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SSMI and SSMIS Monitoring and Documentation |
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Summary |
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Data from the Special Sensor Microwave Imager (SSMI) instrument is collected under the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP), which is a Department of Defense (DoD) program responsible for designing, building, launching, and operating polar-orbiting environmental satellites. In its 50 year history, 41 DMSP satellites have been successfully launched. Two satellites remain to be launched, as needed, and are maintained at the Lockheed Martin Space Systems facility in Sunnyvale, California. |
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The Special Sensor Microwave Imager (SSMI) is a seven channel, four frequency, linearly-polarized, passive microwave radiometric system which measures atmospheric, ocean, and terrain microwave brightness temperatures at 19.35, 22.24, 37.00, and 85.80. NOAA's National Climatic Data Center (NCDC) has undertaken the task of recovering SSMI data starting from the first successful launch of the F-8 platform in 1987. |
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The Special Sensor Microwave Imager/Sounder (SSMIS) sensor replaced the SSMI starting with DMSP F-16 platform which was launched on 18 October 2003 and became operational in November 2005. The SSMIS sensor is a passive conically scanning microwave radiometer that combines and extends the current imaging and sounding capabilities of three previously separate DMSP microwave sensors: the SSM/T-1 temperature sounder, the SSMI/T- 2 moisture sounder, and the SSMI. The SSMIS instrument measures microwave energy at 24 discrete frequencies from 19 to 183 GHz with a swath width of 1700 km. |
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Details and Documents |
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Original Navy-NESDIS SSMI Data Information
Original Navy-NESDIS SSMIS Data InformationDetailed spectral or channel information can be found in this table and this table. The SSMIS Temperature Data Record (TDR) document describes antenna temperature data. The Sensor Data Record (SDR) document describes brightness temperature data. Other relevant documents for the SSMIS instrument are:
NOAA Center for Satellite Applications and Research (STAR) Recalibrated SSMIS TDR Data (HDF-EOS format)
Other possible changes in data formats are currently being investigated. In the near future, SSMI and SSMIS TDR/SDR data will be provided in a netCDF format. |
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Data Access |
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Contact |
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Satellite Services Group |
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Downloaded Thursday, 01-Aug-2013 11:24:39 EDT Last Updated Monday, 22-Apr-2013 09:12:04 EDT by Hilawe.Semunegus@noaa.gov Please see the NCDC Contact Page if you have questions or comments. |