Land surface temperature is currently an experimental product being tested for the AMSU. The methodology is similar to that used for the retrieval of sea ice, snow cover, and surface wetness, depending upon accurate simulations of surface emissivity. The product shows the temperature at the surface in land regions in degrees K. The SSM/I product uses the SSM/I 19-, 22-, 37-, and 85-GHz channels, while the AMSU product uses channels at 23, 31, and 50 GHz.

Note that the product is derived in the presence of clouds, except in areas of moderate to heavy precipitation which are shown in grey.