AIRS is a facility instrument whose goal is to support climate research and improve weather forecasting
Launched into Earth-orbit on May 4, 2002, the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder, AIRS, moves climate research and weather prediction into the 21st century. AIRS is one of six instruments on board the Aqua satellite, part of the NASA Earth Observing System. AIRS along with its partner microwave instrument, Advanced Microwave Sounding Unit (AMSU-A), represents the most advanced atmospheric sounding system ever deployed in space. Together these instruments observe the global water and energy cycles, climate variation and trends, and the response of the climate system to increased greenhouse gases.
AIRS uses cutting-edge infrared technology to create 3-dimensional maps of air and surface temperature, water vapor, and cloud properties. With 2378 spectral channels, AIRS has a spectral resolution more than 100 times greater than previous IR sounders and provides more accurate information on the vertical profiles of atmospheric temperature and moisture. AIRS can also measure trace greenhouse gases such as ozone, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, and methane.
AIRS and AMSU-A share the Aqua satellite with the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), Clouds and the Earth's Radiant Energy System (CERES), and the Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer-EOS (AMSR-E). Aqua is part of NASA's "A-train", a series of high-inclination, Sun-synchronous satellites in low Earth orbit designed to make long-term global observations of the land surface, biosphere, solid Earth, atmosphere, and oceans.
The Quintessential Greenhouse Gas Sensor of Our Time
Water vapor is Earth's most dominant greenhouse gas
It comes as a surprise to many, but water vapor is the most dominant greenhouse gas in the Earth's atmosphere. It accounts for about 60% of the greenhouse effect of the global atmosphere, far exceeding the total combined effects of increased carbon dioxide, methane, ozone and other greenhouse gases.
AIRS advanced technology makes it the most advanced water vapor sensor ever built. And AIRS water vapor data is already improving climate models. Beyond water vapor, AIRS measures all the other primary greenhouse gases including carbon dioxide, the largest source of anthropogenic greenhouse gas, carbon monoxide, methane, and ozone.
AIRS Data Are Improving Weather Forecasts
The Joint Center for Satellite Data Assimilation, established to accelerate the assimilation of satellite observations into operational weather forecast models, announced that significant improvement in forecast skill has been achieved with the assimilation of AIRS data.
When compared to the rate of forecast improvement over the last ten years, the improvements made in global forecast capability in a relatively short time are quite significant. A 6 hour improvement in the six-day forecast normally takes several years to achieve.
'The AIRS instrument has provided the most significant increase in forecast improvement in this time range of any other single instrument."
- Vice Admiral Conrad C. Lautenbacher, US Navy (Ret.), NOAA Administrator
'The forecast improvement accomplishment alone makes the AIRS project well worth the American taxpayers' investment.'
- Dr. Mary Cleave, associate administrator of NASA's Science Mission Directorate
