TRMM Microwave Imager (TMI) Ocean Products

The TRMM Microwave Imager (TMI) is a 5-channel, dual-polarized, passive microwave radiometer. Microwave radiation is emitted by the Earth's surface and by water droplets within clouds. The TMI is used to measure several important meteorological parameters over sea surfaces. The TMI, a successor to the SSM/I, measures radiation at frequencies of 10.7, 19.4, 21.3, 37, 85.5 GHz. It orbits at an altitude of 218 miles, much lower than the SSM/I, thus providing better resolution. From the 5 channels of data provided by TMI, scientists calculate several parameters over ocean surfaces. These are:

• sea surface temperature
• 11 GHz 10m wind speed
• 37 GHz 10m wind speed
• columnar water vapor (atmospheric water vapor, integrated water vapor)
• columnar cloud water (cloud liquid water, liquid cloud water)
• 19-37 GHz rain rate (precipitation rate)

Further information may be obtained from Remote Sensing Systems, Inc. (http://www.ssmi.com).

More details

(START DATE: 2006-09-17 STOP DATE: ONGOING)

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