TRACER 3-Channel Microwave Radiometer Retrieval Data Now Available

 
Published: 10 November 2023
This is a collection of four quicklook panels from the Microwave Radiometer Retrievals version 2 (MWRRETv2) value-added product from February 2, 2022, at the mobile facility site during the TRacking Aerosol Convection interactions ExpeRiment (TRACER). The panels show observed brightness temperatures at 23.8, 30, and 89 GHz; physically and statistically retrieved precipitable water vapor; physically and statistically retrieved liquid water path; and rain intensity.
This MWRRETv2 quicklook image provides data from February 2, 2022, at the ARM Mobile Facility site in La Porte, Texas, during the TRACER field campaign. From top to bottom, panels show observed brightness temperatures at 23.8 (blue), 30 (red), and 89 GHz (green); physically (red and blue) and statistically (green) retrieved precipitable water vapor; physically (red and blue) and statistically (green) retrieved liquid water path; and rain intensity.

Data from the Microwave Radiometer Retrievals version 2 value-added product (MWRRETv2 VAP) are now available for the TRacking Aerosol Convection interactions ExpeRiment (TRACER), which ran from October 2021 through September 2022 near Houston, Texas.

MWRRETv2 applies the Turner et al. (2007) optimal estimation retrieval of liquid water path and precipitable water vapor to measurements from 3-channel microwave radiometers. These radiometers provide time-series measurements of brightness temperatures at 23.8, 30, and 89 GHz. The 89 GHz channel provides additional sensitivity to liquid water, especially at low liquid water paths.

MWRRETv2 applies bias corrections to the brightness temperature data on a daily basis, using an automated bias correction process calculated across a 90-day rolling window.

More information about MWRRETv2 can be found on the VAP web page.

Scientists can use the new TRACER data set now. Access the MWRRETv2 data in the ARM Data Center. (To download the data, create an account.)

Please send data questions or comments to ARM translator Damao Zhang.

To cite the MWRRETv2 data, please use doi:10.5439/1566156.

Reference: Turner DD, SA Clough, JC Liljegren, EE Clothiaux, KE Cady-Pereira, and KL Gaustad. 2007. “Retrieving Liquid Water Path and Precipitable Water Vapor From the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Microwave Radiometers.” IEEE Transactions on Geoscience and Remote Sensing, 45(11), doi:10.1109/tgrs.2007.903703.

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ARM is a DOE Office of Science user facility operated by nine DOE national laboratories.