A Preview of the EOS Atmospheric Infrared Sounder
Hagan, D.E., JPL-Caltech
Twelfth Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Science Team Meeting
This poster describes the instrument design, pre-launch calibration characteristics, science products and post-launch validation strategies for the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) that will fly onboard the NASA Earth Observing Satellite polar-orbiting Aqua spacecraft this April. AIRS is a high-resolution infrared spectrometer that, together with the Advanced Microwave Sounding Unit and the Humidity Sounder for Brazil, should provide atmospheric temperature and moisture profiles at least as accurate as those measured by standard radiosondes. Radiosondes released at the ARM sites during the Aqua overpasses are key to the validation of the Level 2 AIRS products. AIRS will produce calibrated high-resolution spectra of the Earth in the wavelength range between 500 and 2700 wavenumbers. Comparisons between simulated AIRS radiances and real-world observations demonstrate the accuracies that should be achievable.
Note: This is the poster abstract presented at the meeting; an extended version was not provided by the author(s).


