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Sensors
AMSU-B Overview

AMSU-B is a 5 channel cross-track, continuous line scanning,total power microwave radiometer. The instrument has an instantaneous field-of-view of 1.1°. Spatial resolution at nadir is nominally 16 km (9.94 mi). The antenna provides a cross-track scan, scanning ±48.95° from nadir with a total of 90 Earth fields-of-view per scan line. This instrument completes one scan every 8/3 seconds. The two channels are centered nominally at 89 GHz and 150 GHz, and the other three centered around the 183.31 GHz water vapor line with double-sideband centers located at 183.31±1, ±3, and ±7 GHz, respectively. AMSU-B has a FOV of 1.1 degrees ±10%.

AMSU-B Channel Characteristics
Channel Number Central
Frequency (GHz)
Double-sided
Maximum (MHz)
Pass
Band (MHz)
IF
Band (MHz)
Stop
Band (MHz)
NE∆T(K)
16 89.0±0.9 6000 3000 ≥ 1000 ±400 0.37
17 150.0±0.9 4000 2000 ≥ 1000 ±400 0.84
18 183.31±1.00 1000 2 x 500 500 - 1.06
19 183.31±3.00 2000 2 x 1000 1000 - 0.70
20 183.31±7.00 4000 2 x 2000 2000 - 0.60



Source: NOAA KLM User's Guide