Operational Processing of ITOS Scanning Radiometer Data

Abstract

The Improved TIROS Operational Satellite (ITOS) System uses a spacecraft in a sun-synchronous (1500L) polar orbit. A two-channel scanning radiometer on the spacecraft provides information in the .52- to .73- micrometer visible range and the 10.5- to 12.5- micrometer infrared water vapor window. Operational processing of the scanning radiometer data leads to mapped products and derived products. In the former the image data are transformed to fit a common type of map projection such as polar stereographic or mercator. Derived products are the measurements and interpretive type products obtained from the gridded or mapped imagery. Automated procedures are being developed to derive quantitative information from mapped image data. Parameters sought include the sea-surface temperature and cloud top temperature which can be converted to height. Procedures are also being developed which combine the data from the two channels to derive quantitative information.