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Passive Microwave Remote Sensing of the Ocean: An Overview

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Oceanography from Space

Abstract

Passive microwave observations from satellites provide measurements of sea surface temperature (SST), wind speed, water vapor, cloud liquid water, rain rate, and sea ice that have lead to significant advances in meteorological and oceanographic research as well as improvements in monitoring and forecasting both weather and climate. Future instruments are planned to measure sea surface salinity. The calibration of passive microwave radiometers has continued to improve, along with the retrieval algorithms. The production of accurate geophysical retrievals depends on the close development of both calibrated brightness temperatures and retrieval algorithm design in concert. Data must be carefully screened for near-land emissions, radio frequency interference, rain scattering (for SST, wind, and vapor retrievals), and high wind events (SST retrievals only).

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Acknowledgements

The AMSR-E SSTs are from Remote Sensing Systems, processed using the version 5 algorithm, and available at http://www.remss.com. This work was funded by the NASA grants NNG04HZ29C, NNG07HW15C, NNH08CC60C, and NNH09CF43C.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Remote Sensing Systems, Santa Rosa, CA, 95401, USA

    Chelle L. Gentemann, Frank J. Wentz, Marty Brewer, Kyle Hilburn & Deborah Smith

Authors
  1. Chelle L. Gentemann
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  2. Frank J. Wentz
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  3. Marty Brewer
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  4. Kyle Hilburn
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  5. Deborah Smith
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Chelle L. Gentemann .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. European Commission, TP272, Joint Research Centre, Via E. Fermi 2749, Ispra, 21027, Italy

    Vittorio Barale

  2. Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Marine Environmental Quality Section, Institute of Ocean Sciences, West Saanich Road 9860, Sidney, V8L 4B2, Canada

    J.F.R. Gower

  3. CNR, Istituto di Scienze Marine (ISMAR), Castello 1364, Venezia, 30122, Italy

    L. Alberotanza

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Gentemann, C.L., Wentz, F.J., Brewer, M., Hilburn, K., Smith, D. (2010). Passive Microwave Remote Sensing of the Ocean: An Overview. In: Barale, V., Gower, J., Alberotanza, L. (eds) Oceanography from Space. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-90-481-8681-5_2

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