The Multispectral Atmospheric Mapping Sensor (MAMS) is a multispectral scanner which measures reflected radiation from the Earth's surface and clouds in 8 visible/near infrared channels, as well as thermal emission from the surface, clouds, and atmospheric constituents (primarily water vapor) in four infrared bands. The scanner views a 37 kilometer wide scene of Earth from the ER-2 altitude of about 20 kilometers. Each MAMS footprint (individual field of view) has a horizontal resolution of 100 meters at nadir. Since the ER-2 travels at about 208 meters per second, a swath of MAMS data 37 by 740 kilometers is collected every hour. The nominal duration of an ER-2 flight is 6 hours, with a maximum of about 7 hours.
Geophysical Parameters
A number of geophysical parameters can be derived from the MAMS data. The resolution of each product varies because of the desired accuracy of each parameter. The table below lists the parameters which can be derived from MAMS for Convection and Moisture Experiment 3 (CAMEX-3) research.
| Parameter | Resolution | Coverage | Accuracy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Precipitable Water | 250 - 1000 m | over entire image | 2 - 5 mm rms |
| Land Surface Temperature 0.5 - 0.6 K (absolute) | 100 - 300 m | over entire image | 0.1 - 1.0 K (relative) |
| Sea Surface Temperature | 100 - 300 m | over entire image | 0.1 K (relative) 0.1 - 1.0 K (absolute) |
| Upper-Level Humidity (in weighting function layer) | 100 - 300 m | over entire image | 1 - 2% (relative) 5 - 10 (absolute) |
| Cloud Detection | 100 - 200 m | over entire image | 99% efficiency |
| Cloud Mean Top Temperature | 100 - 200 m | where cloud present | 0.5 K (relative) 0.5 - 6.0 K (absolute) |
| Cloud Mean Height (Pressure) | 100 - 200 m | where cloud present | 50 mb (relative) 50 - 200 mb (absolute) |