Toward an Intercalibrated Fundamental Climate Data Record of the SSM/I Sensors

Multiple independent intercalibration techniques are used to derive calibration adjustments for the development of a fundamental climate data record of physically consistent brightness temperature data from the series of six special sensor microwave/imagers (SSM/Is). The techniques include direct polar matchups, double differencing against model simulations from reanalysis profile data, double differencing against matchups with the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission Microwave Imager, vicarious cold calibration, and an Amazon warm calibration. Multiple realizations of three of the five techniques have been applied using different reanalysis data and retrieval techniques to account for Earth incidence angle-dependent differences between sensors. Excellent agreement has been achieved between each of the techniques with typical spread within 0.5 K at the cold end, with slightly higher spread when the warm end estimate is included. A strategy for estimating mean intercalibration values is described with justification for the use of a simple offset based on error characteristics. Intercalibration offsets are smaller for the more recent SSM/I (< 1 K for F14 and F15 compared with F13) and slightly larger for the older satellites (< 2 K for F08, F10, and F11 when compared to F13).