Universität zu Köln

Mahfouf, J. -F., Birman, C., Aires, F., Prigent, C., Orlandi, E. and Milz, M. (2015). Information content on temperature and water vapour from a hyper-spectral microwave sensor. Q. J. R. Meteorol. Soc., 141 (693). S. 3268 - 3285. HOBOKEN: WILEY. ISSN 1477-870X

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Abstract

This study examines the information content on atmospheric temperature and humidity profiles that could be provided by a future spaceborne microwave sensor with a few hundred radiances in the millimetre and submillimetre spectral domains (ranging from 7-800 GHz). A channel selection method based on optimal estimation theory is undertaken, using a database of profiles with associated errors from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) numerical weather prediction model and the radiative transfer model Atmospheric Radiative Transfer Simulator (ARTS) under clear-sky conditions. The main results indicate that, by increasing the number of channels within the oxygen absorption band around 60 GHz and within the water-vapour absorption band at 183 GHz, the accuracy of temperature and humidity retrievals in the troposphere and stratosphere (for temperature) would be noticeably improved compared with present and planned microwave radiometers. The channels located in the absorption lines at 118 GHz and above 200 GHz do not bring significant additional information regarding atmospheric profiles under clear-sky conditions, partly due to greater radiometric noise. With a set of 137 selected channels that contribute to 90% of the total information content (measured by the degree of freedom for signal), it is possible to achieve almost the same performance in terms of variance error reduction as with 276 candidate channels. Sensitivity studies of various prescribed quantities defining the channel selection have been undertaken, in order to check the robustness of the conclusions. They show that none of the choices modifies the above findings.

Item Type:	Journal Article
Creators:	Creators Email ORCID ORCID Put Code Mahfouf, J. -F. UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED Birman, C. UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED Aires, F. UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED Prigent, C. UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED Orlandi, E. UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED Milz, M. UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED
URN:	urn:nbn:de:hbz:38-390270
DOI:	10.1002/qj.2608
Journal or Publication Title:	Q. J. R. Meteorol. Soc.
Volume:	141
Number:	693
Page Range:	S. 3268 - 3285
Date:	2015
Publisher:	WILEY
Place of Publication:	HOBOKEN
ISSN:	1477-870X
Language:	English
Faculty:	Unspecified
Divisions:	Unspecified
Subjects:	no entry
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Keywords Language BACKGROUND-ERROR COVARIANCES; CHANNEL SELECTION; PRECIPITABLE WATER; MET OFFICE; ASSIMILATION; CLOUD; IASI; RADIOMETER; ICE; RETRIEVAL Multiple languages Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences Multiple languages
URI:	http://kups.ub.uni-koeln.de/id/eprint/39027