Validation of multi-channel scanning microwave radiometer onboard OCEANSAT - 1

Abstract

IRS-P4 (OCEASAT-1) was the first operational oceanographic satellite that India has launched. An extensive validation campaign was unleashed immediately after its launch in May 1999. Various platforms (Ship, Moored buoy, Drifting buoy, Autonomous Weather Station) were utilized for measuring sea truth parameters such as sea surface temperature (SST), Sea Surface Wind Speed (WS) and Columnar Water Vapor (WV). Total match-ups for SST and WS measured from various platforms exceeds 1400 (2 hrs and 2 degree temporal and spatial window) whereas the match-ups for WV is just close to 60. Therefore an indirect method was attempted for validating WV by computing a third term, surface specific humidity (Qa), from both satellite and sea truth derived parameters.