSat, CALIPSO, and GPM. These instruments observe key climate variables like greenhouse gases, cloud properties, precipitation, and aerosols. Satellite observations are crucial for understanding climate change and improving climate models.
• AIRS, the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder on NASA's Aqua
satellite, gathers infrared energy emitted from Earth's surface and atmosphere globally, every day.
• Its data provides 3D measurements of temperature and water
vapor through the atmospheric column along with a host of trace gases, surface and cloud properties.
• AIRS data are used by weather prediction centers around the
world to improve their forecasts. They are also used to assess the skill of climate models and in applications ranging from volcanic plume detection to drought forecasting.
11/5/23 6 6 AIRS Observations
• Launch date: 4 May, 2002
• Spectral coverage: 650-2674 cm-1 (3.7-15.4 μm) • Spectral resolution (FWHW): 𝜐/1200 cm-1 • Field of View: 13.5 km • Orbit: Sun-synchronous, 1:30am/pm equatorial cross-time • Swath: 1650 km • Mass: 177 kg • Power: 220 W • Data Rate: 1.27 Mbps
Waters et al. (2006, IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON GEOSCIENCE AND REMOTE SENSING)
11/5/23 19 Monitoring Natural Disasters
The Microwave Limb Sounder instrument can measure natural signals of microwaves from Earth's atmosphere and detect them even through thick ash clouds. Millan et al. (2022, GRL) Observations of Atmosphere
The A-Train satellite constellation provides a suite of nearly-simultaneous
measurements of trace gases, temperature, water vapor, clouds and aerosols and contributes substantially to Earth science research and applications.
24 Cloud Radiative Effect (CRE) The effect of clouds on the Earth's radiation balance is measured as the difference between clear-sky and all-sky radiation results
FX(cloud) = FX(clear) – FX(all-sky)
FNet(cloud) = FSW(cloud) + FLW(cloud)
where X= SW or LW
Negative FNet(cloud) => Clouds have a cooling effect on Earth
Positive FNet(cloud) => Clouds have a warming effect on Earth
25 Observed High Cloud Fraction
26 Observed Low Cloud Fraction
27 Observed Total Cloud Fraction
28 Observed Longwave CRE
29 Observed Shortwave CRE
30 Observed Net CRE
31 Rising Cloud Top Height with Global Warming
11/6/23 32 Richardson et al. (2021, GRL) 32 Global Aerosol Concentrations
Bauer et al. (2020, JAMES)
11/6/23 33 33 Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) MIssion
• Launch mass: 3850 Kilograms
• Size: 11.6 m x 6.5 m x 4.9 m
11/5/23 34 34 Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM)
Typhoon Yutu, known in the Philippines as Super Typhoon Rosita, was an extremely powerful tropical cyclone that caused catastrophic destruction in Philippines. GPM’s Microwave Imager (GMI) and Dual-Frequency Precipitation Radar (DPR) instruments showed that extreme precipitation was falling at a rate greater than 7 inches (178 mm) per hour within powerful storms in Yutu’s southwestern eye wall on 29/10/2018. Credit: Hal Pierce (SSAI/NASA GSFC). 35 IMERG Precipitation Data Integrated Multi-satellitE Retrievals for GPM
• IMERG combines 9 satellites to estimate precipitation over the majority of the Earth's surface. The data resolution is about 10 km x 10 km with 0.5 hours interval. 36 Measures temperature, R. Atlas humidity, precipitation from R. Bennartz a constellation of up to 7 M. DeMaria cubesats J. Dunion F. Marks R. Rogers C. Velden
TROPICS provides up to 30-minute refresh over entire tropical cyclone latitude band 37 https://tropics.ll.mit.edu Monitoring Climate Change From Space
