DMSP polar satellites


General Information
Specialized data base

General Information
  • Description
  • Name : DMSP for Defense Meteorological Satellite Program
  • Operator : US Department of Defense
  • Type: polar orbiting sun-synchronous meteorological satellites
  • Four satellites in flight:
  • F-10 Crossing Time (Local Time) 19:42 ;
  • F-11 Crossing Time (Local Time) 17:04 ;
  • F-12 Crossing Time (Local Time) 21:22 ;
  • F-13 Crossing Time (Local Time) 17:36 ;

    •
  • Instruments
    Information in this section was taken from ftp microwave.msfc.nasa.gov, files pub/doc/ssmi_tb/README.ssmi_tb and pub/doc/ssmt2/README.ssmt2.

    Please note that there is no DMSP data available in the FASTEX Central Archive. To get data, please contact the specialized data bases. However, SSM/I images can be seen with the SSMI Imagery Interface.

  • SSM/I- Special Sensor Microwave Imager (F-10,F-11,F-13)
    The SSM/I is a passive microwave sensor which detects microwave radiation at four frequencies: 19.35 GHz, 22.235 GHz, 37.0 GHz, and 85.5 GHz. The 19, 37, and 85 GHz channels have dual-polarization (vertical and horizontal), while the 22 GHz channel has only vertical polarization. This yields a total of seven channels. The instrument is a conical scanning device sweeping out an approximately 1400 km wide swath as it looks forward (F8 looks backward) at an angle of about 45 degrees from vertical. The instrument samples through 102 degrees for each scanning revolution. The scan period is 1.899 seconds. Table 2 (from the SSM/I Calibration and Validation Final Report) shows footprint sizes and sampling resolutions for all four frequencies.
    • Table 2 
                         Appr. Footprint Size              Footprint
 Frequency     Along-track   Along-scan        Sampling Resolution
 -------------------------------------------------------------------------
 19 GHz           69 km         43 km                25 km
 22 GHz           60            40                   25
 37 GHz           37            28                   25
 85 GHz           15            13                   12.5
  • SSM/T2- Special Sensor Microwave Water Vapor Profiler (F-12)
    The information in this section was taken from the DMSP SSM/T-2 Calibration and Validation Document (1992). The SSM/T-2 is the first operational microwave water vapor sounder to be placed in orbit. It is a scanning, five channel, passive and total power microwave radiometer system. The SSM/T-2 consists of five channels: three water vapor channels centered around the 183.31 GHz water vapor line, a 91 GHz channel, and a 150 GHz channel. Table lists the channel characteristics. The SSM/T-2 observation rate is 7.5 scans per minute. There are 28 observations (beam positions) per scan for each of the five channels, with each observation having a spatial resolution of approximately 48 km. All five channels have coincident centers. The total swath width for the SSM/T-2 is approximately 1400 km. 
    • 
Channel    Frequency            Nadir           Beamwidth       Peak
Number     (GHz)           Field-of-View (km)   (degrees)       (hpa)

1          183.31  +/- 3         48               3.3            650
2          183.31  +/- 1         48               3.3            500
3          183.31  +/- 7         48               3.3            800
4           91.665 +/- 1.25      84               6.0           surface
5          150.0   +/- 1.25      54               3.7           1000

    For more information:
    Hollinger, J., et al., DMSP Special Sensor Microwave / Imager Calibration / Validation Final Report Volume I, Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, D. C.,20 July 1989.

    Falcone, V.J., M.K. Griffin, R.G. Isaacs, J.D. Pickle, J.F. Morrissey, A.J. Jackson, A. Bussey, R. Kakar, J. Wang, P. Racette, D.J. Boucher, B.H. Thomas, A.M. Kishi: DMSP F11 SSM/T-2 Calibration and Validation Data Analysis, Phillips Laboratory, Hanscom Air Force Base, MA, 29 October 1992.


    • Specialized data base :

  • NASA/MSFC
  • Meteo-France/CMS


    • Updated: 4 Jun 1999
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