1. MICROWAVE TEMPERATURE PROFILER (mTP)
Boon Lim, Michael Mahoney*, Richard Denning and Jordan Tanabe
Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Contact :

2. In Memoriam
Dr. Michael ‘MJ’ Mahoney passed away in early September in his home in Altadena
Cause of death is unknown
He was in between deployments for SEAC4RS in Houston supporting the MTP of course
He was 67 years old, and had been PI for the MTP for over 15 years
10/24/2013
ATTREX 2013

3. Mr. MTP at GLOPAC
10/24/2013
ATTREX 2013

4. MJ before
10/24/2013
ATTREX 2013

5. MJ Graduation
10/24/2013
ATTREX 2013

6. 10/24/2013
ATTREX 2013

7. MJ Hero Shot
10/24/2013
ATTREX 2013

8. MTP Brief History
Original airborne system funded by NASA's Aviation Safety program for detection of clear air turbulence (CAT) in early 1980s
Airborne system designed for the ER-2 for the Stratospheric Troposheric Exchange Project (STEP) based in Darwin, Australia in 1987
MTP to date has flown on 9 different airborne platforms, participated in over 60 campaigns and logged over 5500 flight hours
MTP serves the Upper Atmospheric Composition Observations (UACO) community
10/24/2013
ATTREX 2013

9. MTP Concept of Operations
Microwave radiometer measures the 55 GHz oxygen complex
Instrument scans through 10 step positions and over 3 different frequencies
Allows for vertical scanning of the atmosphere in front of the aircraft above and below the flight line
Vertical resolution is highest close to the aircraft and degrades further away from the aircraft (typical retrieval range is ±8 km)
10/24/2013
ATTREX 2013

10. MTP on the Global Hawk Comm Computer Data Unit Sensor Unit
Sends status and data packets to ground for real time data processing and display
Reads IWG1 UDP packets and reformats in ER-2 Nav Data Recorder RS-232 format to send to Data Unit
Data Unit
PC-104 computer that runs code that controls the Sensor Unit
Stores data that it receives from the Sensor Unit and also sends it to the Comm Computer
Sensor Unit
- Under control of the Data Unit, it scans from near zenith to near nadir making brightness temperature measurements at three frequencies. It also observes a reference target (white box) for calibration purposes. Measurements are sent to the Data Unit.
10/24/2013
ATTREX 2013

11. MTP and ATTREX Coldpoint Tropopause
Soundings from Padang, Indonesia, on ,-08, and -15 showing typical (cyan), cold point (yellow) and isothermal (magenta) TTL
Schematic of the Tropical Tropopause Layer (TTL) from ~ km. T structure of the TTL controls H20 flow.
10/24/2013
ATTREX 2013

12. Isentropes Mountain Lee Wave
30km long mountain lee wave (Dornbrack et al. 2002)
10/24/2013
ATTREX 2013

13. ATTREX-2
10/24/2013
ATTREX 2013

14. Real Time Display Demonstrated on ATTREX and SEAC4RS
Data and full profiles are available on the MTS in ‘real time’ (2 minute delay) even with the low data rate comms
10/24/2013
ATTREX 2013

15. Instrument Status RFI continues to degrade data
Evident at Edwards (low level) and Ellington (high level)
Mainly tracking radars, levels at Ellington highest ever seen
Only during takeoff, RFI at Edwards continues if we stay on the range
10/24/2013
ATTREX 2013

16. Internal Aircraft Noise
Low level noise present on the data during ATTREX-2
New switching power supply box installed in zone 28
Currently dealing with this issue in processing
If possible move this box?
Provide better shielding?
Has to be debugged in the field
10/24/2013
ATTREX 2013

17. MTP in Transition
MJ and I had planned for a gradual 4 year transition period
We had about 1 month (!)
Coming up to speed quickly with the software (SEAC4RS data delivered)
Currently preparing for ATTREX, including looking at previously processed data
I need your help! Please come say hi!
If you have ever used the MTP data
If you have ever thought about using the MTP data
If you have suggestions on features you would like to see
If you have trouble with using the data
If you want to talk microwave radiometry or retrieval algorithms
10/24/2013
ATTREX 2013

18. HIPPO Hiaper Pole to Pole Observations
Measured cross sections of atmospheric
concentrations pole to pole 5 times from 2009 – 2011
CTC from HIPPO-V from Alaska to Hawaii
10/24/2013
ATTREX 2013