Remote sensing of the atmosphere from satellites for numerical weather prediction

We present an overview of the current state and prospects of remote sensing of the atmosphere from satellites, including information products and applications in numerical weather prediction. The first part of the talk examines existing methods of retrieving vertical profiles of temperature and humidity as well as two-dimensional atmospheric wind vector (AMV) fields in the troposphere from Russian and other satellite systems. Utilization of hyperspectral infrared measurements in the water vapor absorption channels onboard polar-orbiting and geostationary meteorological satellites to retrieve three-dimensional AMV fields is discussed. The second part of the talk discusses the use of satellite measurements and information products in global meteorological data assimilation systems. Methodological problems of effective assimilation of atmospheric microwave and infrared sounder measurements as well as satellite-based AMVs are highlighted. Impacts of various types of satellite observations on weather forecasts are characterized. Results of using measurements from Russian polar-orbiting satellites in the data assimilation system of the Hydrometeorological Center of Russia are presented. Prospects of using AMV observations from the Arctica series satellites on highly elliptical orbits are under discussion.