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NASA NTRS1981

Stratospheric trace constituent profile retrievals using laser heterodyne radiometer IR limb sensing spectra

A retrieval technique for high resolution IR solar occultation limb sensing data is described for profiling stratospheric trace constituents. Remote measurement of ClO during sunset in the 24-45-km region with a 2-km height resolution is chosen as an example. Two types of instruments are considered: a laser heterodyne radiometer with line resolving spectral resolution and an interferometer spectrometer with a fixed slit width of 0.02/cm. It is pointed out that a multichannel approach is necessary with the heterodyne instrument for improved retrieval accuracy. The error analysis indicates the relative sizes of instrument noise and other sources of error in the retrieval of altitude profiles with high (2-km) vertical resolution.

Majumdar, A. K.↗

NASA NTRS1981

Cloud retrieval using infrared sounder data - Error analysis

An error analysis is presented for cloud-top pressure and cloud-amount retrieval using infrared sounder data. Rms and bias errors are determined for instrument noise (typical of the HIRS-2 instrument on Tiros-N) and for uncertainties in the temperature profiles and water vapor profiles used to estimate clear-sky radiances. Errors are determined for a range of test cloud amounts (0.1-1.0) and cloud-top pressures (920-100 mb). Rms errors vary by an order of magnitude depending on the cloud height and cloud amount within the satellite's field of view. Large bias errors are found for low-altitude clouds. These bias errors are shown to result from physical constraints placed on retrieved cloud properties, i.e., cloud amounts between 0.0 and 1.0 and cloud-top pressures between the ground and tropopause levels. Middle-level and high-level clouds (above 3-4 km) are retrieved with low bias and rms errors.

Wielicki, B. A.↗

NASA NTRS1980

Retrieval of aerosol size distributions from scattering and extinction measurements in the presence of multiple scattering

A fast technique, based on approximation to atmospheric radiative transfer in the solar aureole, is presented for the retrieval of aerosol size distribution from multispectral measurements of both scattered sky radiance and extinction by aerosol media. In this approximation, it is assumed that for a relatively clear day, the sky radiance is due to single scattering by molecules and aerosols, and to multiple scattering by molecules alone. The accuracy of this approximation is discussed in connection with the inversion of scattered radiation data. Results for aerosol size distributions retrieved from multispectral solar extinction measurements by the nonlinear least squares method are discussed, and the retrievals are found to be accurate when checked against ground truth measurements.

Deepak, A.↗

NASA NTRS1981

Regression techniques for oceanographic parameter retrieval using space-borne microwave radiometry

Variations of conventional multiple regression techniques are applied to the problem of remote sensing of oceanographic parameters from space. The techniques are specifically adapted to the scanning multichannel microwave radiometer (SMRR) launched on the Seasat and Nimbus 7 satellites to determine ocean surface temperature, wind speed, and atmospheric water content. The retrievals are studied primarily from a theoretical viewpoint, to illustrate the retrieval error structure, the relative importances of different radiometer channels, and the tradeoffs between spatial resolution and retrieval accuracy. Comparisons between regressions using simulated and actual SMMR data are discussed; they show similar behavior.

Hofer, R.↗

NASA NTRS1983

A two step linear statistical technique using leaps and bounds procedure for retrieval of geophysical parameters from microwave radiometric data

A linear statistical technique using a 'leaps and bounds' procedure (Furnival and Wilson, 1974) is developed for retrieving geophysical parameters from remote measurements. It is used for retrieving sea surface temperatures from the Scaning Multichannel Microwave Radiometer (SMMR) on Seasat. The technique uses an efficient algorithm to select the best fixed-size subset of the 10 SMMR channels for linearly retrieving a given geophysical parameter. The 5-channel subset (6.6V, 6.6H 10H, 18V, 21H), where V and H refer to, respectively, the vertical and horizontal polarizations and the numbers are the channel frequencies in gigahertz, gives the minimum rms error in estimating the sea surface temperature. A comparison with ground truth indicates that the algorithm infers the temperature with an rms accuracy of better than 1.5 K under most environmental conditions. A quality control procedure which is seen as holding promise for further improving the accuracy is proposed.

Kakar, R. K.↗

NASA NTRS1983

Sensitivity of ozone retrievals in limb-viewing experiments to errors in line-width parameters

The variance of atmospheric ozone concentration profiles retrieved in i.r. limb-viewing experiments is examined over the range of published ozone halfwidth values. Simulated retrievals are performed for a typical satellite-based high-resolution absorption experiment and a broad-band emission experiment. The results indicate that, for limb-viewing experiments, inaccurate collision-broadened linewidth values can lead to significant errors in retrieved profiles for broad-band radiometric data or for isolated strong lines in high-resolution spectra.

Smith, M. A. H.↗

NASA NTRS1985

Satellite services and orbital retrieval

Within the capabilities of the Space Shuttle Orbiter, a broad range of services which can be made available to the satellite user community as summarized. Payload deployment, close proximity retrieval, and a number of other mission related functions are discussed. The focus here is on close proximity retrieval and retrieval of payloads in higher energy low Earth orbits.

Adornato, R. J.↗

NASA NTRS1983

Study of tropopause height estimate from TOMS total ozone data from Nimbus-7 and from the microwave regression temperature retrieval of simulated brightness temperatures

The use of TOMS total ozone data obtained by the Nimbus-7 satellite in order to improve satellite microwave retrieval in the tropopause is investigated. Attention is given to the determination of the tropopause by means of TOMS data, the character of the effect of tropopause errors on microwave MSU retrievals, and the use of air mass to stratify regression retrievals.

Munteanu, M.-J.↗

NASA NTRS1983

Application of a global variational analysis to quasi three-dimensional temperature retrievals

The Halen and Kalnay (1983) hypothesis that the application of global variational analysis to clear column radiances will result in a reduction of both observational noise and data gaps is tested, together with the hypothesis of these authors that the estimate of clear column radiances furnished by the variational analysis can yield a useful reduction of the data gaps in the retrieved temperatures. In the first of two experiments conducted, attention is given to whether the nonlinearity of the temperature retrieval method is sufficiently strong to result in more accurate temperature retrievals. In the second experiment, realistic subgrid scale cloud fields and observational and temperature errors are included in the simulation system.

Dalcher, A.↗

NASA NTRS1983

Water vapor profile retrievals from the HIRS/MSU sounder

The present physically based water vapor profile retrieval system for the HIRS/MSU sounding instrument is capable of producing accurate atmospheric and surface temperature retrievals, as well as accurate measurements of cloud fields on the basis of radiance values. In order to establish the extent of useful water vapor information in channels 8, 10, 11 and 12 of the HIRS instrument, studies have been conducted in which simultaneous temperature/humidity retrievals were performed on the basis of radiances simulated for clear and cloudy conditions.

Reuter, D.↗

NASA NTRS1985

Temperature profile retrieval by two-dimensional filtering

A two-dimensional spatial filter, optimum in the minimum-mean-square error sense, has been used to retrieve atmospheric temperature profiles from TIROS-N and NOAA-6 Microwave Sounding Unit measurements. This approach considers correlations both in the vertical and horizontal (along the orbital track) directions. It is found that lower retrieval errors result from the 2-D technique, compared with the 1-D technique, especially in the troposphere. The additional horizontal information used in the 2-D formulation substantially improves temperature retrievals over a severe cold front where vertical correlations are lessened. The improved results of the 2-D filter in the upper troposphere point to the presence of profile components in the null space of the weighting functions that are horizontally correlated with the observed data.

Nathan, K. S.↗

NASA NTRS1986

Gravity gradient enhancement during tethered payload retrieval

Kane's (1984) Crawler System for satellite retrieval is enhanced by incorporating out-of-plane as well as in-plane motion. It is shown that a fixed length deployed tether applies stabilizing restoring forces to the payload during retrieval phase, and in effect, significantly reduces both the in-plane equilibrium hangoff angles and the build-up of in-plane and out-of-plane swinging. These Crawler System characteristics suggest that a simpler control system can be utilized and that significantly faster deployment and retrieval scenarios are possible without compromising safety.

Glickman, R. E.↗

NASA NTRS1986

Optimum retrieval of precipitable water fields from VAS and surface data

The use of VAS radiances and conventional surface data to determine the optimum resolution and accuracy of low-level precipitable water fields retrieved from geosynchronous satellite observations is examined. VAS retrievals of precipitated water (PW) are compared with various channel selections in the regression algorithm and with the split window algorithm. The split window algorithm and the linear regression algorithm are described. Consideration is given to the sounding-field-of-view (SFOV) resolution; the data reveal that the optimum resolution for the split window algorithm is at 15-60 km resolution, and 30-60 km SFOV resolution is optimal for the regression method. Statistics and images from PW retrieval experiments conducted on July 13, 1981 are presented and utilized to determine optimum channel selection. A fast contouring method for VAS sounding images is proposed.

Chesters, Dennis↗

NASA NTRS1986

Cloud and moisture fields derived from the GLA retrievals of HIRS2/MSU data

The GLA retrieval scheme for the analysis of HIRS and MSU radiances is applied to derive cloud and humidity fields from the HIRS2/MSU data for June 1979. For the retrieval of cloud fraction and cloud top pressure, the original algorithm of Susskind et al. (1983) and Susskind et al. (1984) was improved. The derived profiles of the monthly mean fields of cloud fraction and cloud top pressure clearly show the intertropical convergence zone, with the most intense convection in the monsoonal region of the southern Asia and over Central America, which show up as containing the highest cloud top levels and largest cloud amount. For the retrieval of humidity profiles, which are not one of the products of the original processing system, a new algorithm was derived.

Reuter, D.↗

NASA NTRS1987

Dynamics, control and sensor issues pertinent to robotic hands for the EVA retriever system

Basic dynamics, sensor, control, and related artificial intelligence issues pertinent to smart robotic hands for the Extra Vehicular Activity (EVA) Retriever system are summarized and discussed. These smart hands are to be used as end effectors on arms attached to manned maneuvering units (MMU). The Retriever robotic systems comprised of MMU, arm and smart hands, are being developed to aid crewmen in the performance of routine EVA tasks including tool and object retrieval. The ultimate goal is to enhance the effectiveness of EVA crewmen.

Mclauchlan, Robert A.↗

NASA NTRS1987

An evaluation of various forms of VAS retrievals in the analysis of a preconvective environment

VISSR Atmospheric Sounder (VAS) radiance data obtained over the continental United States on July 20, 1981 are used to evaluate a variety of VAS retrieval procedures and parameters in the qualitative analysis and forecasting of severe weather events. The particular case analyzed contains two significantly different mesoscale convective events in the central plains. Retrievals of temperature, dewpoint temperature, equivalent potential temperature, total column precipitable water, and lifted index are shown to be physically consistent in space and time and to compare well with available radiosonde data. The analysis of the VAS retrievals identified significant spatial gradients and temporal changes in the thermal and moisture fields, including times and locations between radiosonde observations.

Petersen, R. A.↗

NASA NTRS1988

Retrieval of constituent mixing ratios from limb thermal emission spectra

An onion-peeling iterative, least-squares relaxation method to retrieve mixing ratio profiles from limb thermal emission spectra is presented. The method has been tested on synthetic data, containing various amounts of added random noise for O3, HNO3, and N2O. The retrieval method is used to obtain O3 and HNO3 mixing ratio profiles from high-resolution thermal emission spectra. Results of the retrievals compare favorably with those obtained previously.

Shaffer, William A.↗

NASA NTRS1984

The man/machine interface in information retrieval: Providing access to the casual user

This study is concerned with the difficulties encountered by casual users wishing to employ Information Storage and Retrieval Systems. A casual user is defined as a professional who has neither time nor desire to pursue in depth the study of the numerous and varied retrieval systems. His needs for on-line search are only occasional, and not limited to any particular system. The paper takes a close look at the state of the art of research concerned with aiding casual users of Information Storage and Retrieval Systems. Current experiments such as LEXIS, CONIT, IIDA, CITE, and CCL are presented and discussed. Comments and proposals are offered, specifically in the areas of training, learning and cost as experienced by the casual user. An extensive bibliography of recent works on the subject follows the text.

Dominick, Wayne D.↗