GSICS Microwave Subgroup Meeting (January 21, 2021)

Topic: The FCDR and Passive Microwave Calibration/Remote Sensing

Agenda

1300-1500 (Central European Time), 0700-0900 (US EST), 2000-2200 (Beijing), 2100-2300 (Tokyo/Seoul),1200-1400 (UTC)

1. Plan for MW Group activities (Qifeng Lu and Mark Liu)
2. GCOS Reference Upper-Air Network (GRUAN) and its Applications - F. Carminati (UK MetOffice)
3. Bias assessment of SSMT2 microwave FCDR at EUMETSAT/C3S - Paul Poli (EUMETSAT)
4. The Antenna Performance of AMSU-B and MHS in Flight - Martin Burgdorf (Hamburg University, Germany)
5. AMSR3 Update - Misako KACHI (JAXA)
6. Progress on FY-3/MWRI FCDR - Shengli Wu (CMA)
7. Remote Sensing Journal Special Issue: Microwave Remote Sensing –Robbie Iacovazzi (NOAA)

Meeting Summary

After a briefing from the GSICS Microwave Subgroup (MWS) Co-chairs, this January 2021 MWS meeting featured bias assessment of an SSMT2 microwave FCDR at EUMETSAT/C3S and progress on an FY-3/MWRI FCDR. These talks were given by EUMETSAT and CMA, respectively. The recent progress related to NOAA MSU/AMSU/ATMS atmospheric temperature FCDR had to be moved to March, but is summarized here. Each of these presentations revealed the challenges associated with creating FCDR records. The SSMT2 have uncertainties related to scan-dependent and non-linear antenna temperature biases. The FY-3/MWRI has bias uncertainties associated with a warm load antenna reflector with non-zero emissivity and back lobes, cold reflector RFI, and hot load efficiency. The early record of MSU and AMSU instruments have large changes in orbital local equatorial crossing time. Regardless of these challenges though, the presentations on these FCDRs showed progress. The SSMT2 FCDR has improved cloud clearing methods using FIDUCEO. The FY-3/MWRI FCDR improvements have been made using the GPM GMI instrument as a reference during simultaneous nadir overpass events. The MSU/AMSU/ATMS FCDR has improved stability by using AMSU-A onboard Aqua and MetOp-A and ATMS onboard SNPP as references.

This meeting also featured talks related to measurements that support the creation or enhancement of microwave radiometer FCDRs. A presentation on the GCOS Reference Upper-Air Network (GRUAN) and its applications was given by the UK Met Office. It illustrated the availability of high-quality, ground-based instruments – e.g., radiosondes, Lidars, ozone sensors, and sounding rockets - distributed throughout the globe that can be used as a microwave and infrared instrument FCDR measurement reference. The GRUAN is also augmenting its network using the high-quality Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) Radio Occultation (RO) soundings. The final two presentation introduced the Subgroup to Hamburg University research on post-launch characterization of AMSU-B/MHS antenna response and pointing accuracy using the moon, and the status of the JAXA AMSR-3 instrument.

Meeting minutes can be obtained in this link.

-- RobbiIacovazzi - 15 Jan 2021