Abstract
The thermal microwave radiation from the ocean surface as seen from space is a function of the surface temperature and wind speed and is modified by liquid water and water vapor in the intervening atmosphere. Further, if the ocean surface is frozen, the emissivity is drastically increased and the effect of the intervening atmosphere is generally negligible. The emissivity of first-year ice is somewhat larger than that of multi-year ice.
The data from the Electrically Scanning Microwave Radiometers (ESMR's) on the Nimbus-5 and —6 satellites operating at wavelengths of 1.55 cm and 8 mm, respectively, can be interpreted in terms of rain rate, ice coverage and first-year versus multi-year ice determination. The rain-rate data are being used to establish a climatology of rainfall over the oceans. The ice data are being used by the United States Navy in support of international scientific efforts in the Antactic region. Both ice and rain data sets have been generated for the Global Atmospheric Research Project Data Systems Test.
It is possible, by making multifrequency measurements, to separate the surface and atmospheric effects and to make useful measurements of sea surface temperature, surface wind speed, and atmospheric parameters along with improved measurements of rain and ice.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Gloersen, P., Nordberg, W., Schmugge, T. J., Wilheit, T. T., and Campbell, W. J.: 1973, ‘Microwave Signatures of First-year and Multi-year Sea Ice’,J. Geophys. Res. 78, 3564–3572.
Gunn, K. L. S. and East, T. U. R.: 1954, ‘The Microwave Properties of Precipitation Particles’,Quart. J. Roy. Meteorol. Soc. 80, 522–554.
Hollinger, J. P.: 1971, ‘Passive Microwave Measurements of Sea Surface Roughness’,Trans. IEEE Geoscience Electronics GE-9, 165–169.
Jackson, J. D.:Classical Electrodynamics, John Wiley, New York, p. 216 ff.
Lane, J. A., and Saxton, J. A.: 1952, ‘Dielectric Dispersion in Pure Polar Liquids at Very High Radio Frequencies’,Proc. Roy. Soc., London A214, 531–545.
Nordberg, W., Conaway, J., Ross, D. B., and Wulheit, T.: 1971, ‘Measurements of Microwave Emission from a Foam-Covered Wind Driven Sea’,J. Atmos. Sci. 28, 429–435.
Rao, M. S. V., Abbott, W. V., III, and Theon, J. S.: 1976, ‘Satellite-Derived Global Oceanic Rainfall Atlas’ (1973 and 1974), NASA X-911-76-116, Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland.
Staelin, D. A.: 1966, ‘Measurements and Interpretation of the Microwave Spectrum of the Terrestrial Atmosphere Near 1 Centimeter Wavelength’,J. Geophys. Res. 71, 2875–2881.
Staelin, D. H., Cassell, A. L., Kunzi, K. F., Pettyjohn, R. L., Poon, R. K. L., Rosenkranz, P. W., and Waters, J. W.: 1975, ‘Microwave Atmospheric Temperature Soundings: Effects of Clouds in the Nimbus-5 Satellite Data’J. Atmos. Sci. 32, 1970–1976.
Waters, J. W., Kunzi, K. F., Pettyjohn, R. L., Poon, R. K. L., and Staelin, D. R.: 1975, ‘Remote Sensing of Atmospheric Temperature Profiles with the Nimbus-5 Microwave Spectrometer’,J. Atmos. Sci. 32, 1953–1969.
Webster, W. J., Jr., Wilheit, T. T., Ross, D. B., and Gloersen, P.: 1976, ‘Spectral Characteristics of the Microwave Emission from a Wind Driven Foam-Covered Sea’,J. Geophys. Res. 81, 3095–3099.
Wilheit, T.: 1972, ‘The Electrically Scanning Microwave Radiometer (ESMR) Experiment’, Nimbus-5 User's Guide, NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland, 59–105.
Wilheit, T.: 1975, ‘The Electrically Scanning Microwave Radiometer (ESMR) Experiment’, Nimbus-6 User's Guide, NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland, 87–108.
Wilheit, T., Blinn, J., Campbell, W., Edgerton, A., and Nordberg, W.: 1972, ‘Aircraft Measurements of Microwave Emission from Arctic Sea Ice’,Remote Sensing Environ. 2, 129–139.
Wilheit, T., Rao, M. S. V., Chang, T. C., Rodgers, E. B., and Theon, J. S.: 1975, ‘A Satellite Technique for Quantatively Mapping Rainfall Rates over the Oceans’, NASA X-911-75-72.
Wilheit, T., Theon, J. S., Shenk, W. E., Allison, L. J., and Rodgers, E. B.: 1976, ‘Meteorological Interpretations of the Images from the Nimbus 5 Electrically Scanned Microwave Radiometer’,J. Appl. Meteorol. 15, 166–172.
Wilheit, T. T. and Fowler, M. G.: 1977, ‘Microwave Radiometric Determination of Wind Speed at the Surface of the Ocean During BESEX’, Joint Issue Trans.IEEE Ant. and Prop. 25, 111–120, and Trans. IEEE Oceanic Eng. 2, 111–120.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Wilheit, T.T. A review of applications of microwave radiometry to oceanography. Boundary-Layer Meteorol 13, 277–293 (1978). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00913878
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00913878