Suomi NPP Satellite Instruments
- Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) has multi-band imaging capabilities to support the acquisition of high-resolution atmospheric imagery and generation of a variety of applied products including visible and infrared imaging of hurricanes and detection of fires, smoke, and atmospheric aerosols.
- Cross-track Infrared Sounder (CrIS) is the first in a series of advanced operational sounders that will provide more accurate, detailed atmospheric temperature and moisture observations for weather and climate applications. This information will help significantly improve climate prediction and both short-term weather "nowcasting" and longer-term forecasting.
- Advanced Technology Microwave Sounder (ATMS) operates in conjunction with the CrIS to profile atmospheric temperature and moisture. Higher (spatial, temporal and spectral) resolution and more accurate sounding data from CrIS and ATMS supports continuing advances in data assimilation systems and NWP models to improve short- to medium-range weather forecasts.
- Ozone Mapping and Profiler Suite (OMPS) measures the concentration of ozone in the atmosphere, providing information on how ozone concentration varies with altitude. Data from OMPS continues three decades of climate measurements of this important parameter used in global climate models. The OMPS measurements also fulfill the U.S. treaty obligation to monitor global ozone concentrations with no gaps in coverage.