| Accumulated precipitation (over 24 h) | 4 - fair | Poor time sampling.. Time sampling to be interpolated by GEO. | MW channels around 10, 19, 23, 37 and 90 GHz |
| Atmospheric temperature* | 3 - high | Coarse vertical resolution. | 54 and 118 GHz bands. Nearly all-weather sounding |
| Cloud liquid water (CLW) | 3 - high | No specific limitation. | MW channels around 37 and 90 GHz |
| Cloud liquid water (CLW) total column* | 3 - high | No specific limitation. | MW channels around 37 and 90 GHz |
| Freezing level height in clouds | 3 - high | No specific limitation. | MW channels in the 54 and 118 GHz bands. Inference from the temperature profile |
| Land surface temperature | 5 - marginal | Coarse spatial resolution. | MW channels around 10 GHz |
| Long-wave Earth surface emissivity | 4 - fair | Long time series needed. | MW channels around 10, 19, 37 and 90 GHz. Emissivity across this MW range inferred by statistical analysis |
| Melting layer depth in clouds | 3 - high | No specific limitation. | MW channels in the 54 and 118 GHz bands. Inference from the temperature profile |
| Precipitation intensity at surface (liquid or solid) | 4 - fair | No specific limitation. | MW channels around 10, 19, 23, 37 and 90 GHz, to cover sea and land, heavy and light precipitation |
| Sea surface temperature | 5 - marginal | Warm temperature only. | MW channels around 10 GHz |
| Sea-ice cover* | 3 - high | No specific limitation. | MW channels around 10, 19, 37 and 90 GHz |
| Sea-ice type | 4 - fair | No specific limitation. | MW channels around 10, 19, 37 and 90 GHz. Type interpreted as age/roughness |
| Snow cover | 3 - high | Coarse spatial resolution. | MW channels around 19, 37 and 90 GHz. Higher frequencies less sensitive to emissivity from ground under snow |
| Snow status (wet/dry) | 2 - very high | Coarse spatial resolution. | MW channels around 19, 37 and 90 GHz. Higher frequencies less sensitive to emissivity from ground under snow |
| Snow water equivalent | 2 - very high | Coarse spatial resolution.. Ground stations network needed. | MW channels around 19, 37 and 90 GHz. Higher frequencies less sensitive to emissivity from ground under snow |
| Soil moisture at surface | 3 - high | Coarse spatial resolution.. Strongly affected by vegetation. | MW channels around 10 GHz |
| Integrated Water Vapour (IWV)* | 3 - high | Over sea only. | MW channel(s) in the water vapour band around 23 GHz |
| Wind speed (near surface)* | 3 - high | Over sea only. | MW channels around 10, 19 and 37 GHz |
Instrument: MWRI-2