Science Focus

The Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS), together with the Advanced Microwave Sounding Unit (AMSU) and the Humidity Sounder for Brazil (HSB) on the Aqua mission, represents the most advanced sounding system ever deployed in space. The system is capable of measuring the atmospheric temperature in the troposphere with radiosonde accuracies of 1 K over 1 km-thick layers under both clear and cloudy conditions, while the accuracy of the derived moisture profiles will exceed that obtained by radiosondes. Furthermore, the system provides additional data on land and ocean surface temperature and surface emissivity, cloud fraction and cloud top height, and ozone burden of the atmosphere.

Contents

The AIRS Data Support Team at the Goddard DAAC provides data support to all users. In this site, we exhibit examples of data usage in AIRS scientific research. These examples provide means for quick and easy grasping of the concepts and scientific information in the AIRS data and are intended to familiarize users with the AIRS data contents. For general AIRS science applications please see "AIRS Main Science Objectives".

Links to Science Focus articles and public presentations about AIRS data

Assimilation of data from AIRS for improved numerical weather prediction by Andrew Collard et al.
http://cimss.ssec.wisc.edu/itwg/itsc/itsc13/proceedings/session2/2_4_collard.pdf

Assimilation of polar-orbiting space-based data and its impact on weather prediction by Robert Atlas
http://npoess.noaa.gov/News/Archive/2004/jan/01/AMS_Conference_Seattle/08_DataAssimilation-Atlas.ppt

Retrieving dust aerosol optical depth and altitude using AIRS data by Clemence Pierangelo et al.
http://cimss.ssec.wisc.edu/itwg/itsc/itsc13/thursday/pierangelo_poster_2.pdf

Current results from AIRS/AMSU/HSB by Joel Susskind et al.
http://cimss.ssec.wisc.edu/itwg/itsc/itsc13/proceedings/session5/5_7_susskind.pdf
http://cimss.ssec.wisc.edu/itwg/itsc/itsc13/session5/5_7_blaisdell.pdf