STAR Microwave Sounding Calibration and Trends
Introduction
The Microwave Sounding Unit (MSU), Advanced Microwave Sounding Unit (AMSU), and Stratospheric Sounding Unit (SSU) on board the NOAA polar- orbiting satellites have provided critical atmospheric temperature measurements during the past 30 years. The Advanced Technology Microwave Sounder (ATMS) on board the Suomi NPP and JPSS program will carry the microwave sounding capability into the future. These observations offer a unique opportunity for monitoring global climate change of the atmosphere. However, calibration errors have been a major source of uncertainties in the climate trend determination. To obtain reliable climate trend, consistent and physics-based recalibration and reprocessing of the MSU, AMSU, ATMS, and SSU observations that aims at reducing the intersatellite differences and calibration errors are required. During the past twenty years, NESDIS/STAR has been recalibrating and reprocessing the MSU/AMSU/ATMS/SSU observations for these purposes. This website introduces the research conducted by NESDIS/STAR with regard to the MSU/AMSU/ATMS/SSU calibration methodology, climate datasets and downloading, and related climate trend results.