NOAA-18
Hydrological Products
The generation of
hydrological products continued with the launch of the NOAA-18
satellite on May 20, 2005. Within 120 days of launch, the Microwave Surface
and Precipitation Products System (MSPPS) began delivering operational
products (total precipitable water, cloud liquid water, snow cover and water
equivalent, sea ice concentration, precipitation rate, ice water path, land
surface temperature and land surface emissivity) to users such as the National
Weather Service, Fleet Numerical Meteorology and Oceanography Center and the
European Center for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts. MSPPS
relies on the use of the AMSU-A
and MHS sensors
(http://www.orbit.nesdis.noaa.gov/corp/scsb/mspps/realTime_n18.html).
Figure. NOAA-18
AMSU and
MHS derived
hydrological product composite for 18 September 2005.
Contributed by Ralph Ferraro, NESDIS /
STAR /
CoRP /
SCSB.
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