Insights into the Microwave Instruments Onboard the Fengyun 3D Satellite: Data Quality and Assimilation in the Met Office NWP System

• DOI: 10.1007/s00376-020-0010-1
• Publication Date: 2020-08-17T06:03:21Z
• Authors: Fabien Carminati; Nigel Atkinson; Brett Candy; Qifeng Lu
• Keywords: Special sensor microwave/imager

Abstract This paper evaluates the microwave instruments onboard latest Chinese polar-orbiting satellite, Feng-Yun 3D (FY-3D). Comparing three months of observations from Microwave Temperature Sounder 2 (MWTS-2), Humidity (MWHS-2), and Radiation Imager (MWRI) to Met Office short-range forecasts, we characterize instrumental biases, show how those biases have changed with respect their predecessors FY-3C, they compare Advanced Technology (ATMS) NOAA-20 Global Precipitation Measurement (GMI). The MWTS-2 global bias is much reduced its predecessor compares well ATMS at equivalent channel frequencies, differing only by 0.36 ± 0.28 K (1σ) on average. A suboptimal averaging raw digital counts found cause an increase in striping noise ascending—descending bias. MWHS-2 benefits a new calibration method improving 183-GHz humidity channels for these are within 1.9 ATMS. MWRI presents largest improvements, standard deviation FY-3C; although, spurious, seemingly transient, brightness temperatures been detected 36.5 GHz (vertical polarization). strong solar-dependent that affects instrument FY-3C has less than 0.2 average FY-3D MWRI. Experiments where radiances were assimilated top full system demonstrated neutral positive impact as fit background independent instruments.