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At least 343 records · Page 19

A regression technique for determining temperature profiles in the upper stratosphere from satellite-measured radiances.

A technique is described whose application makes it possible to almost double the altitude range over which useful temperature profiles may be obtained. For a wide range of atmospheric temperature profiles, the temperature structure between 30 and 55 km may be derived with an expected error of less than 3 C at 30 km to less than 10 C at 55 km, given the temperature structure in the lower 30 km of the profile, and given a consistent and accurate set of radiance observations. For strongly anomalous conditions in the stratosphere, the accuracy of retrievals at tropospheric levels may also be substantially improved.

Gelman, M. E.↗

Stratospheric thickness determined directly from satellite radiance measurements.

Discussion of the use of satellite radiance data for determining the thickness of deep stratospheric layers. Empirical regression equations are shown to provide better estimates of stratospheric thickness than do mean weighted temperatures obtained from the Planck equation. The best regression equations were found for thick layers emitting a substantial portion of the CO2-band infrared radiation measured by satellites. By adding the layer thickness to the observed height field for the lower boundary, it is possible to construct constant-pressure maps at very high altitudes.

Quiroz, R. S.↗

Tests of a procedure for inserting satellite radiance measurements into a numerical circulation model.

Description of experiments designed to test the sensitivity of a new method for retrieving vertical temperature profiles from satellite radiance measurements to the initial guess of temperature distribution. Emphasis is placed on initial guesses of the kind that would be provided by a numerical model of the atmospheric circulation, with the objective of developing a procedure for direct use of satellite radiation measurements as input to a numerical forecasting scheme.

Hogan, J. S.↗

Limb radiance inversion: Iterative convergence for a nonlinear kernal

The features of the limb inversion problem that differentiate it from the nadir problem are described; the most important of these are the sharply peaked weighting functions and the nonlinear kernel that arises because the atmosphere is required to be in hydrostatic balance. The problem may be split into two parts: given the pressure at one level and the measured radiances, can the temperatures be retrieved? And how can the pressure be obtained at one level? The second problem is shown to depend on the first, which is solved iteratively. The convergence properties and final accuracies are presented. Inversion to obtain trace constituents is briefly discussed.

Gille, J. C.↗

Determination of the total outgoing radiance of the earth-atmosphere system

Utilizing eighty atmospheric models, the equivalent black body temperatures for the 6-7, 10-11, 15-16 and the 20-24 micron spectral regions, corresponding to the Nimbus 3 medium resolution infrared radiometer were computed. The black body temperatures for the 5-30 micron channel and the total outgoing radiances for these atmospheres were also computed. It was found that the total radiation can be estimated from the 10-11 micron channel alone with a standard error of 2.2 watts/sq m sr.

Pasternak, M.↗

Far ultraviolet spectral radiance calibrations at NBS.

The range of NBS radiometric calibration services has been extended into the far ultraviolet region of the spectrum where a dc high-power hydrogen wall-stabilized arc is used as a primary standard of spectral radiance. A capability in the range from 130 to 360 nm (overlapping conventional tungsten strip lamp radiometry) is presently available with estimated uncertainties between 5 and 10%, depending upon wavelength. The status of radiometric source standards in the far ultraviolet is briefly reviewed, and the hydrogen arc and NBS calibration facility are described in detail. The use of commercially available mercury Krefft-Rossler lamps and deuterium arc lamps as transfer or secondary standards is discussed, and the spectra of these lamps calibrated with the hydrogen arc standard are presented.

Ott, W. R.↗

Multiple scattered radiation emerging from continental haze layers. 1: Radiance, polarization, and neutral points

The complete radiation field is calculated for scattering layers of various optical thicknesses. Results obtained for Rayleigh and haze scattering are compared. Calculated radiances show differences as large as 23% compared to the approximate scalar theory of radiative transfer, while the same differences are approximately 0.1% for a continental haze phase function. The polarization of reflected and transmitted radiation is given for various optical thicknesses, solar zenith angles, and surface albedos. Two types of neutral points occur for aerosol phase functions. Rayleigh-like neutral points arise from zero polarization that occurs at scattering angles of 0 deg and 180 deg. For Rayleigh phase functions, the position of these points varies with the optical thickness of the scattering layer. Non-Rayleigh neutral points are associated with the zeros of polarization which occur between the end points of the single scattering curve, and are found over a wide range of azimuthal angles.

Kattawar, G. W.↗

Radiance, polarization, and ellipticity of the radiation in the earth's atmosphere

The complete radiation field including polarization is calculated for a model of the real atmosphere by the matrix operator method. The radiance, direction and amount of polarization, and ellipticity are obtained at the top and bottom of the atmosphere for three values of the surface albedo (0; 0.15 0.90) and five solar zenith angles. Scattering and absorption by molecules (including ozone) and by aerosols are taken into account together with the variation of the number density of these substances with height. All results are calculated for both a normal aerosol number and a distribution which is one-third of the normal amount at all heights. The calculated values show general qualitative agreement with the available experimental measurements. The position of the neutral points of the polarization in the principal plane is a sensitive indicator of the characteristics of the aerosol particles in the atmosphere, since it depends on the sign and value of the single scattered polarization for scattering angles around 20 deg and 160 deg for transmitted and reflected photons respectively.

Hitzfelder, S. J.↗

Spectral reflectance and radiance characteristics of water pollutants

Spectral reflectance characteristics of water pollutants and water bodies were compiled using the existing literature. Radiance calculations were performed at satellite altitude for selected illumination angles and atmospheric conditions. The work described in this report was limited to the reflective portion of the spectrum between 0.40 micrometer to 1.0 micrometer.

Wezernak, C. T.↗