Improvement in tropospheric moisture retrievals from VIIRS through the use of infrared absorption bands constructed from VIIRS and CrIS data fusion

Abstract. An operational data product available for both the Suomi-NPP and NOAA-20 platforms provides high spatial resolution infrared (IR) absorption band radiances for VIIRS based on a VIIRS+CrIS data fusion method. This study investigates the use of these IR radiances, centered at 4.5, 6.7, 7.3, 9.7, 13.3, 13.6, 13.9, and 14.2 µm, to construct atmospheric moisture products (e.g., total precipitable water and upper tropospheric humidity) and to evaluate their accuracy. Total precipitable water (TPW) and upper tropospheric humidity (UTH) retrieved from hyperspectral sounder CrIS measurements are provided at the associated VIIRS sensor's high spatial resolution (750 m) and are compared subsequently to collocated operational Aqua MODIS and Suomi-NPP VIIRS moisture products. This study suggests that the use of VIIRS IR absorption band radiances will provide continuity with Aqua MODIS moisture products.