HR: 17:00h
AN: OS24B-04    [Abstracts]
TI: WindSat Polarimetric Microwave Radiometer: A CMIS Risk Reduction Mission
AU: * Gaiser, P W
EM: peter.gaiser@nrl.navy.mil
AF: Naval Research Laboratory, Code 7223 4555 Overlook Ave, Washington, DC 20375 United States
AU: Bettenhausen, M
EM: bettenhausen@nrl.navy.mil
AF: Naval Research Laboratory, Code 7223 4555 Overlook Ave, Washington, DC 20375 United States
AB: WindSat is a satellite-based multi-frequency polarimetric microwave radiometer developed by the Naval Research Laboratory for the U.S. Navy and the National Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System (NPOESS) Integrated Program Office (IPO). It is designed to demonstrate the capability of polarimetric microwave radiometry to measure the ocean surface wind vector from space. The sensor provides risk reduction for the development of the Conical Microwave Imager Sounder (CMIS), which is planned to provide wind vector data operationally starting in 2010. The WindSat radiometer has polarimetric channels at 10.7, 18.7 and 37.0 GHz. Dual-polarization channels at 6.8 and 23.8 GHz provide key data sea surface temperature and atmospheric water vapor. Wind direction signatures are evident in the radiometric Stokes parameter data. Multiple forward models and retrieval algorithms have been developed to exploit the signal and produce ocean surface wind fields. In addition to the ocean surface wind vector, the WindSat sensor is capable of retrieving sea surface temperature, integrated water vapor and cloud liquid water, and rain rates over the ocean. This talk will describe the WindSat sensor and its relationship to CMIS. The current retrieval performance and applications will also be presented.
DE: 4200 OCEANOGRAPHY: GENERAL
DE: 4262 Ocean observing systems
DE: 4275 Remote sensing and electromagnetic processes (0689, 2487, 3285, 4455, 6934)
SC: Ocean Sciences [OS]
MN: Fall Meeting 2005