Microwave Radiometer Profiler (MWRP)
Instrument Categories: Radiometric, Cloud Properties, Atmospheric Profiling
General Overview
The microwave radiometer profiler (MWRP) provides vertical profiles of temperature, humidity, and cloud liquid water content as a function of height or pressure at approximately 5-minute intervals for nearly all weather conditions. The profiles are derived from measurements of absolute microwave radiances (expressed as "brightness temperatures") obtained at twelve frequencies in the range of 22-30 GHz and 51-59 GHz. The data are useful for input to numerical weather forecast models and others that require continuous, high temporal resolution profiles. The microwave radiance measurements are useful for testing models of microwave radiation transfer used to derive the profiles.
Primary Measurements Taken
The following measurements are those considered scientifically relevant. Refer to the netCDF File Header Descriptions (Data Object Design Files) for the list of all available measurements, including those recorded for diagnostic or quality assurance purposes.
- Atmospheric moisture
- Atmospheric pressure
- Atmospheric temperature
- Cloud liquid water
- Cloud base height
- Convection
- Liquid water path
- Precipitable water
- Microwave radiation
- Virtual temperature
Available Datastreams
- mwrp - Microwave Radiometer data (MWR Profiles - QME), water vapor, temp, cloud liquid water, precip water retrievals
Sites / Facilities
Note: Click the "" to expand/collapse the list.
- North Slope Alaska (NSA)
- Central Facility, Barrow AK (C1)
- ARM Mobile Facility (FKB)
- Black Forest, Germany (M1)
- ARM Mobile Facility (HFE)
- Shouxian, Anhui, China (M1)
- ARM Mobile Facility (NIM)
- Niamey, Niger (M1)
- ARM Mobile Facility (PYE)
- Point Reyes, CA (M1)
Mentor(s)
Maria Cadeddu
(630) 252-7408
mcadeddu@anl.gov