Atmospheric sounding with passive microwaves: Review and prognosis

Global maps of temperature profiles from 0 to 20 km altitude and of total water vapor and liquid water over the ocean were obtained from satellite-borne microwave spectrometers. Future satellites will extend the altitude range above 100 km and permit monitoring of H2O, O3, CO, N2O, and other trace constituents. Operational microwave temperature sounding spectrometers are scheduled for launch on both military and civilian U.S. satellites, and future improvements can be expected.