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OAS insttype Detail for TMI
| insttypes_id: | 101 |
|---|---|
| Codeset: | |
| Code: | |
| Term: | TMI |
| Description: | Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) Microwave Imager |
| Definition: | The Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) Microwave Imager (TMI)is a passive microwave sensor designed to provide quantitative rainfall information over a wide swath under the TRMM satellite. By carefully measuring the minute amounts of microwave energy emitted by the Earth and its atmosphere, TMI will be able to quantify the water vapor, the cloud water, and the rainfall intensity in the atmosphere. It is a relatively small instrument that consumes little power. This, combined with the wide swath and the good, quantitative information regarding rainfall make TMI the "workhorse" of the rain-measuring package on THE Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission.
TMI is not a new instrument. It is based on the design of the highly successful Special Sensor Microwave/Imager (SSM/I) which has been flying continuously on Defense Meteorological Satellites since 1987. The TMI measures the intensity of radiation at five separate frequencies: 10.7, 19.4, 21.3, 37, 85.5 GHz. These frequencies are similar to those of the SSM/I, except that TMI has the additional 10.7 GHz channel designed to provide a more-linear response for the high rainfall rates common in tropical rainfall. The other main improvement that is expected from TMI is due to the improved ground resolution. This improvement, however, is not the result of any instrument improvements, but rather a function of the lower altitude of TRMM 218 miles (350 kilometers) compared to 537 miles (860 kilometers) of SSM/I). TMI has a 487 mile (780-kilometer) wide swath on the surface. The higher resolution of TMI on TRMM, as well as the additional 10.7 GHz frequency, will make TMI a better instrument than its predecessors. (From: http://trmm.gsfc.nasa.gov/overview_dir/tmi.html) |
| Context: | GHRSST-PP data stream archived at NODC |
| Deprecated: | false |
| Metadata version: | 0 |
| Keydate: | 2005-05-04 18:50:30.270451+00 |
| Editdate: | 2005-05-04 18:50:30.276847+00 |