Atmospheric infrared sounder

The atmospheric infrared sounder (AIRS) is one of six instruments flying on board NASA's Aqua satellite, launched on May 4, 2002.

AIRS and AMSU-A share the Aqua satellite with the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), Clouds and the Earth's Radiant Energy System (CERES), and the Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer-EOS (AMSR-E).

The term "sounder" in AIRS's name refers to the fact that the instrument measures temperature and water vapor as a function of height (atmospheric sounding).

Using a special computer algorithm, data from AIRS and the microwave instruments are combined to provide highly accurate measurements in all cloud conditions resulting in a daily global snapshot of the state of the atmosphere.

AIRS primary scientific achievement has been to improve weather prediction and provide new information on the water and energy cycle.

AIRS measurements form a "fingerprint" of the state of the atmosphere for a given time and place that can be used as a climate data record for future generations.

The instrument can detect carbon monoxide emissions from the burning of plant materials and animal waste by humans in rainforests and large cities.

It can follow giant plumes of this gas moving across the planet from these large burns, allowing scientists to better monitor pollution transport patterns.

The AIRS instrument flies on NASA's Aqua satellite.
This infrared image from AIRS shows the remnants of Hurricane Felix in September 2007.
AIRS maps the distribution of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.