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The microwave spectrometer on the Nimbus 6 satellite has produced the first microwave spectral images of the earth. It has yielded global maps of (i) atmospheric temperature profiles, (ii) the distributions of water vapor and liquid water over ocean, and (iii) the coverage and type of ice and snow. The method has potential for operational synoptic monitoring.

The Nimbus 5 microwave spectrometer has been used to measure thermal radiation in five frequency bands between 22.235 and 58.8 gigahertz, and has yielded both the temperature profile and, over ocean, the vapor and liquid water content of the terrestrial atmosphere, even in overcast conditions. Information has also been obtained on geophysical parameters that affect the surface emissivity, such as ice type, sea roughness, and snow cover. The experiment demonstrates the considerable potential of passive microwave sensing of meteorological and geophysical parameters.