CAMEX-3 ER-2 NAST-MTS

The National Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System (NPOESS) Aircraft Sounder Testbed- Microwave Temperature Sounder (NAST-MTS) is an aircraft mounted Microwave Temperature Sounder. and was flown during the third Convection and Moisture Experiment (CAMEX-3). The instrument, built by Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Research Laboratory of Electonics (RLE), is about the size of a footlocker, and is mounted inside the forward section of one of the wing mounted 'superpods' of the NASA ER-2 aircraft. NAST-MTS is a scanning radiometer which sweeps from side to side viewing a path that is sixty five degrees either side of nadir. MTS covers 16 microwave frequencies in the vicinity of  54 gigahertz and 118 gigahertz in each of its scans. This results in an image that is approximately 80 kilometers wide measured from the aircraft altitude (~20km). Images produced by the instrument represent the thermal radiation emitted by the environment at these microwave frequencies. Each microwave frequency responds differently to temperatures at different altitudes as well as to the different constituents such as water vapor, precipitation and ice. By combining the information gathered from MTS with information derived from the sensors in both the visible and infrared regions of the spectrum, the structure and composition of the atmosphere in the field of view as well as surface characteristics may be determined. Since microwave frequencies penetrate clouds much more readily than do infrared or visible, internal structure becomes apparent. By measuring the location, intensity and altitude of the strong ice signal, inferences can be made of the convective activity and intensity in the storm.

(CAMEX-3) was based at Patrick Air Force Base , Florida from 6 August - 23 September, 1998, and successfully studied Hurricanes Bonnie, Danielle, Earl and Georges. CAMEX-3 collected data for research in tropical cyclone development, tracking, intensification, and landfalling impacts using NASA-funded aircraft and surface remote sensing instrumentation.

Flights were conducted in the Gulf of Mexico, the Caribbean and in the Western Atlantic Ocean.

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(START DATE: 1998-08-06 STOP DATE: 1998-09-23)

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