Calibration, monitoring and validation of AMSU-B Original Research Article

The first flight models of the Advanced Microwave Sounding Unit (AMSU) were launched on the NOAA-15 satellite in 1998. This paper reviews the performance of AMSU-B to date, with particular reference to the problems experienced due to radio-frequency interference. It shows that a bias correction scheme developed by the Met Office and NOAA/NESDIS generally works well, though regular updates are necessary to keep track of long-term bias changes. The prospects for future AMSU-B flight models are discussed. The paper also outlines the aircraft-based campaigns that took place during 1999 for the purpose of validating those aspects of water-vapour measurement and spectroscopy that are important for AMSU.