Regional Precipitation Forecast with Atmospheric InfraRed Sounder (AIRS) Profile Assimilation

Science.gov (United States)

Chou, S.-H.; Zavodsky, B. T.; Jedloved, G. J.

2010-01-01

Advanced technology in hyperspectral sensors such as the Atmospheric InfraRed Sounder (AIRS; Aumann et al. 2003) on NASA's polar orbiting Aqua satellite retrieve higher vertical resolution thermodynamic profiles than their predecessors due to increased spectral resolution. Although these capabilities do not replace the robust vertical resolution provided by radiosondes, they can serve as a complement to radiosondes in both space and time. These retrieved soundings can have a significant impact on weather forecasts if properly assimilated into prediction models. Several recent studies have evaluated the performance of specific operational weather forecast models when AIRS data are included in the assimilation process. LeMarshall et al. (2006) concluded that AIRS radiances significantly improved 500 hPa anomaly correlations in medium-range forecasts of the Global Forecast System (GFS) model. McCarty et al. (2009) demonstrated similar forecast improvement in 0-48 hour forecasts in an offline version of the operational North American Mesoscale (NAM) model when AIRS radiances were assimilated at the regional scale. Reale et al. (2008) showed improvements to Northern Hemisphere 500 hPa height anomaly correlations in NASA's Goddard Earth Observing System Model, Version 5 (GEOS-5) global system with the inclusion of partly cloudy AIRS temperature profiles. Singh et al. (2008) assimilated AIRS temperature and moisture profiles into a regional modeling system for a study of a heavy rainfall event during the summer monsoon season in Mumbai, India. This paper describes an approach to assimilate AIRS temperature and moisture profiles into a regional configuration of the Advanced Research Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF-ARW) model using its three-dimensional variational (3DVAR) assimilation system (WRF-Var; Barker et al. 2004). Section 2 describes the AIRS instrument and how the quality indicators are used to intelligently select the highest-quality data for assimilation

HIRS-AMTS satellite sounding system test - Theoretical and empirical vertical resolving power. [High resolution Infrared Radiation Sounder - Advanced Moisture and Temperature Sounder

Science.gov (United States)

Thompson, O. E.

1982-01-01

The present investigation is concerned with the vertical resolving power of satellite-borne temperature sounding instruments. Information is presented on the capabilities of the High Resolution Infrared Radiation Sounder (HIRS) and a proposed sounding instrument called the Advanced Moisture and Temperature Sounder (AMTS). Two quite different methods for assessing the vertical resolving power of satellite sounders are discussed. The first is the theoretical method of Conrath (1972) which was patterned after the work of Backus and Gilbert (1968) The Backus-Gilbert-Conrath (BGC) approach includes a formalism for deriving a retrieval algorithm for optimizing the vertical resolving power. However, a retrieval algorithm constructed in the BGC optimal fashion is not necessarily optimal as far as actual temperature retrievals are concerned. Thus, an independent criterion for vertical resolving power is discussed. The criterion is based on actual retrievals of signal structure in the temperature field.

Cloud and Thermodynamic Parameters Retrieved from Satellite Ultraspectral Infrared Measurements

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Daniel K.; Smith, William L.; Larar, Allen M.; Liu, Xu; Taylor, Jonathan P.; Schluessel, Peter; Strow, L. Larrabee; Mango, Stephen A.

2008-01-01

Atmospheric-thermodynamic parameters and surface properties are basic meteorological parameters for weather forecasting. A physical geophysical parameter retrieval scheme dealing with cloudy and cloud-free radiance observed with satellite ultraspectral infrared sounders has been developed and applied to the Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer (IASI) and the Atmospheric InfraRed Sounder (AIRS). The retrieved parameters presented herein are from radiance data gathered during the Joint Airborne IASI Validation Experiment (JAIVEx). JAIVEx provided intensive aircraft observations obtained from airborne Fourier Transform Spectrometer (FTS) systems, in-situ measurements, and dedicated dropsonde and radiosonde measurements for the validation of the IASI products. Here, IASI atmospheric profile retrievals are compared with those obtained from dedicated dropsondes, radiosondes, and the airborne FTS system. The IASI examples presented here demonstrate the ability to retrieve fine-scale horizontal features with high vertical resolution from satellite ultraspectral sounder radiance spectra.

Observations of atmospheric structure using an acoustic sounder

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shaw, N.A.

1974-11-01

An acoustic sounder has been used to monitor the vertical temperature structure of the lowest 1.5 km of the atmosphere over the meteorological field site at Argonne National Laboratory since February 1972. Additional records were obtained near St. Louis, Mo., during the month of August. Sounder records obtained during cloudless days on which no major synoptic events occurred are separated into three characteristic phases. The first phase is the rise of the morning inversion associated with increasing solar heating of the surface after dawn. The second phase is the period of strong convective activity that usually exists between about 1100 and 1600 local time in summer and which typically destroys the inversion. The third phase includes the gradual regeneration of the low level inversion through radiation cooling of the lowest levels, followed by a period of persistence throughout the night until the first phase begins again after sunrise. Analysis of records obtained from a single acoustic sounder operating in the vertically-pointing, monostatic mode is subject to the usual ambiguity regarding the relative importance of advective effects and local changes with time. To provide a spatial sampling facility, a mobile acoustic sounding system was constructed during 1972. Details of the mobile antenna acoustic baffle or cuff are given in the Appendix. (19 figures, 1 table) (U.S.)

The Impact of Cross-track Infrared Sounder (CrIS) Cloud-Cleared Radiances on Hurricane Joaquin (2015) and Matthew (2016) Forecasts

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Pei; Li, Jun; Li, Zhenglong; Lim, Agnes H. N.; Li, Jinlong; Schmit, Timothy J.; Goldberg, Mitchell D.

2017-12-01

Hyperspectral infrared (IR) sounders provide high vertical resolution atmospheric sounding information that can improve the forecast skill in numerical weather prediction. Commonly, only clear radiances are assimilated, because IR sounder observations are highly affected by clouds. A cloud-clearing (CC) technique, which removes the cloud effects from an IR cloudy field of view (FOV) and derives the cloud-cleared radiances (CCRs) or clear-sky equivalent radiances, can be an alternative yet effective way to take advantage of the thermodynamic information from cloudy skies in data assimilation. This study develops a Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS)-based CC method for deriving Cross-track Infrared Sounder (CrIS) CCRs under partially cloudy conditions. Due to the lack of absorption bands on VIIRS, two important quality control steps are implemented in the CC process. Validation using VIIRS clear radiances indicates that the CC method can effectively obtain the CrIS CCRs for FOVs with partial cloud cover. To compare the impacts from assimilation of CrIS original radiances and CCRs, three experiments are carried out on two storm cases, Hurricane Joaquin (2015) and Hurricane Matthew (2016), using Gridpoint Statistical Interpolation assimilation system and Weather Research and Forecasting-Advanced Research Version models. At the analysis time, more CrIS observations are assimilated when using CrIS CCRs than with CrIS original radiances. Comparing temperature, specific humidity, and U/V winds with radiosondes indicates that the data impacts are growing larger with longer time forecasts (beyond 72 h forecast). Hurricane track forecasts also show improvements from the assimilation of CrIS CCRs due to better weather system forecasts. The impacts of CCRs on intensity are basically neutral with mixed positive and negative results.

The microwave limb sounder for the Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite

Science.gov (United States)

Waters, J. W.; Peckham, G. E.; Suttie, R. A.; Curtis, P. D.; Maddison, B. J.; Harwood, R. S.

1988-01-01

The Microwave Limb Sounder was designed to map the concentrations of trace gases from the stratosphere to the lower thermosphere, to improve understanding of the photochemical reactions which take place in this part of the atmosphere. The instrument will measure the intensity of thermal radiation from molecules in the atmosphere at frequencies corresponding to rotational absorption bands of chlorine monoxide, ozone, and water vapor. Molecular concentration profiles will be determined over a height range of 15 to 80 km (20 to 45 km for C10). The 57 deg inclination orbit proposed for the Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite will allow global coverage.

Implementing earth observation and advanced satellite based atmospheric sounders for water resource and climate modelling

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Boegh, E.; Dellwik, Ebba; Hahmann, Andrea N.

2010-01-01

This paper discusses preliminary remote sensing (MODIS) based hydrological modelling results for the Danish island Sjælland (7330 km2) in relation to project objectives and methodologies of a new research project “Implementing Earth observation and advanced satellite based atmospheric sounders....... For this purpose, a) internal catchment processes will be studied using a Distributed Temperature Sensing (DTS) system, b) Earth observations will be used to upscale from field to regional scales, and c) at the largest scale, satellite based atmospheric sounders and meso-scale climate modelling will be used...

Performance of the HIRS/2 instrument on TIROS-N. [High Resolution Infrared Radiation Sounder

Science.gov (United States)

Koenig, E. W.

1980-01-01

The High Resolution Infrared Radiation Sounder (HIRS/2) was developed and flown on the TIROS-N satellite as one means of obtaining atmospheric vertical profile information. The HIRS/2 receives visible and infrared spectrum radiation through a single telescope and selects 20 narrow radiation channels by means of a rotating filter wheel. A passive radiant cooler provides an operating temperature of 106.7 K for the HgCdTe and InSb detectors while the visible detector operates at instrument frame temperature. Low noise amplifiers and digital processing provide 13 bit data for spacecraft data multiplexing and transmission. The qualities of system performance that determine sounding capability are the dynamic range of data collection, the noise equivalent radiance of the system, the registration of the air columns sampled in each channel and the ability to upgrade the calibration of the instrument to maintain the performance standard throughout life. The basic features, operating characteristics and performance of the instrument in test are described. Early orbital information from the TIROS-N launched on October 13, 1978 is given and some observations on system quality are made.

Premier's imaging IR limb sounder

Science.gov (United States)

Kraft, Stefan; Bézy, Jean-Loup; Meynart, Roland; Langen, Jörg; Carnicero Dominguez, Bernardo; Bensi, Paolo; Silvestrin, Pierluigi

2017-11-01

The Imaging IR Limb Sounder (IRLS) is one of the two instruments planned on board of the candidate Earth Explorer Core Mission PREMIER. PREMIER stands for PRocess Exploration through Measurements of Infrared and Millimetre-wave Emitted Radiation. PREMIER went recently through the process of a feasibility study (Phase A) within the Earth Observation Envelope Program. Emerging from recent advanced instrument technologies IRLS shall, next to a millimetre-wave limb sounder (called STEAMR), explore the benefits of three-dimensional limb sounding with embedded cloud imaging capability. Such 3D imaging technology is expected to open a new era of limb sounding that will allow detailed studies of the link between atmospheric composition and climate, since it will map simultaneously fields of temperature and many trace gases in the mid/upper troposphere and stratosphere across a large vertical and horizontal field of view and with high vertical and horizontal resolution. PREMIER shall fly in a tandem formation looking backwards to METOP's swath and thereby improve meteorological and environmental analyses.

The JPSS CrIS Instrument and the Evolution of Space-Based Infrared Sounders

Science.gov (United States)

Glumb, Ronald; Suwinski, Lawrence; Wells, Steven; Glumb, Anna; Malloy, Rebecca; Colton, Marie

2018-01-01

This paper will summarize the development of infrared sounders since the 1970s, describe the technological hurdles that were overcome to provide ever-increasing performance capabilities, and highlight the radiometric performance of the CrIS instrument on JPSS-1 (CrIS-JPSS1). This includes details of the CrIS-JPSS1 measured noise-equivalent spectral radiance (NEdN) performance, radiometric uncertainty performance utilizing a new and improved internal calibration target, short-term and long-term repeatability, spectral uncertainty, and spectral stability. In addition, the full-resolution operating modes for CrIS-JPSS1 will be reviewed, including a discussion of how these modes will be used during on-orbit characterization tests. We will provide a brief update of CrIS-SNPP on-obit performance and the production status of the CrIS instruments for JPSS-2 through JPSS-4. Current technological challenges will also be reviewed, including how ongoing research and development is enabling improvements to future sounders. The expanding usage of infrared sounding data will also be discussed, including demonstration of value via data assimilation, the roles of the public/private sector in communicating the importance of sounding data for long-term observations, and the long road to success from research to operational data products.

Satellite Sounder Observations of Contrasting Tropospheric Moisture Transport Regimes: Saharan Air Layers, Hadley Cells, and Atmospheric Rivers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nalli, Nicholas R.; Barnet, Christopher D.; Reale, Tony; Liu, Quanhua; Morris, Vernon R.; Spackman, J. Ryan; Joseph, Everette; Tan, Changyi; Sun, Bomin; Tilley, Frank; Leung, L. Ruby; Wolfe, Daniel

2016-12-01

This paper examines the performance of satellite sounder atmospheric vertical moisture proles (AVMP) under tropospheric conditions encompassing moisture contrasts driven by convection and advection transport mechanisms, specifically Atlantic Ocean Saharan air layers (SALs) and Pacific Ocean moisture conveyer belts (MCBs) commonly referred to as atmospheric rivers (ARs), both of these being mesoscale to synoptic meteorological phenomena within the vicinity of subtropical Hadley subsidence zones. Operational AVMP environmental data records retrieved from the Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership (SNPP) NOAA-Unique Combined Atmospheric Processing System (NUCAPS) are collocated with dedicated radiosonde observations (RAOBs) obtained from ocean-based intensive field campaigns; these RAOBs provide uniquely independent correlative truth data not assimilated into numerical weather prediction models for satellite sounder validation over open ocean. Using these marine-based data, we empirically assess the performance of the operational NUCAPS AVMP product for detecting and resolving these tropospheric moisture features over otherwise RAOB-sparse regions.

Atmospheric Infrared Sounder on NASA's Aqua Satellite: Applications for Volcano Rapid Response, Influenza Outbreak Prediction, and Drought Onset Prediction

Science.gov (United States)

Ray, S. E.; Fetzer, E. J.; Lambrigtsen, B.; Olsen, E. T.; Licata, S. J.; Hall, J. R.; Penteado, P. F.; Realmuto, V. J.; Thrastarson, H. T.; Teixeira, J.; Granger, S. L.; Behrangi, A.; Farahmand, A.

2017-12-01

The Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) has been returning daily global observations of Earth's atmospheric constituents and properties since 2002. With its 15-year data record and near real-time capability, AIRS data are being used in the development of applications that fall within many of the NASA Applied Science focus areas. An automated alert system for volcanic plumes has been developed that triggers on threshold breaches of SO2, ash and dust in granules of AIRS data. The system generates a suite of granule-scale maps that depict both plume and clouds, all accessible from the AIRS web site. Alerts are sent to a curated list of volcano community members, and links to views in NASA Worldview and Google Earth are also available. Seasonal influenza epidemics are major public health concern with millions of cases of severe illness and large economic impact. Recent studies have highlighted the role of absolute or specific humidity as a likely player in the seasonal nature of these outbreaks. A quasi-operational influenza outbreak prediction system has been developed based on the SIRS model which uses AIRS and NCEP humidity data, Center for Disease Control reports on flu and flu-like illnesses, and results from Google Flu Trends. Work is underway to account for diffusion (spatial) in addition to the temporal spreading of influenza. The US Drought Monitor (USDM) is generated weekly by the National Drought Mitigation Center (NDMC) and is used by policymakers for drought decision-making. AIRS data have demonstrated utility in monitoring the development and detection of meteorological drought with both AIRS-derived standardized vapor pressure deficit and standardized relative humidity, showing early detection lead times of up to two months. An agreement was secured with the NDMC to begin a trial period using AIRS products in the production of the USDM, and in July of 2017 the operational delivery of weekly CONUS AIRS images of Relative Humidity, Surface Air Temperature

Development of the Advanced Technology Microwave Sounder (ATMS) for NPOESS C1

Science.gov (United States)

Brann, C.; Kunkee, D.

2008-12-01

The National Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System's Advanced Technology Microwave Sounder (ATMS) is planned for flight on the first NPOESS mission (C1) in 2013. The C1 ATMS will be the second instrument of the ATMS series and will provide along with the companion Cross-track Infrared Sounder (CrIS), atmospheric temperature and moisture profiles for NPOESS. The first flight of the ATMS is scheduled in 2010 on the NPOESS Preparatory Project (NPP) satellite, which is an early instrument risk reduction component of the NPOESS mission. This poster will focus on the development of the ATMS for C1 including aspects of the sensor calibration, antenna beam and RF characteristics and scanning. New design aspects of the C1 ATMS, required primarily by parts obsolescence, will also be addressed in this poster.

Infrared remote sensing of atmospheric aerosols; Apports du sondage infrarouge a l'etude des aerosols atmospheriques

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pierangelo, C

2005-09-15

The 2001 report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change emphasized the very low level of understanding of atmospheric aerosol effects on climate. These particles originate either from natural sources (dust, volcanic aerosols...) or from anthropogenic sources (sulfates, soot...). They are one of the main sources of uncertainty on climate change, partly because they show a very high spatio-temporal variability. Observation from space, being global and quasi-continuous, is therefore a first importance tool for aerosol studies. Remote sensing in the visible domain has been widely used to obtain a better characterization of these particles and their effect on solar radiation. On the opposite, remote sensing of aerosols in the infrared domain still remains marginal. Yet, not only the knowledge of the effect of aerosols on terrestrial radiation is needed for the evaluation of their total radiative forcing, but also infrared remote sensing provides a way to retrieve other aerosol characteristics (observations are possible at night and day, over land and sea). In this PhD dissertation, we show that aerosol optical depth, altitude and size can be retrieved from infrared sounder observations. We first study the sensitivity of aerosol optical properties to their micro-physical properties, we then develop a radiative transfer code for scattering medium adapted to the very high spectral resolution of the new generation sounder NASA-Aqua/AIRS, and we finally focus on the inverse problem. The applications shown here deal with Pinatubo stratospheric volcanic aerosol, observed with NOAA/HIRS, and with the building of an 8 year climatology of dust over sea and land from this sounder. Finally, from AIRS observations, we retrieve the optical depth at 10 {mu}m, the average altitude and the coarse mode effective radius of mineral dust over sea. (author)

Upper tropospheric cloud systems determined from IR Sounders and their influence on the atmosphere

Science.gov (United States)

Stubenrauch, Claudia; Protopapadaki, Sofia; Feofilov, Artem; Velasco, Carola Barrientos

2017-02-01

Covering about 30% of the Earth, upper tropospheric clouds play a key role in the climate system by modulating the Earth's energy budget and heat transport. Infrared Sounders reliably identify cirrus down to an IR optical depth of 0.1. Recently LMD has built global cloud climate data records from AIRS and IASI observations, covering the periods from 2003-2015 and 2008-2015, respectively. Upper tropospheric clouds often form mesoscale systems. Their organization and properties are being studied by (1) distinguishing cloud regimes within 2° × 2° regions and (2) applying a spatial composite technique on adjacent cloud pressures, which estimates the horizontal extent of the mesoscale cloud systems. Convective core, cirrus anvil and thin cirrus of these systems are then distinguished by their emissivity. Compared to other studies of tropical mesoscale convective systems our data include also the thinner anvil parts, which make out about 30% of the area of tropical mesoscale convective systems. Once the horizontal and vertical structure of these upper tropospheric cloud systems is known, we can estimate their radiative effects in terms of top of atmosphere and surface radiative fluxes and by computing their heating rates.

Infrared remote sensing of atmospheric aerosols; Apports du sondage infrarouge a l'etude des aerosols atmospheriques

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pierangelo, C.

2005-09-15

The 2001 report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change emphasized the very low level of understanding of atmospheric aerosol effects on climate. These particles originate either from natural sources (dust, volcanic aerosols...) or from anthropogenic sources (sulfates, soot...). They are one of the main sources of uncertainty on climate change, partly because they show a very high spatio-temporal variability. Observation from space, being global and quasi-continuous, is therefore a first importance tool for aerosol studies. Remote sensing in the visible domain has been widely used to obtain a better characterization of these particles and their effect on solar radiation. On the opposite, remote sensing of aerosols in the infrared domain still remains marginal. Yet, not only the knowledge of the effect of aerosols on terrestrial radiation is needed for the evaluation of their total radiative forcing, but also infrared remote sensing provides a way to retrieve other aerosol characteristics (observations are possible at night and day, over land and sea). In this PhD dissertation, we show that aerosol optical depth, altitude and size can be retrieved from infrared sounder observations. We first study the sensitivity of aerosol optical properties to their micro-physical properties, we then develop a radiative transfer code for scattering medium adapted to the very high spectral resolution of the new generation sounder NASA-Aqua/AIRS, and we finally focus on the inverse problem. The applications shown here deal with Pinatubo stratospheric volcanic aerosol, observed with NOAA/HIRS, and with the building of an 8 year climatology of dust over sea and land from this sounder. Finally, from AIRS observations, we retrieve the optical depth at 10 {mu}m, the average altitude and the coarse mode effective radius of mineral dust over sea. (author)

AIRS/Aqua Level 2 Cloud-cleared infrared radiances (AIRS+AMSU) V005

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — The Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) is a facility instrument aboard the second Earth Observing System (EOS) polar-orbiting platform, EOS Aqua. In combination...

Aqua AIRS Level 2 Cloud-Cleared Infrared Radiances (AIRS+AMSU) V006

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — The Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) is a facility instrument aboard the second Earth Observing System (EOS) polar-orbiting platform, EOS Aqua. In combination...

AIRS/Aqua Level 1B Infrared (IR) quality assurance subset V005

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — The Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) is a facility instrument aboard the second Earth Observing System (EOS) polar-orbiting platform, EOS Aqua. In combination...

Impacts of field of view configuration of Cross-track Infrared Sounder on clear-sky observations.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Likun; Chen, Yong; Han, Yong

2016-09-01

Hyperspectral infrared radiance measurements from satellite sensors contain valuable information on atmospheric temperature and humidity profiles and greenhouse gases, and therefore are directly assimilated into numerical weather prediction (NWP) models as inputs for weather forecasting. However, data assimilations in current operational NWP models still mainly rely on cloud-free observations due to the challenge of simulating cloud-contaminated radiances when using hyperspectral radiances. The limited spatial coverage of the 3×3 field of views (FOVs) in one field of regard (FOR) (i.e., spatial gap among FOVs) as well as relatively large footprint size (14 km) in current Cross-track Infrared Sounder (CrIS) instruments limits the amount of clear-sky observations. This study explores the potential impacts of future CrIS FOV configuration (including FOV size and spatial coverage) on the amount of clear-sky observations by simulation experiments. The radiance measurements and cloud mask products (VCM) from the Visible Infrared Imager Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) are used to simulate CrIS clear-sky observation under different FOV configurations. The results indicate that, given the same FOV coverage (e.g., 3×3), the percentage of clear-sky FOVs and the percentage of clear-sky FORs (that contain at least one clear-sky FOV) both increase as the FOV size decreases. In particular, if the CrIS FOV size were reduced from 14 km to 7 km, the percentage of clear-sky FOVs increases from 9.02% to 13.51% and the percentage of clear-sky FORs increases from 18.24% to 27.51%. Given the same FOV size but with increasing FOV coverage in each FOR, the clear-sky FOV observations increases proportionally with the increasing sampling FOVs. Both reducing FOV size and increasing FOV coverage can result in more clear-sky FORs, which benefit data utilization of NWP data assimilation.

Radiation budget studies using collocated observations from advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer, High-Resolution Infrared Sounder/2, and Earth Radiation Budget Experiment instruments

Science.gov (United States)

Ackerman, Steven A.; Frey, Richard A.; Smith, William L.

1992-01-01

Collocated observations from the Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR), High-Resolution Infrared Sounder/2 (HIRS/2), and Earth Radiation Budget Experiment (ERBE) instruments onboard the NOAA 9 satellite are combined to describe the broadband and spectral radiative properties of the earth-atmosphere system. Broadband radiative properties are determined from the ERBE observations, while spectral properties are determined from the HIRS/2 and AVHRR observations. The presence of clouds, their areal coverage, and cloud top pressure are determined from a combination of the HIRS/2 and the AVHRR observations. The CO2 slicing method is applied to the HIRS/2 to determine the presence of upper level clouds and their effective emissivity. The AVHRR data collocated within the HIRS/2 field of view are utilized to determine the uniformity of the scene and retrieve sea surface temperature. Changes in the top of the atmosphere longwave and shortwave radiative energy budgets, and the spectral distribution of longwave radiation are presented as a function of cloud amount and cloud top pressure. The radiative characteristics of clear sky conditions over oceans are presented as a function of sea surface temperature and atmospheric water vapor structure.

Performance of a 1-micron, 1-joule Coherent Launch Site Atmospheric Wind Sounder

Science.gov (United States)

Hawley, James G.; Targ, Russell; Bruner, Richard; Henderson, Sammy W.; Hale, Charles P.; Vetorino, Steven; Lee, R. W.; Harper, Scott; Khan, Tayyab

1992-01-01

The paper describes the design and performance of the Coherent Launch Site Atmospheric Wind Sounder (CLAWS), which is a test and demonstration program designed for monitoring winds with a solid-state lidar in real time for the launch site vehicle guidance and control application. Analyses were conducted to trade off CO2 (9.11- and 10.6-microns), Ho:YAG (2.09 microns), and Nd:YAG (1.06-micron) laser-based lidars. The measurements set a new altitude record (26 km) for coherent wind measurements in the stratosphere.

AIRS/Aqua Level 1B Visible/Near Infrared (VIS/NIR) quality assurance subset V005

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — The Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) is a facility instrument aboard the second Earth Observing System (EOS) polar-orbiting platform, EOS Aqua. In combination...

The 2003 edition of geisa: a spectroscopic database system for the second generation vertical sounders radiance simulation

Science.gov (United States)

Jacquinet-Husson, N.; Lmd Team

The GEISA (Gestion et Etude des Informations Spectroscopiques Atmosphériques: Management and Study of Atmospheric Spectroscopic Information) computer accessible database system, in its former 1997 and 2001 versions, has been updated in 2003 (GEISA-03). It is developed by the ARA (Atmospheric Radiation Analysis) group at LMD (Laboratoire de Météorologie Dynamique, France) since 1974. This early effort implemented the so-called `` line-by-line and layer-by-layer '' approach for forward radiative transfer modelling action. The GEISA 2003 system comprises three databases with their associated management softwares: a database of spectroscopic parameters required to describe adequately the individual spectral lines belonging to 42 molecules (96 isotopic species) and located in a spectral range from the microwave to the limit of the visible. The featured molecules are of interest in studies of the terrestrial as well as the other planetary atmospheres, especially those of the Giant Planets. a database of absorption cross-sections of molecules such as chlorofluorocarbons which exhibit unresolvable spectra. a database of refractive indices of basic atmospheric aerosol components. Illustrations will be given of GEISA-03, data archiving method, contents, management softwares and Web access facilities at: http://ara.lmd.polytechnique.fr The performance of instruments like AIRS (Atmospheric Infrared Sounder; http://www-airs.jpl.nasa.gov) in the USA, and IASI (Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer; http://smsc.cnes.fr/IASI/index.htm) in Europe, which have a better vertical resolution and accuracy, compared to the presently existing satellite infrared vertical sounders, is directly related to the quality of the spectroscopic parameters of the optically active gases, since these are essential input in the forward models used to simulate recorded radiance spectra. For these upcoming atmospheric sounders, the so-called GEISA/IASI sub-database system has been elaborated

Enhancement and evaluation of an algorithm for atmospheric profiling continuity from Aqua to Suomi-NPP

Science.gov (United States)

Lipton, A.; Moncet, J. L.; Payne, V.; Lynch, R.; Polonsky, I. N.

2017-12-01

We will present recent results from an algorithm for producing climate-quality atmospheric profiling earth system data records (ESDRs) for application to data from hyperspectral sounding instruments, including the Atmospheric InfraRed Sounder (AIRS) on EOS Aqua and the Cross-track Infrared Sounder (CrIS) on Suomi-NPP, along with their companion microwave sounders, AMSU and ATMS, respectively. The ESDR algorithm uses an optimal estimation approach and the implementation has a flexible, modular software structure to support experimentation and collaboration. Data record continuity benefits from the fact that the same algorithm can be applied to different sensors, simply by providing suitable configuration and data files. Developments to be presented include the impact of a radiance-based pre-classification method for the atmospheric background. In addition to improving retrieval performance, pre-classification has the potential to reduce the sensitivity of the retrievals to the climatological data from which the background estimate and its error covariance are derived. We will also discuss evaluation of a method for mitigating the effect of clouds on the radiances, and enhancements of the radiative transfer forward model.

AIRS/Aqua L2 Near Real Time (NRT) Cloud-Cleared Infrared Radiances (AIRS-only) V006 (AIRS2CCF_NRT) at GES DISC

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — The Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) Level 2 Near Real Time (NRT) Cloud-Cleared Infrared Radiances (AIRS-only) product (AIRS2CCF_NRT_006) differs from the routine...

AIRS/Aqua Level 1B Visible/Near Infrared (VIS/NIR) geolocated and calibrated radiances V005

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — The Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) is a facility instrument aboard the second Earth Observing System (EOS) polar-orbiting platform, EOS Aqua. In combination...

Aqua AIRS Level 2 Near Real Time (NRT) Cloud-Cleared Infrared Radiances (AIRS+AMSU) V006

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — The Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) is a facility instrument aboard the second Earth Observing System (EOS) polar-orbiting platform, EOS Aqua. In combination...

AIRS/Aqua Near Real Time (NRT) Level 1B Infrared (IR) quality assurance subset V005

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — The Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) is a facility instrument aboard the second Earth Observing System (EOS) polar-orbiting platform, EOS Aqua. In combination...

Detection of Earth-rotation Doppler shift from Suomi National Polar-Orbiting Partnership Cross-Track Infrared Sounder.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Yong; Han, Yong; Weng, Fuzhong

2013-09-01

The Cross-Track Infrared Sounder (CrIS) on the Suomi National Polar-Orbiting Partnership Satellite is a Fourier transform spectrometer and provides a total of 1305 channels for sounding the atmosphere. Quantifying the CrIS spectral accuracy, which is directly related to radiometric accuracy, is crucial for improving its data assimilation in numerical weather prediction. In this study, a cross-correlation method is used for detecting the effect of Earth-rotation Doppler shift (ERDS) on CrIS observations. Based on a theoretical calculation, the ERDS can be as large as about 1.3 parts in 10(6) (ppm) near Earth's equator and at the satellite scan edge for a field of regard (FOR) of 1 or 30. The CrIS observations exhibit a relative Doppler shift as large as 2.6 ppm for a FOR pair of 1 and 30 near the equator. The variation of the ERDS with latitude and scan position detected from CrIS observations is similar to that derived theoretically, which indicates that the spectral stability of the CrIS instrument is very high. To accurately calibrate CrIS spectral accuracy, the ERDS effect should be removed. Since the ERDS is easily predictable, the Doppler shift is correctable in the CrIS spectra.

Development Challenges of Utilizing a Corner Cube Mechanism Design with Successful IASI Flight Heritage for the Infrared Sounder (IRS) on MTG: Recurrent Mechanical Design not Correlated to Recurrent Development

Science.gov (United States)

Spanoudakis, Peter; Schwab, Philippe; Kiener, Lionel; Saudan, Herve; Perruchoud, Gerald

2015-09-01

The Corner Cube Mechanism (CCM) design for the Infra-Red Sounder (IRS) on MTG is based on the successful mechanism currently in orbit on the Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometers (IASI) on the Metop satellites. The overall CCM performance is described with attention given to the specific design developments for the MTG project. A description is presented of the modifications introduced and challenges encountered to adapt the IASI space heritage design (which is only 15 years old) to meet the MTG specifications. A detailed account is provided regarding the tests performed on the adapted components for the new programme. The major issues encountered and solutions proposed are illustrated concerning the voice- coil actuator development, optical switch design, fatigue life of the flexure components and the adaptation of the launch locking device. Nevertheless, an Engineering Qualification Model was rapidly manufactured and now undergoing a qualification test campaign.

AIRS/Aqua L1B Infrared (IR) geolocated and calibrated radiances V005 (AIRIBRAD) at GES DISC

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — The Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) is a grating spectrometer (R = 1200) aboard the second Earth Observing System (EOS) polar-orbiting platform, EOS Aqua. In...

AIRS/Aqua L1C Infrared (IR) resampled and corrected radiances V006 (AIRICRAD) at GES DISC

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — The Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) is a grating spectrometer (R = 1200) aboard the second Earth Observing System (EOS) polar-orbiting platform, EOS Aqua. In...

Tomographic reconstruction of atmospheric volumes from infrared limb-imager measurements

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ungermann, Joern

2011-08-12

State-of-the art nadir and limb-sounders, but also in situ measurements, do not offer the capability to highly resolve the atmosphere in all three dimensions. This leaves an observational gap with respect to small-scale structures that arise frequently in the atmosphere and that still lack a quantitative understanding. For instance, filaments and tropopause folds in the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere (UTLS) are crucial for its composition and variability. One way to achieve a highly resolved three-dimensional (3-D) picture of the atmosphere is the tomographic evaluation of limb-imager measurements. This thesis presents a methodology for the tomographic reconstruction of atmospheric constituents. To be able to deal with the large increase of observations and unknowns compared to conventional retrievals, great care is taken to reduce memory consumption and processing time. This method is used to evaluate the performance of two upcoming infrared limb-imager instruments and to prepare their missions. The first examined instrument is the infrared limb-imager on board of PREMIER (Process Exploration through Measurements of Infrared and millimetrewave Emitted Radiation), one of three remaining candidates for ESA's 7th Earth Explorer mission. Scientific goals of PREMIER are, among others, the examination of gravity waves and the quantification of processes controlling atmospheric composition in the UTLS, a region of particular importance for climate change. Simulations based on the performance requirements of this instrument deliver a vertical resolution that is slightly better than its vertical field-of-view (about 0.75 km) and a horizontal resolution of {approx}25km x 70 km. Non-linear end-to-end simulations for various gravity wave patterns demonstrate that the high 3-D resolution of PREMIER considerably extends the range of detectable gravity waves in terms of horizontal and vertical wavelength compared to previous observations. The second examined

Tomographic reconstruction of atmospheric volumes from infrared limb-imager measurements

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ungermann, Joern

2011-08-12

State-of-the art nadir and limb-sounders, but also in situ measurements, do not offer the capability to highly resolve the atmosphere in all three dimensions. This leaves an observational gap with respect to small-scale structures that arise frequently in the atmosphere and that still lack a quantitative understanding. For instance, filaments and tropopause folds in the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere (UTLS) are crucial for its composition and variability. One way to achieve a highly resolved three-dimensional (3-D) picture of the atmosphere is the tomographic evaluation of limb-imager measurements. This thesis presents a methodology for the tomographic reconstruction of atmospheric constituents. To be able to deal with the large increase of observations and unknowns compared to conventional retrievals, great care is taken to reduce memory consumption and processing time. This method is used to evaluate the performance of two upcoming infrared limb-imager instruments and to prepare their missions. The first examined instrument is the infrared limb-imager on board of PREMIER (Process Exploration through Measurements of Infrared and millimetrewave Emitted Radiation), one of three remaining candidates for ESA's 7th Earth Explorer mission. Scientific goals of PREMIER are, among others, the examination of gravity waves and the quantification of processes controlling atmospheric composition in the UTLS, a region of particular importance for climate change. Simulations based on the performance requirements of this instrument deliver a vertical resolution that is slightly better than its vertical field-of-view (about 0.75 km) and a horizontal resolution of {approx}25km x 70 km. Non-linear end-to-end simulations for various gravity wave patterns demonstrate that the high 3-D resolution of PREMIER considerably extends the range of detectable gravity waves in terms of horizontal and vertical wavelength compared to previous observations. The second examined instrument

Special Sensor Microwave Imager/Sounder (SSMIS) Sensor Data Record (SDR) in netCDF

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — The Special Sensor Microwave Imager/Sounder (SSMIS) is a series of passive microwave conically scanning imagers and sounders onboard the DMSP satellites beginning...

Special Sensor Microwave Imager/Sounder (SSMIS) Temperature Data Record (TDR) in netCDF

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — The Special Sensor Microwave Imager/Sounder (SSMIS) is a series of passive microwave conically scanning imagers and sounders onboard the DMSP satellites beginning...

AIRS/Aqua Near Real Time (NRT) Level 1B Visible/Near Infrared (VIS/NIR) quality assurance subset V005

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — The Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) is a facility instrument aboard the second Earth Observing System (EOS) polar-orbiting platform, EOS Aqua. In combination...

AIRS/Aqua Near Real Time (NRT) Level 1B Visible/Near Infrared (VIS/NIR) geolocated and calibrated radiances V005

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — The Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) is a facility instrument aboard the second Earth Observing System (EOS) polar-orbiting platform, EOS Aqua. In combination...

Validation of vertical profile from atmosphere using ATOVS products and its impact over Indian region.

Science.gov (United States)

Mahandru, Riddhi; Kumar, Adarsh; Mitra, Ashim kumar

This research paper summarizes the validation of atmospheric vertical profile using NOAA(National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration)/ MetOp satellite derived data over India with radiosonde observations over a span of 8 months. NOAA's International Advanced Television and Infrared Observations satellite Vertical Sounder (ATOVS) processing package (IAPP) obtains temperature and moisture profiles in different pressure levels ranging from 1000hpa to 10hpa from real time direct broadcast (DB) receiving system installed at India Meteorological department. Different pressure levels were substituted to the same pressure levels for calculations of standard deviation, bias and RMSE (root mean square error) The sounder derived products like Total precipitable water vapor (TPW) and Lifting index(LI) from NOAA Satellite was also validated with radiosonde data which provided significant results for weather forecasting. The validation shows that the sounder provides unique information about the state of atmosphere and monitoring the convective environment for severe weather forecasting In addition to this, case study on severe weather events was analyzed using ATOVS products.

Characteristics of monsoon inversions over the Arabian Sea observed by satellite sounder and reanalysis data sets

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. Dwivedi

2016-04-01

Full Text Available Monsoon inversion (MI over the Arabian Sea (AS is one of the important characteristics associated with the monsoon activity over Indian region during summer monsoon season. In the present study, we have used 5 years (2009–2013 of temperature and water vapour measurement data obtained from satellite sounder instrument, an Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer (IASI onboard MetOp satellite, in addition to ERA-Interim data, to study their characteristics. The lower atmospheric data over the AS have been examined first to identify the areas where MIs are predominant and occur with higher strength. Based on this information, a detailed study has been made to investigate their characteristics separately in the eastern AS (EAS and western AS (WAS to examine their contrasting features. The initiation and dissipation times of MIs, their percentage occurrence, strength, etc., has been examined using the huge database. The relation with monsoon activity (rainfall over Indian region during normal and poor monsoon years is also studied. WAS ΔT values are  ∼  2 K less than those over the EAS, ΔT being the temperature difference between 950 and 850 hPa. A much larger contrast between the WAS and EAS in ΔT is noticed in ERA-Interim data set vis-à-vis those observed by satellites. The possibility of detecting MI from another parameter, refractivity N, obtained directly from another satellite constellation of GPS Radio Occultation (RO (COSMIC, has also been examined. MI detected from IASI and Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS onboard the NOAA satellite have been compared to see how far the two data sets can be combined to study the MI characteristics. We suggest MI could also be included as one of the semipermanent features of southwest monsoon along with the presently accepted six parameters.

Mechanical Description of the Mars Climate Sounder Instrument

Science.gov (United States)

Jau, Bruno M.

2008-01-01

This paper introduces the Mars Climate Sounder (MCS) Instrument of the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) spacecraft. The instrument scans the Martian atmosphere almost continuously to systematically acquire weather and climate observations over time. Its primary components are an optical bench that houses dual telescopes with a total of nine channels for visible and infrared sensing, and a two axis gimbal that provides pointing capabilities. Both rotating joints consist of an integrated actuator with a hybrid planetary/harmonic transmission and a twist cap section that enables the electrical wiring to pass through the rotating joint. Micro stepping is used to reduce spacecraft disturbance torques to acceptable levels while driving the stepper motors. To ensure survivability over its four year life span, suitable mechanical components, lubrication, and an active temperature control system were incorporated. Some life test results and lessons learned are provided to serve as design guidelines for actuator parts and flex cables.

Microwave Atmospheric Sounder on CubeSat

Science.gov (United States)

Padmanabhan, S.; Brown, S. E.; Kangaslahti, P.; Cofield, R.; Russell, D.; Stachnik, R. A.; Su, H.; Wu, L.; Tanelli, S.; Niamsuwan, N.

2014-12-01

To accurately predict how the distribution of extreme events may change in the future we need to understand the mechanisms that influence such events in our current climate. Our current observing system is not well-suited for observing extreme events globally due to the sparse sampling and in-homogeneity of ground-based in-situ observations and the infrequent revisit time of satellite observations. Observations of weather extremes, such as extreme precipitation events, temperature extremes, tropical and extra-tropical cyclones among others, with temporal resolution on the order of minutes and spatial resolution on the order of few kms (cost passive microwave sounding and imaging sensors on CubeSats that would work in concert with traditional flagship observational systems, such as those manifested on large environmental satellites (i.e. JPSS,WSF,GCOM-W), to monitor weather extremes. A 118/183 GHz sensor would enable observations of temperature and precipitation extremes over land and ocean as well as tropical and extra-tropical cyclones. This proposed project would enable low cost, compact radiometer instrumentation at 118 and 183 GHz that would fit in a 6U Cubesat with the objective of mass-producing this design to enable a suite of small satellites to image the key geophysical parameters needed to improve prediction of extreme weather events. We take advantage of past and current technology developments at JPL viz. HAMSR (High Altitude Microwave Scanning Radiometer), Advanced Component Technology (ACT'08) to enable low-mass, low-power high frequency airborne radiometers. In this paper, we will describe the design and implementation of the 118 GHz temperature sounder and 183 GHz humidity sounder on the 6U CubeSat. In addition, a summary of radiometer calibration and retrieval techniques of temperature and humidity will be discussed. The successful demonstration of this instrument on the 6U CubeSat would pave the way for the development of a constellation which

Implementation of the Land, Atmosphere Near Real-Time Capability for EOS (LANCE)

Science.gov (United States)

Michael, Karen; Murphy, Kevin; Lowe, Dawn; Masuoka, Edward; Vollmer, Bruce; Tilmes, Curt; Teague, Michael; Ye, Gang; Maiden, Martha; Goodman, H. Michael;

MID-INFRARED PROPERTIES OF DISK AVERAGED OBSERVATIONS OF EARTH WITH AIRS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hearty, Thomas; Song, Inseok; Kim, Sam; Tinetti, Giovanna

2009-01-01

We have investigated mid-infrared spectra of Earth obtained by the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) instrument on-board the AQUA spacecraft to explore the characteristics that may someday be observed in extrasolar terrestrial planets. We have used the AIRS infrared (R ∼ 1200; 3.75-15.4 μm) spectra to construct directly observed high-resolution spectra of the only known life bearing planet, Earth. The AIRS spectra are the first such spectra that span the seasons. We investigate the rotational and seasonal spectral variations that would arise due to varying cloud amount and viewing geometry and we explore what signatures may be observable in the mid-infrared by the next generation of telescopes capable of observing extrasolar terrestrial planets.

Infrared observations of planetary atmospheres

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Orton, G.S.; Baines, K.H.; Bergstralh, J.T.

1988-01-01

The goal of this research in to obtain infrared data on planetary atmospheres which provide information on several aspects of structure and composition. Observations include direct mission real-time support as well as baseline monitoring preceding mission encounters. Besides providing a broader information context for spacecraft experiment data analysis, observations will provide the quantitative data base required for designing optimum remote sensing sequences and evaluating competing science priorities. In the past year, thermal images of Jupiter and Saturn were made near their oppositions in order to monitor long-term changes in their atmospheres. Infrared images of the Jovian polar stratospheric hot spots were made with IUE observations of auroral emissions. An exploratory 5-micrometer spectrum of Uranus was reduced and accepted for publication. An analysis of time-variability of temperature and cloud properties of the Jovian atomsphere was made. Development of geometric reduction programs for imaging data was initiated for the sun workstation. Near-infrared imaging observations of Jupiter were reduced and a preliminary analysis of cloud properties made. The first images of the full disk of Jupiter with a near-infrared array camera were acquired. Narrow-band (10/cm) images of Jupiter and Saturn were obtained with acousto-optical filters

Potential for the use of reconstructed IASI radiances in the detection of atmospheric trace gases

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

N. C. Atkinson

2010-07-01

Full Text Available Principal component (PC analysis has received considerable attention as a technique for the extraction of meteorological signals from hyperspectral infra-red sounders such as the Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer (IASI and the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS. In addition to achieving substantial bit-volume reductions for dissemination purposes, the technique can also be used to generate reconstructed radiances in which random instrument noise has been reduced. Studies on PC analysis of hyperspectral infrared sounder data have been undertaken in the context of numerical weather prediction, instrument monitoring and geophysical variable retrieval, as well as data compression. This study examines the potential of PC analysis for chemistry applications.

A major concern in the use of PC analysis for chemistry is that the spectral features associated with trace gases may not be well represented in the reconstructed spectra, either due to deficiencies in the training set or due to the limited number of PC scores used in the radiance reconstruction. In this paper we show examples of reconstructed IASI radiances for several trace gases: ammonia, sulphur dioxide, methane and carbon monoxide. It is shown that care must be taken in the selection of spectra for the initial training set: an iterative technique, in which outlier spectra are added to a base training set, gives the best results. For the four trace gases examined, key features of the chemical signatures are retained in the reconstructed radiances, whilst achieving a substantial reduction in instrument noise.

A new regional re-transmission service for IASI is scheduled to start in 2010, as part of the EUMETSAT Advanced Retransmission Service (EARS. For this EARS-IASI service it is intended to include PC scores as part of the data stream. The paper describes the generation of the reference eigenvectors for this new service.

Science Study For A Low Cost Upper Atmosphere Sounder (LOCUS)

Science.gov (United States)

Gerber, D.; Swinyard, B. M.; Ellison, B. N.; Siddans, R.; Kerridge, B. J.; Plane, J. M. C.; Feng, W.

2013-12-01

We present the findings of an initial science study to define the spectral bands for the proposed Mesosphere / Lower Thermosphere (MLT) sounder LOCUS. The LOCUS mission (Fig 1) uses disruptive technologies to make key MLT species detectable globally by satellite remote sensing for the first time. This presentation summarises the technological and scientific foundation on which the current 4-band Terahertz (THz) and sub- millimetre wave (SMW) instrument configuration was conceived.

Infrared radiation models for atmospheric methane

Science.gov (United States)

Cess, R. D.; Kratz, D. P.; Caldwell, J.; Kim, S. J.

1986-01-01

Mutually consistent line-by-line, narrow-band and broad-band infrared radiation models are presented for methane, a potentially important anthropogenic trace gas within the atmosphere. Comparisons of the modeled band absorptances with existing laboratory data produce the best agreement when, within the band models, spurious band intensities are used which are consistent with the respective laboratory data sets, but which are not consistent with current knowledge concerning the intensity of the infrared fundamental band of methane. This emphasizes the need for improved laboratory band absorptance measurements. Since, when applied to atmospheric radiation calculations, the line-by-line model does not require the use of scaling approximations, the mutual consistency of the band models provides a means of appraising the accuracy of scaling procedures. It is shown that Curtis-Godson narrow-band and Chan-Tien broad-band scaling provide accurate means of accounting for atmospheric temperature and pressure variations.

Intercomparison of three microwave/infrared high resolution line-by-line radiative transfer codes

Science.gov (United States)

Schreier, Franz; Milz, Mathias; Buehler, Stefan A.; von Clarmann, Thomas

2018-05-01

An intercomparison of three line-by-line (lbl) codes developed independently for atmospheric radiative transfer and remote sensing - ARTS, GARLIC, and KOPRA - has been performed for a thermal infrared nadir sounding application assuming a HIRS-like (High resolution Infrared Radiation Sounder) setup. Radiances for the 19 HIRS infrared channels and a set of 42 atmospheric profiles from the "Garand dataset" have been computed. The mutual differences of the equivalent brightness temperatures are presented and possible causes of disagreement are discussed. In particular, the impact of path integration schemes and atmospheric layer discretization is assessed. When the continuum absorption contribution is ignored because of the different implementations, residuals are generally in the sub-Kelvin range and smaller than 0.1 K for some window channels (and all atmospheric models and lbl codes). None of the three codes turned out to be perfect for all channels and atmospheres. Remaining discrepancies are attributed to different lbl optimization techniques. Lbl codes seem to have reached a maturity in the implementation of radiative transfer that the choice of the underlying physical models (line shape models, continua etc) becomes increasingly relevant.

NOAA JPSS Advanced Technology Microwave Sounder (ATMS)-based Tropical Cyclone (TC) Products from NDE

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — The JPSS Microwave Sounder-based Tropical Cyclone (TC) Products provide estimates of tropical cyclone maximum wind speed, minimum sea level pressure, radii of 34,...

Development of a GPU-based high-performance radiative transfer model for the Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer (IASI)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Huang Bormin; Mielikainen, Jarno; Oh, Hyunjong; Allen Huang, Hung-Lung

2011-01-01

Satellite-observed radiance is a nonlinear functional of surface properties and atmospheric temperature and absorbing gas profiles as described by the radiative transfer equation (RTE). In the era of hyperspectral sounders with thousands of high-resolution channels, the computation of the radiative transfer model becomes more time-consuming. The radiative transfer model performance in operational numerical weather prediction systems still limits the number of channels we can use in hyperspectral sounders to only a few hundreds. To take the full advantage of such high-resolution infrared observations, a computationally efficient radiative transfer model is needed to facilitate satellite data assimilation. In recent years the programmable commodity graphics processing unit (GPU) has evolved into a highly parallel, multi-threaded, many-core processor with tremendous computational speed and very high memory bandwidth. The radiative transfer model is very suitable for the GPU implementation to take advantage of the hardware's efficiency and parallelism where radiances of many channels can be calculated in parallel in GPUs. In this paper, we develop a GPU-based high-performance radiative transfer model for the Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer (IASI) launched in 2006 onboard the first European meteorological polar-orbiting satellites, METOP-A. Each IASI spectrum has 8461 spectral channels. The IASI radiative transfer model consists of three modules. The first module for computing the regression predictors takes less than 0.004% of CPU time, while the second module for transmittance computation and the third module for radiance computation take approximately 92.5% and 7.5%, respectively. Our GPU-based IASI radiative transfer model is developed to run on a low-cost personal supercomputer with four GPUs with total 960 compute cores, delivering near 4 TFlops theoretical peak performance. By massively parallelizing the second and third modules, we reached 364x

Infrared quantitative spectroscopy and planetary atmospheres

Science.gov (United States)

Flaud, J.-M.

2009-04-01

Optical measurements of atmospheric minor constituents are carried out using spectrometers working in the UV-visible, infrared and microwave spectral ranges. In all cases the quality of the analysis and of the interpretation of the atmospheric spectra requires the best possible knowledge of the molecular parameters of the species of interest. To illustrate this point we will concentrate on recent laboratory studies of nitric acid, chlorine nitrate and formaldehyde. Nitric acid is one of the important minor constituent of the terrestrial atmosphere. Using new and accurate experimental results concerning the spectroscopic properties of the H14NO3 and H15NO3 molecules, as well as improved theoretical methods (Perrin et al., 2004), it has been possible to generate an improved set of line parameters for these molecules in the 11.2 μm spectral region. These line parameters were used to detect for the first time the H15NO3 molecule in the atmosphere analyzing atmospheric spectra recorded by the MIPAS experiment. The retrievals of chlorine nitrate profiles are usually performed using absorption cross sections (Birk and Wagner, 2003). Following a high resolution analysis of the ν3 and ν4bands of this species in the 12.8 μm region wepropose, as a possibility, to use line by line calculation simulating its ν4Q-branch for the atmospheric temperature and pressure ranges. For the measurement of atmospheric formaldehyde concentrations, mid-infrared and ultraviolet absorptions are both used by ground, air or satellite instruments. It is then of the utmost importance to have consistent spectral parameters in these various spectral domains. Consequently the aim of the study performed at LISA (Gratien et al., 2007) was to intercalibrate formaldehyde spectra in the infrared and ultraviolet regions acquiring simultaneously UV and IR spectra using a common optical cell. The results of the work will be presented. Also high resolution infrared data derived from Perrin et al., 2003

The benefit of limb cloud imaging for infrared limb sounding of tropospheric trace gases

OpenAIRE

G. Heinemann; P. Preusse; R. Spang; S. Adams

2009-01-01

Advances in detector technology enable a new generation of infrared limb sounders to measure 2-D images of the atmosphere. A proposed limb cloud imager (LCI) mode will detect clouds with a spatial resolution unprecedented for limb sounding. For the inference of temperature and trace gas distributions, detector pixels of the LCI have to be combined into super-pixels which provide the required signal-to-noise and information content for the retrievals. This study examines the extent to which tr...

Development and characterization of the superconducting integrated receiver channel of the TELIS atmospheric sounder

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

De Lange, Gert; Boersma, Dick; Dercksen, Johannes; Ermakov, Andrey B; Golstein, Hans; Hoogeveen, Ruud W M; De Jong, Leo; Khudchenko, Andrey V; Kinev, Nickolay V; Kiselev, Oleg S; Van Kuik, Bart; De Lange, Arno; Van Rantwijk, Joris; Selig, Avri M; De Vries, Ed; Birk, Manfred; Dmitriev, Pavel; Filippenko, Lyudmila V; Sobolev, Alexander S; Torgashin, Mikhail Yu

2010-01-01

The balloon-borne instrument TELIS (TErahertz and submillimetre LImb Sounder) is a three-channel superconducting heterodyne spectrometer for atmospheric research use. It detects spectral emission lines of stratospheric trace gases that have their rotational transitions at THz frequencies. One of the channels is based on the superconducting integrated receiver (SIR) technology. We demonstrate for the first time the capabilities of the SIR technology for heterodyne spectroscopy in general, and atmospheric limb sounding in particular. We also show that the application of SIR technology is not limited to laboratory environments, but that it is well suited for remote operation under harsh environmental conditions. Within a SIR the main components needed for a superconducting heterodyne receiver such as a superconductor-insulator-superconductor (SIS) mixer with a quasi-optical antenna, a flux-flow oscillator (FFO) as the local oscillator, and a harmonic mixer to phase lock the FFO are integrated on a single chip. Light weight and low power consumption combined with broadband operation and nearly quantum limited sensitivity make the SIR a perfect candidate for use in future airborne and space-borne missions. The noise temperature of the SIR was measured to be as low as 120 K, with an intermediate frequency band of 4-8 GHz in double-sideband operation. The spectral resolution is well below 1 MHz, confirmed by our measurements. Remote control of the SIR under flight conditions has been demonstrated in a successful balloon flight in Kiruna, Sweden. The sensor and instrument design are presented, as well as the preliminary science results from the first flight.

Development and characterization of the superconducting integrated receiver channel of the TELIS atmospheric sounder

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

De Lange, Gert; Boersma, Dick; Dercksen, Johannes; Ermakov, Andrey B; Golstein, Hans; Hoogeveen, Ruud W M; De Jong, Leo; Khudchenko, Andrey V; Kinev, Nickolay V; Kiselev, Oleg S; Van Kuik, Bart; De Lange, Arno; Van Rantwijk, Joris; Selig, Avri M; De Vries, Ed [SRON Netherlands Institute for Space Research, PO Box 800, 9700 AV Groningen (Netherlands); Birk, Manfred [DLR German Aerospace Centre, Remote Sensing Technology Institute, D-82234 Wessling (Germany); Dmitriev, Pavel; Filippenko, Lyudmila V; Sobolev, Alexander S; Torgashin, Mikhail Yu, E-mail: G.de.Lange@sron.n, E-mail: valery@hitech.cplire.r [Kotel' nikov Institute of Radio Engineering and Electronics, Russian Academy of Science, 11/7 Mokhovaya Street, 125009, Moscow (Russian Federation)

2010-04-15

The balloon-borne instrument TELIS (TErahertz and submillimetre LImb Sounder) is a three-channel superconducting heterodyne spectrometer for atmospheric research use. It detects spectral emission lines of stratospheric trace gases that have their rotational transitions at THz frequencies. One of the channels is based on the superconducting integrated receiver (SIR) technology. We demonstrate for the first time the capabilities of the SIR technology for heterodyne spectroscopy in general, and atmospheric limb sounding in particular. We also show that the application of SIR technology is not limited to laboratory environments, but that it is well suited for remote operation under harsh environmental conditions. Within a SIR the main components needed for a superconducting heterodyne receiver such as a superconductor-insulator-superconductor (SIS) mixer with a quasi-optical antenna, a flux-flow oscillator (FFO) as the local oscillator, and a harmonic mixer to phase lock the FFO are integrated on a single chip. Light weight and low power consumption combined with broadband operation and nearly quantum limited sensitivity make the SIR a perfect candidate for use in future airborne and space-borne missions. The noise temperature of the SIR was measured to be as low as 120 K, with an intermediate frequency band of 4-8 GHz in double-sideband operation. The spectral resolution is well below 1 MHz, confirmed by our measurements. Remote control of the SIR under flight conditions has been demonstrated in a successful balloon flight in Kiruna, Sweden. The sensor and instrument design are presented, as well as the preliminary science results from the first flight.

Measuring tropospheric wind with microwave sounders

Science.gov (United States)

Lambrigtsen, B.; Su, H.; Turk, J.; Hristova-Veleva, S. M.; Dang, V. T.

2017-12-01

In its 2007 "Decadal Survey" of earth science missions for NASA the U.S. National Research Council recommended that a Doppler wind lidar be developed for a three-dimensional tropospheric winds mission ("3D-Winds"). The technology required for such a mission has not yet been developed, and it is expected that the next Decadal Survey, planned to be released by the end of 2017, will put additional emphasis on the still pressing need for wind measurements from space. The first Decadal Survey also called for a geostationary microwave sounder (GMS) on a Precipitation and All-weather Temperature and Humidity (PATH) mission, which could be used to measure wind from space. Such a sounder, the Geostationary Synthetic Thinned Aperture Radiometer (GeoSTAR), has been developed at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). The PATH mission has not yet been funded by NASA, but a low-cost subset of PATH, GeoStorm has been proposed as a hosted payload on a commercial communications satellite. Both PATH and GeoStorm would obtain frequent (every 15 minutes of better) measurements of tropospheric water vapor profiles, and they can be used to derive atmospheric motion vector (AMV) wind profiles, even in the presence of clouds. Measurement of wind is particularly important in the tropics, where the atmosphere is largely not in thermal balance and wind estimates cannot generally be derived from temperature and pressure fields. We report on simulation studies of AMV wind vectors derived from a GMS and from a cluster of low-earth-orbiting (LEO) small satellites (e.g., CubeSats). The results of two separate simulation studies are very encouraging and show that a ±2 m/s wind speed precision is attainable, which would satisfy WMO requirements. A GMS observing system in particular, which can be implemented now, would enable significant progress in the study of atmospheric dynamics. Copyright 2017 California Institute of Technology. Government sponsorship acknowledged

MISTiC Winds, a Micro-Satellite Constellation Approach to High Resolution Observations of the Atmosphere using Infrared Sounding and 3D Winds Measurements

Science.gov (United States)

Maschhoff, K. R.; Polizotti, J. J.; Aumann, H. H.; Susskind, J.

2017-12-01

MISTiCTM Winds is an approach to improve short-term weather forecasting based on a miniature high resolution, wide field, thermal emission spectrometry instrument that will provide global tropospheric vertical profiles of atmospheric temperature and humidity at high (3-4 km) horizontal and vertical ( 1 km) spatial resolution. MISTiC's extraordinarily small size, payload mass of less than 15 kg, and minimal cooling requirements can be accommodated aboard a ESPA-Class (50 kg) micro-satellite. Low fabrication and launch costs enable a LEO sun-synchronous sounding constellation that would provide frequent IR vertical profiles and vertically resolved atmospheric motion vector wind observations in the troposphere. These observations are highly complementary to present and emerging environmental observing systems, and would provide a combination of high vertical and horizontal resolution not provided by any other environmental observing system currently in operation. The spectral measurements that would be provided by MISTiC Winds are similar to those of NASA's Atmospheric Infrared Sounder. These new observations, when assimilated into high resolution numerical weather models, would revolutionize short-term and severe weather forecasting, save lives, and support key economic decisions in the energy, air transport, and agriculture arenas-at much lower cost than providing these observations from geostationary orbit. In addition, this observation capability would be a critical tool for the study of transport processes for water vapor, clouds, pollution, and aerosols. In this third year of a NASA Instrument incubator program, the compact infrared spectrometer has been integrated into an airborne version of the instrument for high-altitude flights on a NASA ER2. The purpose of these airborne tests is to examine the potential for improved capabilities for tracking atmospheric motion-vector wind tracer features, and determining their height using hyper-spectral sounding and

Impact of the Assimilation of Hyperspectral Infrared Profiles on Advanced Weather and Research Model Simulations of a Non-Convective Wind Event

Science.gov (United States)

Berndt, Emily B.; Zavodsky, Bradley T; Jedlovec, Gary J.; Elmer, Nicholas J.

2013-01-01

Non-convective wind events commonly occur with passing extratropical cyclones and have significant societal and economic impacts. Since non-convective winds often occur in the absence of specific phenomena such as a thunderstorm, tornado, or hurricane, the public are less likely to heed high wind warnings and continue daily activities. Thus non-convective wind events result in as many fatalities as straight line thunderstorm winds. One physical explanation for non-convective winds includes tropopause folds. Improved model representation of stratospheric air and associated non-convective wind events could improve non-convective wind forecasts and associated warnings. In recent years, satellite data assimilation has improved skill in forecasting extratropical cyclones; however errors still remain in forecasting the position and strength of extratropical cyclones as well as the tropopause folding process. The goal of this study is to determine the impact of assimilating satellite temperature and moisture retrieved profiles from hyperspectral infrared (IR) sounders (i.e. Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS), Cross-track Infrared and Microwave Sounding Suite (CrIMSS), and Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer (IASI)) on the model representation of the tropopause fold and an associated high wind event that impacted the Northeast United States on 09 February 2013. Model simulations using the Advanced Research Weather Research and Forecasting Model (ARW) were conducted on a 12-km grid with cycled data assimilation mimicking the operational North American Model (NAM). The results from the satellite assimilation run are compared to a control experiment (without hyperspectral IR retrievals), North American Regional Reanalysis (NARR) reanalysis, and Rapid Refresh analyses.

An Algorithm For Climate-Quality Atmospheric Profiling Continuity From EOS Aqua To Suomi-NPP

Science.gov (United States)

Moncet, J. L.

2015-12-01

We will present results from an algorithm that is being developed to produce climate-quality atmospheric profiling earth system data records (ESDRs) for application to hyperspectral sounding instrument data from Suomi-NPP, EOS Aqua, and other spacecraft. The current focus is on data from the S-NPP Cross-track Infrared Sounder (CrIS) and Advanced Technology Microwave Sounder (ATMS) instruments as well as the Atmospheric InfraRed Sounder (AIRS) on EOS Aqua. The algorithm development at Atmospheric and Environmental Research (AER) has common heritage with the optimal estimation (OE) algorithm operationally processing S-NPP data in the Interface Data Processing Segment (IDPS), but the ESDR algorithm has a flexible, modular software structure to support experimentation and collaboration and has several features adapted to the climate orientation of ESDRs. Data record continuity benefits from the fact that the same algorithm can be applied to different sensors, simply by providing suitable configuration and data files. The radiative transfer component uses an enhanced version of optimal spectral sampling (OSS) with updated spectroscopy, treatment of emission that is not in local thermodynamic equilibrium (non-LTE), efficiency gains with "global" optimal sampling over all channels, and support for channel selection. The algorithm is designed for adaptive treatment of clouds, with capability to apply "cloud clearing" or simultaneous cloud parameter retrieval, depending on conditions. We will present retrieval results demonstrating the impact of a new capability to perform the retrievals on sigma or hybrid vertical grid (as opposed to a fixed pressure grid), which particularly affects profile accuracy over land with variable terrain height and with sharp vertical structure near the surface. In addition, we will show impacts of alternative treatments of regularization of the inversion. While OE algorithms typically implement regularization by using background estimates from

Calculation of infrared radiation in the atmosphere by a numerical method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nunes, G.S.S.; Viswanadham, Y.

1981-01-01

A numerical method is described for the calculations of the atmospheric infrared flux and radiative cooling rate in the atmosphere. It is suitable for use at all levels below lower stratosphere. The square root pressure correction factor is incorporated in the computation of the corrected optical depth. The water vapour flux emissivity data of Staley and Jurica are used in the model. The versatility of the computing scheme sugests that this method is adequate to evaluate infrared flux and flux divergence in the problems involving a large amount of atmospheric data. (Author) [pt

A unified approach to infrared aerosol remote sensing and type specification

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

L. Clarisse

2013-02-01

Full Text Available Atmospheric aerosols impact air quality and global climate. Space based measurements are the best way to observe their spatial and temporal distributions, and can also be used to gain better understanding of their chemical, physical and optical properties. Aerosol composition is the key parameter affecting the refractive index, which determines how much radiation is scattered and absorbed. Composition of aerosols is unfortunately not measured by state of the art satellite remote sounders. Here we use high resolution infrared measurements for aerosol type differentiation, exploiting, in that part of spectrum, the dependency of their refractive index on wavelength. We review existing detection methods and present a unified detection method based on linear discrimination analysis. We demonstrate this method on measurements of the Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer (IASI and five different aerosol types, namely volcanic ash, windblown sand, sulfuric acid droplets, ammonium sulfate and smoke particles. We compare these with traditional MODIS AOD measurements. The detection of the last three types is unprecedented in the infrared in nadir mode, but is very promising, especially for sulfuric acid droplets which are detected in the lower troposphere and up to 6 months after injection in the upper troposphere/lower stratosphere.

Impact of the Assimilation of Hyperspectral Infrared Retrieved Profiles on Advanced Weather and Research Model Simulations of a Non-Convective Wind Event

Science.gov (United States)

Berndt, E. B.; Zavodsky, B. T.; Folmer, M. J.; Jedlovec, G. J.

2014-01-01

Non-convective wind events commonly occur with passing extratropical cyclones and have significant societal and economic impacts. Since non-convective winds often occur in the absence of specific phenomena such as a thunderstorm, tornado, or hurricane, the public are less likely to heed high wind warnings and continue daily activities. Thus non-convective wind events result in as many fatalities as straight line thunderstorm winds. One physical explanation for non-convective winds includes tropopause folds. Improved model representation of stratospheric air and associated non-convective wind events could improve non-convective wind forecasts and associated warnings. In recent years, satellite data assimilation has improved skill in forecasting extratropical cyclones; however errors still remain in forecasting the position and strength of extratropical cyclones as well as the tropopause folding process. The goal of this study is to determine the impact of assimilating satellite temperature and moisture retrieved profiles from hyperspectral infrared (IR) sounders (i.e. Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS), Cross-track Infrared and Microwave Sounding Suite (CrIMSS), and Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer (IASI)) on the model representation of the tropopause fold and an associated high wind event that impacted the Northeast United States on 09 February 2013. Model simulations using the Advanced Research Weather Research and Forecasting Model (ARW) were conducted on a 12-km grid with cycled data assimilation mimicking the operational North American Model (NAM). The results from the satellite assimilation run are compared to a control experiment (without hyperspectral IR retrievals), 32-km North American Regional Reanalysis (NARR) interpolated to a 12-km grid, and 13-km Rapid Refresh analyses.

New isostatic mounting concept for a space born Three Mirror Anastigmat (TMA) on the Meteosat Third Generation Infrared Sounder Instrument (MTG-IRS)

Science.gov (United States)

Freudling, Maximilian; Klammer, Jesko; Lousberg, Gregory; Schumacher, Jean-Marc; Körner, Christian

2016-07-01

A novel isostatic mounting concept for a space born TMA of the Meteosat Third Generation Infrared Sounder is presented. The telescope is based on a light-weight all-aluminium design. The mounting concept accommodates the telescope onto a Carbon-Fiber-Reinforced Polymer (CRFP) structure. This design copes with the high CTE mismatch without introducing high stresses into the telescope structure. Furthermore a Line of Sight stability of a few microrads under geostationary orbit conditions is provided. The design operates with full performance at a temperature 20K below the temperature of the CFRP structure and 20K below the integration temperature. The mounting will sustain launch loads of 47g. This paper will provide the design of the Back Telescope Assembly (BTA) isostatic mounting and will summarise the consolidated technical baseline reached following a successful Preliminary Design Review (PDR).

Comparison of OLR Data Sets from AIRS, CERES and MERRA 2

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Jae N.; Susskind, Joel; Iredell, Lena; Loeb, Norman; Lim, Young-Kwon

2015-01-01

Organizers of the NASA Sounder Science Team Meeting would like to post the presentations to a the JPL Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) publicly-available website. The meeting was held in Greenbelt, Maryland, October 13-16, 2015.

Modelling of atmospheric mid-infrared radiative transfer: the AMIL2DA algorithm intercomparison experiment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Clarmann, T. von; Hoepfner, M.; Funke, B.; Lopez-Puertas, M.; Dudhia, A.; Jay, V.; Schreier, F.; Ridolfi, M.; Ceccherini, S.; Kerridge, B.J.; Reburn, J.; Siddans, R.

2003-01-01

When retrieving atmospheric parameters from radiance spectra, the forward modelling of radiative transfer through the Earth's atmosphere plays a key role, since inappropriate modelling directly maps on to the retrieved state parameters. In the context of pre-launch activities of the Michelson Interferometer for Passive Atmospheric Sounding (MIPAS) experiment, which is a high resolution limb emission sounder for measurement of atmospheric composition and temperature, five scientific groups intercompared their forward models within the framework of the Advanced MIPAS Level 2 Data Analysis (AMIL2DA) project. These forward models have been developed, or, in certain respects, adapted in order to be used as part of the groups' MIPAS data processing. The following functionalities have been assessed: the calculation of line strengths including non-local thermodynamic equilibrium, the evaluation of the spectral line shape, application of chi-factors and semi-empirical continua, the interpolation of pre-tabulated absorption cross sections in pressure and temperature, line coupling, atmospheric ray tracing, the integration of the radiative transfer equation through an inhomogeneous atmosphere, the convolution of monochromatic spectra with an instrument line shape function, and the integration of the incoming radiances over the instrument field of view

The Impact of the Assimilation of Hyperspectral Infrared Retrieved Profiles on Advanced Weather and Research Model Simulations of a Non-Convective Wind Event

Science.gov (United States)

Berndt, Emily; Zavodsky, Bradley; Jedlovec, Gary; Elmer, Nicholas

2013-01-01

Non-convective wind events commonly occur with passing extratropical cyclones and have significant societal and economic impacts. Since non-convective winds often occur in the absence of specific phenomena such as a thunderstorm, tornado, or hurricane, the public are less likely to heed high wind warnings and continue daily activities. Thus non-convective wind events result in as many fatalities as straight line thunderstorm winds. One physical explanation for non-convective winds includes tropopause folds. Improved model representation of stratospheric air and associated non-convective wind events could improve non-convective wind forecasts and associated warnings. In recent years, satellite data assimilation has improved skill in forecasting extratropical cyclones; however errors still remain in forecasting the position and strength of extratropical cyclones as well as the tropopause folding process. The goal of this study is to determine the impact of assimilating satellite temperature and moisture retrieved profiles from hyperspectral infrared (IR) sounders (i.e. Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS), Cross-track Infrared and Microwave Sounding Suite (CrIMSS), and Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer (IASI)) on the model representation of the tropopause fold and an associated high wind event that impacted the Northeast United States on 09 February 2013. Model simulations using the Advanced Research Weather Research and Forecasting Model (ARW) were conducted on a 12-km grid with cycled data assimilation mimicking the operational North American Model (NAM). The results from the satellite assimilation run are compared to a control experiment (without hyperspectral IR retrievals), Modern Era-Retrospective Analysis for Research and Applications (MERRA) reanalysis, and Rapid Refresh analyses.

Characterizing sampling and quality screening biases in infrared and microwave limb sounding

Science.gov (United States)

Millán, Luis F.; Livesey, Nathaniel J.; Santee, Michelle L.; von Clarmann, Thomas

2018-03-01

This study investigates orbital sampling biases and evaluates the additional impact caused by data quality screening for the Michelson Interferometer for Passive Atmospheric Sounding (MIPAS) and the Aura Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS). MIPAS acts as a proxy for typical infrared limb emission sounders, while MLS acts as a proxy for microwave limb sounders. These biases were calculated for temperature and several trace gases by interpolating model fields to real sampling patterns and, additionally, screening those locations as directed by their corresponding quality criteria. Both instruments have dense uniform sampling patterns typical of limb emission sounders, producing almost identical sampling biases. However, there is a substantial difference between the number of locations discarded. MIPAS, as a mid-infrared instrument, is very sensitive to clouds, and measurements affected by them are thus rejected from the analysis. For example, in the tropics, the MIPAS yield is strongly affected by clouds, while MLS is mostly unaffected. The results show that upper-tropospheric sampling biases in zonally averaged data, for both instruments, can be up to 10 to 30 %, depending on the species, and up to 3 K for temperature. For MIPAS, the sampling reduction due to quality screening worsens the biases, leading to values as large as 30 to 100 % for the trace gases and expanding the 3 K bias region for temperature. This type of sampling bias is largely induced by the geophysical origins of the screening (e.g. clouds). Further, analysis of long-term time series reveals that these additional quality screening biases may affect the ability to accurately detect upper-tropospheric long-term changes using such data. In contrast, MLS data quality screening removes sufficiently few points that no additional bias is introduced, although its penetration is limited to the upper troposphere, while MIPAS may cover well into the mid-troposphere in cloud-free scenarios. We emphasize that the

NOAA Interest in Small Satellite Solutions for Mitigation of Data Gaps

Science.gov (United States)

Caulfield, M.; Tewey, K.; John, P.

2016-12-01

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is undertaking a strategy to achieve satellite constellation robustness by 2023 to maintain continuity of polar satellite observations, which are central to NOAA's weather forecast capability. NOAA's plans include mitigation activities in the event of a loss of polar observations. In 2017, NOAA will begin development of the Earth Observing Nanosatellite - Microwave (EON-MW). EON-MW is a miniature microwave sounder that approximates the atmospheric profiling capabilities of the Advanced Technology Microwave Sounder (ATMS) instrument on the NOAA Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS). NOAA is collaborating with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Lincoln Laboratory (MIT / LL) on EON-MW, which includes 2 years of risk reduction efforts to further define the EON-MW mission and identify and manage key technical risks. These studies will refine designs and evaluate system trades for operational earth observations from a U-class satellite platform, as well as examine microwave sensor concepts and investigated payload architecture to support microwave frequencies for atmospheric remote sensing. Similar to EON-MW, NOAA is also investigating the potential to mitigate against the loss of the JPSS Cross Track Infrared Sounder (CrIS) data with a CubeSat based mid-wave Infrared sounder. NOAA is collaborating with the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) to design the Earth Observation Nanosatellite-Infrared (EON-IR). EON-IR will leverage the NASA-JPL CubSat based infrared sounder CubSat Infrared Atmospheric Sounder (CIRAS) mission. In FY 2015 NOAA funded a study to analyze the feasibility of meeting the essential requirements of the CrIS from a CubeSat platform and began exploring the basic design of the EON-IR payload and bus. NOAA will continue to study EON-IR in 2016 by examining ways to modify the CIRAS design to better meet NOAA's observational and operational needs. These modifications will aim to increase mission

Satellite Atmospheric Sounder IRFS-2 1. Analysis of Outgoing Radiation Spectra Measurements

Science.gov (United States)

Polyakov, A. V.; Timofeyev, Yu. M.; Virolainen, Ya. A.; Uspensky, A. B.; Zavelevich, F. S.; Golovin, Yu. M.; Kozlov, D. A.; Rublev, A. N.; Kukharsky, A. V.

2017-12-01

The outgoing radiation spectra measured by the IRFS-2 spectrometer onboard Meteor-M no. 2 satellite have been analyzed. Some statistical parameters of more than 106 spectra measured in spring in 2015 have been calculated. The radiation brightness temperature varied from ˜300 K (surface temperature) up to ˜210 K (tropopause temperature). The quite high variability of the longwave measured radiation has been demonstrated. The signal-to-noise ratio distinctively decreases in the shortwave region (higher than 1300 cm-1). Intercomparisons of IR sounders IRFS-2 with IASI and CrIS spectra showed that the discrepancies in the average spectra and their variability do not exceed measurement errors in the spectral region 660-1300 cm-1. A comparison of specially chosen pairs of the simultaneously measured spectra showed that the differences between IRFS-2 and European instruments in the region of the 15-μm CO2 band and the transparency windows 8-12 μm are less than 1 mW/(m2 sr cm-1) and no more than the differences between the two IASI instruments (-A and -B). The differences between measured and simulated spectra are less than 1 mW/(m2 sr cm-1) in the mean part of CO2 band. However, starting from 720 cm-1, values appear that reach 2-4 mW/(m2 sr cm-1). This is caused by the absence of precise information about the surface temperature. Further investigations into the possible reasons for the observed disagreements are required in order to improve both the method of initial processing and the radiative model of the atmosphere.

Journal of Earth System Science | Indian Academy of Sciences

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

It is examined whether high resolution radiosonde measurements represent well the UTWV by comparing with different satellite based (Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS), Advanced Microwave Sounding Unit-B (AMSUB) and Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS)) water vapour measurements. Very good comparison in the ...

A Comparison of the Red Green Blue Air Mass Imagery and Hyperspectral Infrared Retrieved Profiles

Science.gov (United States)

Berndt, E. B.; Folmer, Michael; Dunion, Jason

2014-01-01

The Red Green Blue (RGB) Air Mass imagery is derived from multiple channels or paired channel differences. Multiple channel products typically provide additional information than a single channel can provide alone. The RGB Air Mass imagery simplifies the interpretation of temperature and moisture characteristics of air masses surrounding synoptic and mesoscale features. Despite the ease of interpretation of multiple channel products, the combination of channels and channel differences means the resulting product does not represent a quantity or physical parameter such as brightness temperature in conventional single channel satellite imagery. Without a specific quantity to reference, forecasters are often confused as to what RGB products represent. Hyperspectral infrared retrieved profiles of temperature, moisture, and ozone can provide insight about the air mass represented on the RGB Air Mass product and provide confidence in the product and representation of air masses despite the lack of a quantity to reference for interpretation. This study focuses on RGB Air Mass analysis of Hurricane Sandy as it moved north along the U.S. East Coast, while transitioning to a hybrid extratropical storm. Soundings and total column ozone retrievals were analyzed using data from the Cross-track Infrared and Advanced Technology Microwave Sounder Suite (CrIMSS) on the Suomi National Polar Orbiting Partnership satellite and the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) on the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Aqua satellite along with dropsondes that were collected from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and Air Force research aircraft. By comparing these datasets to the RGB Air Mass, it is possible to capture quantitative information that could help in analyzing the synoptic environment enough to diagnose the onset of extratropical transition. This was done by identifying any stratospheric air intrusions (SAIs) that existed in the vicinity of Sandy as the wind

Models for infrared atmospheric radiation

Science.gov (United States)

Tiwari, S. N.

1976-01-01

Line and band models for infrared spectral absorption are discussed. Radiative transmittance and integrated absorptance of Lorentz, Doppler, and voigt line profiles were compared for a range of parameters. It was found that, for the intermediate path lengths, the combined Lorentz-Doppler (Voigt) profile is essential in calculating the atmospheric transmittance. Narrow band model relations for absorptance were used to develop exact formulations for total absorption by four wide band models. Several continuous correlations for the absorption of a wide band model were compared with the numerical solutions of the wide band models. By employing the line-by-line and quasi-random band model formulations, computational procedures were developed for evaluating transmittance and upwelling atmospheric radiance. Homogeneous path transmittances were calculated for selected bands of CO, CO2, and N2O and compared with experimental measurements. The upwelling radiance and signal change in the wave number interval of the CO fundamental band were also calculated.

Infrared radiation in the energy balance of the upper atmosphere

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gordiets, B.F.; Markov, M.N.

1977-01-01

The contribution of the infrared radiation to the energy balance of the Earth's upper atmosphere is discussed. The theoretical analysis has been carried out of the mechanisms of the transformation of the energy of outgoing particles and the ultraviolet-radiation of the Sun absorbed at the heights of Z >= 90 km into the infrared radiation. It is found out the the infrared radiation within the wave length range of 1.2-20 μ is more intensive that the 63 μ radiation of atomic oxygen and plays an important role in the general energy balance and the thermal regime of the thermosphere. It has been found out too that in the area of Z >= 120 km heights the radiation in the 5.3 μ NO band is the most intensive. This radiation is to be considered for the more accurate description of parameters of the atmosphere (temperature, density) conditioning the nature of the translocation of ionospheric sounds (ISS)

Infrared radiation models for atmospheric ozone

Science.gov (United States)

Kratz, David P.; Ces, Robert D.

1988-01-01

A hierarchy of line-by-line, narrow-band, and broadband infrared radiation models are discussed for ozone, a radiatively important atmospheric trace gas. It is shown that the narrow-band (Malkmus) model is in near-precise agreement with the line-by-line model, thus providing a means of testing narrow-band Curtis-Godson scaling, and it is found that this scaling procedure leads to errors in atmospheric fluxes of up to 10 percent. Moreover, this is a direct consequence of the altitude dependence of the ozone mixing ratio. Somewhat greater flux errors arise with use of the broadband model, due to both a lesser accuracy of the broadband scaling procedure and to inherent errors within the broadband model, despite the fact that this model has been tuned to the line-by-line model.

Infra-red photon release from cosmic dust entering into the earth's atmosphere

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kobayashi, Koichi

1975-01-01

Cosmic dust brings considerably high intensity of energy flux to the upper atmosphere of the earth. Most of this energy can be converted to infra-red radiation. It can be concluded that the infra-red background radiation in the sky of its wavelength of less than about 10μ may considerably originate in the cosmic dust which has entered the earth's atmosphere, or that the upper limit to the flux of cosmic dust is about 10 5 tons/earth year. (author)

Mean atmospheric temperature model estimation for GNSS meteorology using AIRS and AMSU data

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rata Suwantong

2017-03-01

Full Text Available In this paper, the problem of modeling the relationship between the mean atmospheric and air surface temperatures is addressed. Particularly, the major goal is to estimate the model parameters at a regional scale in Thailand. To formulate the relationship between the mean atmospheric and air surface temperatures, a triply modulated cosine function was adopted to model the surface temperature as a periodic function. The surface temperature was then converted to mean atmospheric temperature using a linear function. The parameters of the model were estimated using an extended Kalman filter. Traditionally, radiosonde data is used. In this paper, satellite data from an atmospheric infrared sounder, and advanced microwave sounding unit sensors was used because it is open source data and has global coverage with high temporal resolution. The performance of the proposed model was tested against that of a global model via an accuracy assessment of the computed GNSS-derived PWV.

Microwave Atmospheric-Pressure Sensor

Science.gov (United States)

Flower, D. A.; Peckham, G. E.; Bradford, W. J.

1986-01-01

Report describes tests of microwave pressure sounder (MPS) for use in satellite measurements of atmospheric pressure. MPS is multifrequency radar operating between 25 and 80 GHz. Determines signal absorption over vertical path through atmosphere by measuring strength of echoes from ocean surface. MPS operates with cloud cover, and suitable for use on current meteorological satellites.

NOAA Climate Data Record (CDR) of Monthly Outgoing Longwave Radiation (OLR), Version 2.2-1

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — This Climate Data Record (CDR) of monthly mean High Resolution Infrared Radiation Sounder (HIRS) Outgoing Longwave Radiation (OLR) flux at the top of the atmosphere...

Estimating top-of-atmosphere thermal infrared radiance using MERRA-2 atmospheric data

Science.gov (United States)

Kleynhans, Tania; Montanaro, Matthew; Gerace, Aaron; Kanan, Christopher

2017-05-01

Thermal infrared satellite images have been widely used in environmental studies. However, satellites have limited temporal resolution, e.g., 16 day Landsat or 1 to 2 day Terra MODIS. This paper investigates the use of the Modern-Era Retrospective analysis for Research and Applications, Version 2 (MERRA-2) reanalysis data product, produced by NASA's Global Modeling and Assimilation Office (GMAO) to predict global topof-atmosphere (TOA) thermal infrared radiance. The high temporal resolution of the MERRA-2 data product presents opportunities for novel research and applications. Various methods were applied to estimate TOA radiance from MERRA-2 variables namely (1) a parameterized physics based method, (2) Linear regression models and (3) non-linear Support Vector Regression. Model prediction accuracy was evaluated using temporally and spatially coincident Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) thermal infrared data as reference data. This research found that Support Vector Regression with a radial basis function kernel produced the lowest error rates. Sources of errors are discussed and defined. Further research is currently being conducted to train deep learning models to predict TOA thermal radiance

Increased atmospheric ammonia over the world's major agricultural areas detected from space

Science.gov (United States)

Warner, J. X.; Dickerson, R. R.; Wei, Z.; Strow, L. L.; Wang, Y.; Liang, Q.

2017-03-01

This study provides evidence of substantial increases in atmospheric ammonia (NH3) concentrations (14 year) over several of the worlds major agricultural regions, using recently available retrievals from the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) aboard NASA's Aqua satellite. The main sources of atmospheric NH3 are farming and animal husbandry involving reactive nitrogen ultimately derived from fertilizer use; rates of emission are also sensitive to climate change. Significant increasing trends are seen over the U.S. (2.61% yr-1), the European Union (EU) (1.83% yr-1), and China (2.27% yr-1). Over the EU, the trend results from decreased scavenging by acid aerosols. Over the U.S., the increase results from a combination of decreased chemical loss and increased soil temperatures. Over China, decreased chemical loss, increasing temperatures, and increased fertilizer use all play a role. Over South Asia, increased NH3 emissions are masked by increased SO2 and NOx emissions, leading to increased aerosol loading and adverse health effects.

PROBING THE FLARE ATMOSPHERES OF M DWARFS USING INFRARED EMISSION LINES

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schmidt, Sarah J.; Kowalski, Adam F.; Hawley, Suzanne L.; Hilton, Eric J.; Wisniewski, John P.; Tofflemire, Benjamin M., E-mail: sjschmidt@astro.washington.edu [Dominion Astrophysical Observatory, Herzberg Institute of Astrophysics, National Research Council of Canada (Canada)

2012-01-20

We present the results of a campaign to monitor active M dwarfs using infrared spectroscopy, supplemented with optical photometry and spectroscopy. We detected 16 flares during nearly 50 hr of observations on EV Lac, AD Leo, YZ CMi, and VB 8. The three most energetic flares also showed infrared emission, including the first reported detections of P{beta}, P{gamma}, He I {lambda}10830, and Br{gamma} during an M dwarf flare. The strongest flare ({Delta}u = 4.02 on EV Lac) showed emission from H{gamma}, H{delta}, He I {lambda}4471, and Ca II K in the UV/blue and P{beta}, P{gamma}, P{delta}, Br{gamma}, and He I {lambda}10830 in the infrared. The weaker flares ({Delta}u = 1.68 on EV Lac and {Delta}U = 1.38 on YZ CMi) were only observed with photometry and infrared spectroscopy; both showed emission from P{beta}, P{gamma}, and He I {lambda}10830. The strongest infrared emission line, P{beta}, occurred in the active mid-M dwarfs with a duty cycle of {approx}3%-4%. To examine the most energetic flare, we used the static NLTE radiative transfer code RH to produce model spectra based on a suite of one-dimensional model atmospheres. Using a hotter chromosphere than previous one-dimensional atmospheric models, we obtain line ratios that match most of the observed emission lines.

Single-footprint retrievals for AIRS using a fast TwoSlab cloud-representation model and the SARTA all-sky infrared radiative transfer algorithm

Science.gov (United States)

DeSouza-Machado, Sergio; Larrabee Strow, L.; Tangborn, Andrew; Huang, Xianglei; Chen, Xiuhong; Liu, Xu; Wu, Wan; Yang, Qiguang

2018-01-01

One-dimensional variational retrievals of temperature and moisture fields from hyperspectral infrared (IR) satellite sounders use cloud-cleared radiances (CCRs) as their observation. These derived observations allow the use of clear-sky-only radiative transfer in the inversion for geophysical variables but at reduced spatial resolution compared to the native sounder observations. Cloud clearing can introduce various errors, although scenes with large errors can be identified and ignored. Information content studies show that, when using multilayer cloud liquid and ice profiles in infrared hyperspectral radiative transfer codes, there are typically only 2-4 degrees of freedom (DOFs) of cloud signal. This implies a simplified cloud representation is sufficient for some applications which need accurate radiative transfer. Here we describe a single-footprint retrieval approach for clear and cloudy conditions, which uses the thermodynamic and cloud fields from numerical weather prediction (NWP) models as a first guess, together with a simple cloud-representation model coupled to a fast scattering radiative transfer algorithm (RTA). The NWP model thermodynamic and cloud profiles are first co-located to the observations, after which the N-level cloud profiles are converted to two slab clouds (TwoSlab; typically one for ice and one for water clouds). From these, one run of our fast cloud-representation model allows an improvement of the a priori cloud state by comparing the observed and model-simulated radiances in the thermal window channels. The retrieval yield is over 90 %, while the degrees of freedom correlate with the observed window channel brightness temperature (BT) which itself depends on the cloud optical depth. The cloud-representation and scattering package is benchmarked against radiances computed using a maximum random overlap (RMO) cloud scheme. All-sky infrared radiances measured by NASA's Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) and NWP thermodynamic and cloud

Single-footprint retrievals for AIRS using a fast TwoSlab cloud-representation model and the SARTA all-sky infrared radiative transfer algorithm

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. DeSouza-Machado

2018-01-01

Full Text Available One-dimensional variational retrievals of temperature and moisture fields from hyperspectral infrared (IR satellite sounders use cloud-cleared radiances (CCRs as their observation. These derived observations allow the use of clear-sky-only radiative transfer in the inversion for geophysical variables but at reduced spatial resolution compared to the native sounder observations. Cloud clearing can introduce various errors, although scenes with large errors can be identified and ignored. Information content studies show that, when using multilayer cloud liquid and ice profiles in infrared hyperspectral radiative transfer codes, there are typically only 2–4 degrees of freedom (DOFs of cloud signal. This implies a simplified cloud representation is sufficient for some applications which need accurate radiative transfer. Here we describe a single-footprint retrieval approach for clear and cloudy conditions, which uses the thermodynamic and cloud fields from numerical weather prediction (NWP models as a first guess, together with a simple cloud-representation model coupled to a fast scattering radiative transfer algorithm (RTA. The NWP model thermodynamic and cloud profiles are first co-located to the observations, after which the N-level cloud profiles are converted to two slab clouds (TwoSlab; typically one for ice and one for water clouds. From these, one run of our fast cloud-representation model allows an improvement of the a priori cloud state by comparing the observed and model-simulated radiances in the thermal window channels. The retrieval yield is over 90 %, while the degrees of freedom correlate with the observed window channel brightness temperature (BT which itself depends on the cloud optical depth. The cloud-representation and scattering package is benchmarked against radiances computed using a maximum random overlap (RMO cloud scheme. All-sky infrared radiances measured by NASA's Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS and NWP

Applications of infrared technology; Proceedings of the Meeting, London, England, June 9, 10, 1988

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Williams, T.L.

1988-01-01

Recent developments in thermal imaging and other infrared systems relating to military, industrial, medical, and scientific applications are reviewed. Papers are presented on a new thermal imager using a linear pyroelectric detector array; multichannel near infrared spectroradiometer; technological constraints on the use of thermal imagery for remote sensing; and infrared optical system of the improved stratospheric and mesospheric sounder. Other topics discussed include infrared thermography development for composite material evaluation; infrared process linescanner, and optical infrared starting radiometer

SAFARI 2000 TOVS Surface and Atmospheric Parameters, 1-Deg, 1999-2001

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — ABSTRACT: NOAA's TIROS (Television Infrared Observation Satellite) Operational Vertical Sounder (TOVS) is a suite of three sensors: the Microwave Sounding Unit...

Assessing Recent Improvements in the GOSAT TANSO-FTS Thermal InfraRed Emission Spectrum using Satellite Inter-Comparison with NASA AIRS, EUMETSAT IASI, and JPSS CrIS

Science.gov (United States)

Knuteson, R.; Burgess, G.; Shiomi, K.; Kuze, A.; Yoshida, J.; Kataoka, F.; Suto, H.

2016-12-01

The Thermal And Near infrared Sensor for carbon Observation Fourier-Transform Spectrometer (TANSO-FTS) onboard the Greenhouse gases Observing SATellite (GOSAT) has been providing global space-borne observations of carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) since 2009 (Kuze et al. 2012). The TANSO-FTS sensor is an interferometer spectrometer measuring shortwave reflected solar radiation with high spectral resolution in three spectral bands. A bore-sighted band 4 uses the same interferometer to measure thermal infrared radiation (TIR) at the top of the atmosphere. This paper is a comparison of the TANSO-FTS TIR band with coincident measurements of the NASA Atmospheric InfraRed Sounder (AIRS) grating spectrometer. The time and space coincident matchups are at the Simultaneous Nadir Overpass (SNO) locations of the orbits of GOSAT and the NASA AQUA satellite. GOSAT/AQUA SNOs occur at about 40N and 40S latitude. A continuous set of SNO matchups has been found from the start of valid radiance data collection in April 2009 through the end of 2015. UW-SSEC has obtained the time, latitude, and longitude of the SNO location using the ORBNAV software at http://sips.ssec.wisc.edu/orbnav. UW-SSEC obtained the matching AIRS v5 L1B radiances from the NASA archive. JAXA has reprocessed the entire TANSO-FTS TIR band using the previous v161and a new calibration version (v203) which includes calibration parameter optimizations. The TANSO-FTS has been reduced to the AIRS spectral channels using the AIRS spectral response functions (SRFs). This paper will show the time series of observed brightness temperatures from AIRS and GOSAT TANSO-FTS TIR observations from the SNO matchups. Similar results are obtained by comparison with the EUMETSAT Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer (IASI) on the METOP platform and the JPSS Cross-track InfraRed Sounder (CrIS) on the Suomi-NPP platform. This paper validates the improvements in the GOSAT ground calibration software by providing a reference

SAFARI 2000 TOVS Surface and Atmospheric Parameters, 1-Deg, 1999-2001

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — NOAA's TIROS (Television Infrared Observation Satellite) Operational Vertical Sounder (TOVS) is a suite of three sensors: the Microwave Sounding Unit (MSU), the High...

Sound velocity from inverted echo sounders (IES) in the western Pacific Ocean from 1992-08-26 to 1993-03-22 (NODC Accession 9300159)

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — This accession contains inverted echo sounder data collected from two stations in the western Pacific, TPW nominally @ 2S and 154E and TPE nominally @ 2S and 164E....

Tropical stratospheric water vapor measured by the microwave limb sounder (MLS)

Science.gov (United States)

Carr, E. S.; Harwood, R. S.; Mote, P. W.; Peckham, G. E.; Suttie, R. A.; Lahoz, W. A.; O'Neill, A.; Froidevaux, L.; Jarnot, R. F.; Read, W. G.

1995-01-01

The lower stratospheric variability of equatorial water vapor, measured by the Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS), follows an annual cycle modulated by the quasi-biennial oscillation. At levels higher in the stratosphere, water vapor measurements exhibit a semi-annual oscillatory signal with the largest amplitudes at 2.2 and 1hPa. Zonal-mean cross sections of MLS water vapor are consistent with previous satellite measurements from the limb infrared monitor of the stratosphere (LIMS) and the stratospheric Aerosol and Gas Experiment 2 (SAGE 2) instruments in that they show water vapor increasing upwards and the polewards from a well defined minimum in the tropics. The minimum values vary in height between the retrieved 46 and 22hPa pressure levels.

Estimating the marine signal in the near infrared for atmospheric correction of satellite ocean-color imagery over turbid waters

Science.gov (United States)

Bourdet, Alice; Frouin, Robert J.

2014-11-01

The classic atmospheric correction algorithm, routinely applied to second-generation ocean-color sensors such as SeaWiFS, MODIS, and MERIS, consists of (i) estimating the aerosol reflectance in the red and near infrared (NIR) where the ocean is considered black (i.e., totally absorbing), and (ii) extrapolating the estimated aerosol reflectance to shorter wavelengths. The marine reflectance is then retrieved by subtraction. Variants and improvements have been made over the years to deal with non-null reflectance in the red and near infrared, a general situation in estuaries and the coastal zone, but the solutions proposed so far still suffer some limitations, due to uncertainties in marine reflectance modeling in the near infrared or difficulty to extrapolate the aerosol signal to the blue when using observations in the shortwave infrared (SWIR), a spectral range far from the ocean-color wavelengths. To estimate the marine signal (i.e., the product of marine reflectance and atmospheric transmittance) in the near infrared, the proposed approach is to decompose the aerosol reflectance in the near infrared to shortwave infrared into principal components. Since aerosol scattering is smooth spectrally, a few components are generally sufficient to represent the perturbing signal, i.e., the aerosol reflectance in the near infrared can be determined from measurements in the shortwave infrared where the ocean is black. This gives access to the marine signal in the near infrared, which can then be used in the classic atmospheric correction algorithm. The methodology is evaluated theoretically from simulations of the top-of-atmosphere reflectance for a wide range of geophysical conditions and angular geometries and applied to actual MODIS imagery acquired over the Gulf of Mexico. The number of discarded pixels is reduced by over 80% using the PC modeling to determine the marine signal in the near infrared prior to applying the classic atmospheric correction algorithm.

ISAMS and MLS for NASA's Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite

Science.gov (United States)

Llewellyn-Jones, D.; Dickinson, P. H. G.

1990-04-01

The primary goal of NASA's Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite (UARS), planned to be launched in 1991, is to compile data about the structure and behavior of the stratospheric ozone layer, and especially about the threat of the chlorine-based pollutants to its stablility. Two of the payload instruments, manufactured in the UK, are described: the Improved Stratospheric and Mesospheric Sounder (ISAMS), a radiometer designed to measure thermal emission from selected atmospheric constituents at the earth's limb, then making it possible to obtain nearly global coverage of the vertical distribution of temperature and composition from 80 deg S to 80 deg N latitude; and the Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS), a limb sounding radiometer, measuring atmospheric thermal emission from selected molecular spectral lines at mm wavelength, in the frequency regions of 63, 183, and 205 GHz.

Airborne Deployment and Calibration of Microwave Atmospheric Sounder on 6U CubeSat

Science.gov (United States)

Padmanabhan, S.; Brown, S. T.; Lim, B.; Kangaslahti, P.; Russell, D.; Stachnik, R. A.

2015-12-01

To accurately predict how the distribution of extreme events may change in the future we need to understand the mechanisms that influence such events in our current climate. Our current observing system is not well-suited for observing extreme events globally due to the sparse sampling and in-homogeneity of ground-based in-situ observations and the infrequent revisit time of satellite observations. Observations of weather extremes, such as extreme precipitation events, temperature extremes, tropical and extra-tropical cyclones among others, with temporal resolution on the order of minutes and spatial resolution on the order of few kms (cost passive microwave sounding and imaging sensors on CubeSats that would work in concert with traditional flagship observational systems, such as those manifested on large environmental satellites (i.e. JPSS,WSF,GCOM-W), to monitor weather extremes. A 118/183 GHz sensor would enable observations of temperature and precipitation extremes over land and ocean as well as tropical and extra-tropical cyclones. This proposed project would enable low cost, compact radiometer instrumentation at 118 and 183 GHz that would fit in a 6U Cubesat with the objective of mass-producing this design to enable a suite of small satellites to image the key geophysical parameters needed to improve prediction of extreme weather events. We take advantage of past and current technology developments at JPL viz. HAMSR (High Altitude Microwave Scanning Radiometer), Advanced Component Technology (ACT'08) to enable low-mass, low-power high frequency airborne radiometers. In this paper, we will describe the design and implementation of the 118 GHz temperature sounder and 183 GHz humidity sounder on the 6U CubeSat. In addition, we will discuss the maiden airborne deployment of the instrument during the Plain Elevated Convection at Night (PECAN) experiment. The successful demonstration of this instrument on the 6U CubeSat would pave the way for the development of a

Short climatology of the atmospheric boundary layer using acoustic methods

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schubert, J.F.

1975-06-01

A climatology of the boundary layer of the atmosphere at the Savannah River Laboratory is being compiled using acoustic methods. The atmospheric phenomenon as depicted on the facsimile recorder is classified and then placed into one of sixteen categories. After classification, the height of the boundary layer is measured. From this information, frequency tables of boundary layer height and category are created and then analyzed for the percentage of time that each category was detected by the acoustic sounder. The sounder also accurately depicts the diurnal cycle of the boundary layer and, depending on the sensitivity of the system, shows microstructure that is normally unavailable using other methods of profiling. The acoustic sounder provides a means for continuous, real time measurements of the time rate of change of the depth of the boundary layer. This continuous record of the boundary layer with its convective cells, gravity waves, inversions, and frontal system passages permits the synoptic and complex climatology of the local area to be compiled. (U.S.)

AIRS/Aqua Level 1B HSB geolocated and calibrated brightness temperatures V005

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — The Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) is a facility instrument aboard the second Earth Observing System (EOS) polar-orbiting platform, EOS Aqua. In combination...

Aqua AIRS Near Real Time (NRT) Level 2 Standard Physical Retrieval (AIRS+AMSU) V006

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — The Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) is a facility instrument aboard the second Earth Observing System (EOS) polar-orbiting platform, EOS Aqua. In combination...

AIRS/Aqua Near Real Time (NRT) Level 1B AMSU (A1/A2) geolocated and calibrated brightness temperatures V005

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — The Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) is a facility instrument aboard the second Earth Observing System (EOS) polar-orbiting platform, EOS Aqua. In combination...

AIRS/Aqua Level 2G Precipitation Estimate V005

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — The Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) is a facility instrument aboard the second Earth Observing System (EOS) polar-orbiting platform, EOS Aqua. In combination...

AIRS/Aqua Level 2 Support retrieval (AIRS+AMSU) V005

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — The Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) is a facility instrument aboard the second Earth Observing System (EOS) polar-orbiting platform, EOS Aqua. In combination...

Aqua AIRS Level 2G Precipitation Estimate (AIRS+AMSU) V006

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — The Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) is a facility instrument aboard the second Earth Observing System (EOS) polar-orbiting platform, EOS Aqua. In combination...

AIRS/Aqua Level 2 CO2 support retrieval (AIRS-only) V005 (AIRS2SPC) at GES DISC) V005

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — The Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) is a facility instrument aboard the second Earth Observing System (EOS) polar-orbiting platform, EOS Aqua. In combination...

Aqua AIRS Level 2 Support Retrieval (AIRS+AMSU) V006

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — The Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) is a facility instrument aboard the second Earth Observing System (EOS) polar-orbiting platform, EOS Aqua. In combination...

AIRS/Aqua Level 1B AMSU (A1/A2) geolocated and calibrated brightness temperatures V005

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — The Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) is a facility instrument aboard the second Earth Observing System (EOS) polar-orbiting platform, EOS Aqua. In combination...

AIRS/Aqua Level 2 Standard physical retrieval (AIRS+AMSU) V005

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — The Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) is a facility instrument aboard the second Earth Observing System (EOS) polar-orbiting platform, EOS Aqua. In combination...

Aqua AIRS Level 2 Standard Physical Retrieval (AIRS+AMSU) V006

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — The Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) is a facility instrument aboard the second Earth Observing System (EOS) polar-orbiting platform, EOS Aqua. In combination...

Aqua AIRS Near Real Time (NRT) Level 2 Support Retrieval (AIRS+AMSU) V006

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — The Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) is a facility instrument aboard the second Earth Observing System (EOS) polar-orbiting platform, EOS Aqua. In combination...

Investigation of Planets and Small Bodies Using Decameter Wavelength Radar Sounders

Science.gov (United States)

Safaeinili, A.

2003-12-01

Decameter wavelength radar sounders provide a unique capability for the exploration of subsurface of planets and internal structure of small bodies. Recently, a number of experimental radar sounding instruments have been proposed and/or are planned to become operational in the near future. The first of these radar sounders is MARSIS (Picardi et al.) that is about to arrive at Mars on ESA's Mars Express for a two-year mission. The second radar sounder, termed SHARAD (Seu et. al), will fly on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance orbiter in 2005. MARSIS and SHARAD have complementary science objectives in that MARSIS (0.1-5.5 MHz) is designed to explore the deep subsurface with a depth resolution of ˜100 m while SHARAD (15-25 MHz) focuses its investigation to near-surface (generation of radar sounders will benefit from high power and high data rate capability that is made available through the use of Nuclear Electric generators. An example of such high-capability mission is the Jovian Icy Moons Orbiter (JIMO) where, for example, the radar sounder can be used to explore beneath the icy surfaces of Europa in search of the ice/ocean interface. The decameter wave radar sounder is probably the only instrument that has the potential of providing an accurate estimate for the ocean depth. Another exciting and rewarding area of application for planetary radar sounding is the investigation of the deep interior of small bodies (asteroids and comets). The small size of asteroids and comets provides the opportunity to collect data in a manner that enables Radio Reflection Tomographic (RRT) reconstruction of the body in the same manner that a medical ultrasound probe can image the interior of our body. This paper provides an overview of current technical capabilities and challenges and the potential of radio sounders in the investigation of planets and small bodies.

Atmospheric and surface properties of Mars obtained by infrared spectroscopy on Mariner 9

Science.gov (United States)

Conrath, B.; Curran, R.; Hanel, R.; Kunde, V.; Maguire, W.; Pearl, J.; Pirraglia, J.; Welker, J.; Burke, T.

1973-01-01

The infrared spectroscopy experiment on Mariner 9 obtained data over much of Mars. Interpretation of the thermal emission of Mars in terms of atmospheric temperatures, wind fields and dynamics, surface temperatures, surface pressure and topography, mineral composition, and minor atmospheric constituents including isotopic ratios, as well as a search for unexpected phenomena are reported.

Evaluating Land-Atmosphere Moisture Feedbacks in Earth System Models With Spaceborne Observations

Science.gov (United States)

Levine, P. A.; Randerson, J. T.; Lawrence, D. M.; Swenson, S. C.

2016-12-01

We have developed a set of metrics for measuring the feedback loop between the land surface moisture state and the atmosphere globally on an interannual time scale. These metrics consider both the forcing of terrestrial water storage (TWS) on subsequent atmospheric conditions as well as the response of TWS to antecedent atmospheric conditions. We designed our metrics to take advantage of more than one decade's worth of satellite observations of TWS from the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) along with atmospheric variables from the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS), the Global Precipitation Climatology Project (GPCP), and Clouds and the Earths Radiant Energy System (CERES). Metrics derived from spaceborne observations were used to evaluate the strength of the feedback loop in the Community Earth System Model (CESM) Large Ensemble (LENS) and in several models that contributed simulations to Phase 5 of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP5). We found that both forcing and response limbs of the feedback loop were generally stronger in tropical and temperate regions in CMIP5 models and even more so in LENS compared to satellite observations. Our analysis suggests that models may overestimate the strength of the feedbacks between the land surface and the atmosphere, which is consistent with previous studies conducted across different spatial and temporal scales.

Infrared laser ablation atmospheric pressure photoionization mass spectrometry.

Science.gov (United States)

Vaikkinen, Anu; Shrestha, Bindesh; Kauppila, Tiina J; Vertes, Akos; Kostiainen, Risto

2012-02-07

In this paper we introduce laser ablation atmospheric pressure photoionization (LAAPPI), a novel atmospheric pressure ion source for mass spectrometry. In LAAPPI the analytes are ablated from water-rich solid samples or from aqueous solutions with an infrared (IR) laser running at 2.94 μm wavelength. Approximately 12 mm above the sample surface, the ablation plume is intercepted with an orthogonal hot solvent (e.g., toluene or anisole) jet, which is generated by a heated nebulizer microchip and directed toward the mass spectrometer inlet. The ablated analytes are desolvated and ionized in the gas-phase by atmospheric pressure photoionization using a 10 eV vacuum ultraviolet krypton discharge lamp. The effect of operational parameters and spray solvent on the performance of LAAPPI is studied. LAAPPI offers ~300 μm lateral resolution comparable to, e.g., matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization. In addition to polar compounds, LAAPPI efficiently ionizes neutral and nonpolar compounds. The bioanalytical application of the method is demonstrated by the direct LAAPPI analysis of rat brain tissue sections and sour orange (Citrus aurantium) leaves. © 2012 American Chemical Society

Physically-Retrieving Cloud and Thermodynamic Parameters from Ultraspectral IR Measurements

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Daniel K.; Smith, William L., Sr.; Liu, Xu; Larar, Allen M.; Mango, Stephen A.; Huang, Hung-Lung

2007-01-01

A physical inversion scheme has been developed, dealing with cloudy as well as cloud-free radiance observed with ultraspectral infrared sounders, to simultaneously retrieve surface, atmospheric thermodynamic, and cloud microphysical parameters. A fast radiative transfer model, which applies to the clouded atmosphere, is used for atmospheric profile and cloud parameter retrieval. A one-dimensional (1-d) variational multi-variable inversion solution is used to improve an iterative background state defined by an eigenvector-regression-retrieval. The solution is iterated in order to account for non-linearity in the 1-d variational solution. It is shown that relatively accurate temperature and moisture retrievals can be achieved below optically thin clouds. For optically thick clouds, accurate temperature and moisture profiles down to cloud top level are obtained. For both optically thin and thick cloud situations, the cloud top height can be retrieved with relatively high accuracy (i.e., error < 1 km). NPOESS Airborne Sounder Testbed Interferometer (NAST-I) retrievals from the Atlantic-THORPEX Regional Campaign are compared with coincident observations obtained from dropsondes and the nadir-pointing Cloud Physics Lidar (CPL). This work was motivated by the need to obtain solutions for atmospheric soundings from infrared radiances observed for every individual field of view, regardless of cloud cover, from future ultraspectral geostationary satellite sounding instruments, such as the Geosynchronous Imaging Fourier Transform Spectrometer (GIFTS) and the Hyperspectral Environmental Suite (HES). However, this retrieval approach can also be applied to the ultraspectral sounding instruments to fly on Polar satellites, such as the Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer (IASI) on the European MetOp satellite, the Cross-track Infrared Sounder (CrIS) on the NPOESS Preparatory Project and the following NPOESS series of satellites.

Dedicated Low Latitude Diurnal CO2 Frost Observation Campaigns by the Mars Climate Sounder

Science.gov (United States)

Piqueux, S.; Kass, D. M.; Kleinboehl, A.; Hayne, P. O.; Heavens, N. G.; McCleese, D. J.; Schofield, J. T.; Shirley, J. H.

2017-12-01

In December 2016 (Ls≈280, MY33) and July 2017 (Ls≈30, MY34), the Mars Climate Sounder (MCS) onboard the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) conducted two distinct observation campaigns. The first one aimed at 1) confirming the presence of low latitude diurnal CO2 frost on Mars, and 2) refining the estimated mass of carbon dioxide condensed at the surface, whereas the second campaign was designed to 3) search for temporally and spatially varying spectral characteristics indicative of frost properties (i.e., crystal size, contamination, etc.) and relationship to the regolith. To meet these goals, MCS acquired thermal infrared observations of the surface and atmosphere at variable local times (≈1.70-3.80 h Local True Solar Time) and in the 10°-50°N latitude band where very low thermal inertia material (frost distribution and spectral properties. In addition, pre-frost deposition surface cooling rates are found to be consistent with those predicted by numerical models (i.e., 1-2K per hour). Finally, we observe buffered surface temperatures near the local frost point, indicating a surface emissivity ≈1. (i.e., optically thin frost layers, or dust contaminated frost, or slab-like ice) and no discernable frost metamorphism. We will present a detailed analysis of these new and unique observations, and elaborate on the potential relationship between the regolith and this recurring frost cycle.

Thermal infrared sounding observations of lower atmospheric variances at Mars and their implications for gravity wave activity: a preliminary examination

Science.gov (United States)

Heavens, N. G.

2017-12-01

It has been recognized for over two decades that the mesoscale statistical variance observed by Earth-observing satellites at temperature-sensitive frequencies above the instrumental noise floor is a measure of gravity wave activity. These types of observation have been made by a variety of satellite instruments have been an important validation tool for gravity wave parameterizations in global and mesoscale models. At Mars, the importance of topographic and non-topographic sources of gravity waves for the general circulation is now widely recognized and the target of recent modeling efforts. However, despite several ingenious studies, gravity wave activity near hypothetical lower atmospheric sources has been poorly and unsystematically characterized, partly because of the difficulty of separating the gravity wave activity from baroclinic wave activity and the thermal tides. Here will be presented a preliminary analysis of calibrated radiance variance at 15.4 microns (635-665 cm-1) from nadir, off-nadir, and limb observations by the Mars Climate Sounder on board Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. The overarching methodology follows Wu and Waters (1996, 1997). Nadir, off-nadir, and lowest detector limb observations should sample variability with vertical weighting functions centered high in the lower atmosphere (20-30 km altitude) and full width half maximum (FWHM) 20 km but be sensitive to gravity waves with different horizontal wavelengths and slightly different vertical wavelengths. This work is supported by NASA's Mars Data Analysis Program (NNX14AM32G). References Wu, D.L. and J.W. Waters, 1996, Satellite observations of atmospheric variances: A possible indication of gravity waves, GRL, 23, 3631-3634. Wu D.L. and J.W. Waters, 1997, Observations of Gravity Waves with the UARS Microwave Limb Sounder. In: Hamilton K. (eds) Gravity Wave Processes. NATO ASI Series (Series I: Environmental Change), vol 50. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg.

AIRS/Aqua L3 Daily Standard Physical Retrieval (AIRS+AMSU) 1 degree x 1 degree V006 (AIRX3STD) at GES DISC

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — The Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) is a grating spectrometer (R = 1200) aboard the second Earth Observing System (EOS) polar-orbiting platform, EOS Aqua. In...

AIRS/Aqua L3 Monthly Quantization in Physical Units (AIRS+AMSU) 5 degrees x 5 degrees V006 (AIRX3QPM) at GES DISC

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — The Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) is a grating spectrometer (R = 1200) aboard the second Earth Observing System (EOS) polar-orbiting platform, EOS Aqua. In...

Principle Component Analysis of AIRS and CrIS Data

Science.gov (United States)

Aumann, H. H.; Manning, Evan

2015-01-01

Synthetic Eigen Vectors (EV) used for the statistical analysis of the PC reconstruction residual of large ensembles of data are a novel tool for the analysis of data from hyperspectral infrared sounders like the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) on the EOS Aqua and the Cross-track Infrared Sounder (CrIS) on the SUOMI polar orbiting satellites. Unlike empirical EV, which are derived from the observed spectra, the synthetic EV are derived from a large ensemble of spectra which are calculated assuming that, given a state of the atmosphere, the spectra created by the instrument can be accurately calculated. The synthetic EV are then used to reconstruct the observed spectra. The analysis of the differences between the observed spectra and the reconstructed spectra for Simultaneous Nadir Overpasses of tropical oceans reveals unexpected differences at the more than 200 mK level under relatively clear conditions, particularly in the mid-wave water vapor channels of CrIS. The repeatability of these differences using independently trained SEV and results from different years appears to rule out inconsistencies in the radiative transfer algorithm or the data simulation. The reasons for these discrepancies are under evaluation.

Acoustic-sounder investigation of the effects of boundary-layer decoupling on long-distance polutant transport

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Miller, E.L.

1976-01-01

The formation of the nocturnal surface temperature inversion results in a decrease in vertical momentum transfer which, in turn, is accompanied by an associated reduction in the transfer of pollutants from the atmosphere to surface sinks, thus decoupling the surface layer from the layer above the inversion. The diurnal oscillation in the surface temperature profiles may therefore have a significant effect upon the transport of atmospheric pollutants over long distances. Flights of a large manned balloon with a diverse array of chemical and meteorological instrumentation aboard, known as Project de Vinci, provided a unique opportunity to combine acoustic-sounder observations of qualitative temperature structure in the atmospheric boundary layer with the chemical measurements necessary to gain increased understanding of this decoupling process and its consequences for pollutant transport. The data collected on ozone on the balloon and the grounds are reported

Advances in simultaneous atmospheric profile and cloud parameter regression based retrieval from high-spectral resolution radiance measurements

Science.gov (United States)

Weisz, Elisabeth; Smith, William L.; Smith, Nadia

2013-06-01

The dual-regression (DR) method retrieves information about the Earth surface and vertical atmospheric conditions from measurements made by any high-spectral resolution infrared sounder in space. The retrieved information includes temperature and atmospheric gases (such as water vapor, ozone, and carbon species) as well as surface and cloud top parameters. The algorithm was designed to produce a high-quality product with low latency and has been demonstrated to yield accurate results in real-time environments. The speed of the retrieval is achieved through linear regression, while accuracy is achieved through a series of classification schemes and decision-making steps. These steps are necessary to account for the nonlinearity of hyperspectral retrievals. In this work, we detail the key steps that have been developed in the DR method to advance accuracy in the retrieval of nonlinear parameters, specifically cloud top pressure. The steps and their impact on retrieval results are discussed in-depth and illustrated through relevant case studies. In addition to discussing and demonstrating advances made in addressing nonlinearity in a linear geophysical retrieval method, advances toward multi-instrument geophysical analysis by applying the DR to three different operational sounders in polar orbit are also noted. For any area on the globe, the DR method achieves consistent accuracy and precision, making it potentially very valuable to both the meteorological and environmental user communities.

NOAA Climate Data Record (CDR) of Intersatellite Calibrated Clear-Sky HIRS Channel 12 Brightness Temperature, Version 2.6 (Superseded)

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — This NOAA Climate Data Record (CDR) of Inter-Satellite Calibrated Clear-Sky High Resolution Infrared Radiation Sounder (HIRS) Channel 12 brightness temperatures...

3D Reconfigurable NoC Multiprocessor Portable Sounder for Plasmaspheric Studies

Science.gov (United States)

Dekoulis, George

2016-07-01

The paper describes the development of a prototype imaging sounder for studying the irregularities of the ionospheric plasma. Cutting edge three-dimensional reconfigurable logic has been implemented allowing highly-intensive scientific calculations to be performed in hardware. The new parallel processing algorithms implemented offer a significant amount of performance improvement in the range of 80% compared to existing digital sounder implementations. The current system configuration is taking into consideration the modern scientific needs for portability during scientific campaigns. The prototype acts as a digital signal processing experimentation platform for future larger-scale digital sounder instrumentations for measuring complex planetary plasmaspheric environments.

Water Ice Clouds and Dust in the Martian Atmosphere Observed by Mars Climate Sounder

Science.gov (United States)

Benson, Jennifer L.; Kass, David; Heavens, Nicholas; Kleinbohl, Armin

2011-01-01

The water ice clouds are primarily controlled by the temperature structure and form at the water condensation level. Clouds in all regions presented show day/night differences. Cloud altitude varies between night and day in the SPH and tropics: (1) NPH water ice opacity is greater at night than day at some seasons (2) The diurnal thermal tide controls the daily variability. (3) Strong day/night changes indicate that the amount of gas in the atmosphere varies significantly. See significant mixtures of dust and ice at the same altitude planet-wide (1) Points to a complex radiative and thermal balance between dust heating (in the visible) and ice heating or cooling in the infrared. Aerosol layering: (1) Early seasons reveal a zonally banded spatial distribution (2) Some localized longitudinal structure of aerosol layers (3) Later seasons show no consistent large scale organization

Status of the NPP and J1 NOAA Unique Combined Atmospheric Processing System (NUCAPS): recent algorithm enhancements geared toward validation and near real time users applications.

Science.gov (United States)

Gambacorta, A.; Nalli, N. R.; Tan, C.; Iturbide-Sanchez, F.; Wilson, M.; Zhang, K.; Xiong, X.; Barnet, C. D.; Sun, B.; Zhou, L.; Wheeler, A.; Reale, A.; Goldberg, M.

2017-12-01

The NOAA Unique Combined Atmospheric Processing System (NUCAPS) is the NOAA operational algorithm to retrieve thermodynamic and composition variables from hyper spectral thermal sounders such as CrIS, IASI and AIRS. The combined use of microwave sounders, such as ATMS, AMSU and MHS, enables full atmospheric sounding of the atmospheric column under all-sky conditions. NUCAPS retrieval products are accessible in near real time (about 1.5 hour delay) through the NOAA Comprehensive Large Array-data Stewardship System (CLASS). Since February 2015, NUCAPS retrievals have been also accessible via Direct Broadcast, with unprecedented low latency of less than 0.5 hours. NUCAPS builds on a long-term, multi-agency investment on algorithm research and development. The uniqueness of this algorithm consists in a number of features that are key in providing highly accurate and stable atmospheric retrievals, suitable for real time weather and air quality applications. Firstly, maximizing the use of the information content present in hyper spectral thermal measurements forms the foundation of the NUCAPS retrieval algorithm. Secondly, NUCAPS is a modular, name-list driven design. It can process multiple hyper spectral infrared sounders (on Aqua, NPP, MetOp and JPSS series) by mean of the same exact retrieval software executable and underlying spectroscopy. Finally, a cloud-clearing algorithm and a synergetic use of microwave radiance measurements enable full vertical sounding of the atmosphere, under all-sky regimes. As we transition toward improved hyper spectral missions, assessing retrieval skill and consistency across multiple platforms becomes a priority for real time users applications. Focus of this presentation is a general introduction on the recent improvements in the delivery of the NUCAPS full spectral resolution upgrade and an overview of the lessons learned from the 2017 Hazardous Weather Test bed Spring Experiment. Test cases will be shown on the use of NPP and Met

Non-LTE diagnositics of infrared radiation of Titan's atmosphere

Science.gov (United States)

Feofilov, Artem; Rezac, Ladislav; Kutepov, Alexander; Vinatier, Sandrine; Rey, Michael; Nikitin, Andrew; Tyuterev, Vladimir

2016-06-01

Yelle (1991) and Garcia-Comas et al, (2011) demonstrated the importance of accounting for the local thermodynamic equilibrium (LTE) breakdown in the middle and upper atmosphere of Titan for the interpretation of infrared radiances measured at these heights. In this work, we make further advance in this field by: • updating the non-LTE model of CH4 emissions in Titan's atmosphere and including a new extended database of CH4 spectroscopic parameters • studying the non-LTE CH4 vibrational level populations and the impact of non-LTE on limb infrared emissions of various CH4 ro-vibrational bands including those at 7.6 and 3.3 µm • implementing our non-LTE model into the LTE-based retrieval algorithm applied by Vinatier et al., (2015) for processing the Cassini/CIRS spectra. We demonstrate that accounting for non-LTE leads to an increase in temperatures retrieved from CIRS 7.6 µm limb emissions spectra (˜10 K at 600 km altitude) and estimate how this affects the trace gas density retrieval. Finally, we discuss the effects of including a large number of weak one-quantum and combinational bands on the calculated daytime limb 3.3 µm emissions and the impact they may have on the CH4 density retrievals from the Cassini VIMS 3.3 µm limb emission observations.

JPSS Preparations at the Satellite Proving Ground for Marine, Precipitation, and Satellite Analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Folmer, M. J.; Berndt, E.; Clark, J.; Orrison, A.; Kibler, J.; Sienkiewicz, J. M.; Nelson, J. A., Jr.; Goldberg, M.

2016-12-01

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Satellite Proving Ground (PG) for Marine, Precipitation, and Satellite Analysis (MPS) has been demonstrating and evaluating Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership (S-NPP) products along with other polar-orbiting satellite platforms in preparation for the Joint Polar Satellite System - 1 (JPSS-1) launch in March 2017. The first S-NPP imagery was made available to the MPS PG during the evolution of Hurricane Sandy in October 2012 and has since been popular in operations. Since this event the MPS PG Satellite Liaison has been working with forecasters on ways to integrate single-channel and multispectral imagery from the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS), the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), and the Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR)into operations to complement numerical weather prediction and geostationary satellite savvy National Weather Service (NWS) National Centers. Additional unique products have been introduced to operations to address specific forecast challenges, including the Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere (CIRA) Layered Precipitable Water, the National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service (NESDIS) Snowfall Rate product, NOAA Unique Combined Atmospheric Processing System (NUCAPS) Soundings, ozone products from the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS), Cross-track Infrared Sounder/Advanced Technology Microwave Sounder (CrIS/ATMS), and Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer (IASI). In addition, new satellite domains have been created to provide forecasters at the NWS Ocean Prediction Center and Weather Prediction Center with better quality imagery at high latitudes. This has led to research projects that are addressing forecast challenges such as tropical to extratropical transition and explosive cyclogenesis. This presentation will provide examples of how the MPS PG has been introducing and integrating

Instrumental concept and preliminary performances of SIFTI: static infrared fourier transform interferometer

Science.gov (United States)

Hébert, Philippe-Jean; Cansot, E.; Pierangelo, C.; Buil, C.; Bernard, F.; Loesel, J.; Trémas, T.; Perrin, L.; Courau, E.; Casteras, C.; Maussang, I.; Simeoni, D.

2017-11-01

The SIFTI (Static Infrared Fourier Transform Interferometer) instrument aims at supporting an important part in a mission for atmospheric pollution sounding from space, by providing high spectral resolution and high Signal to Noise Ratio spectra of the atmosphere. They will allow to resolve tropospheric profiles of ozone (03) and carbon monoxide (C0), especially down to the planetary boundary layer (PBL), an altitude region of very high interest, though poorly monitored to date, for air quality and pollution monitoring. The retrieved profile of ozone, resp. C0, will contain 5 to 7, resp. 2.5 to 4, independent pieces of information. The French space agency CNES (Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales) has proposed and is studying an instrument concept for SIFTI based on a static interferometer, where the needed optical path are generated by a pair of crossed staircase fixed mirrors (replacing the moving reflector of dynamic Fourier transform interferometers like IASI or MIPAS). With the SIFTI design, a very high spectral resolution ( 0.1 cm-1 apodised) is achieved in a very compact optical setup, allowing a large throughput, hence a high SNR. The measurements are performed in the 9.5 μm band for 03 and in the 4.6 μm band for C0. The science return of the sounder can be further increased if an "intelligent pointing" process is implemented. This consists in combining the TIR sounder with a companion TIR imager, providing information on the cloud coverage in the next observed scene. 0nboard, real-time analysis of the IR image is used to command the sounder staring mirror to cloud free areas, which will maximize the probability for probing down to the surface. After the first part of the phase A, the architecture of SIFTI was studied as a trade-off between performance and resource budget. We review the main architecture and functional choices, and their advantages. The preliminary instrument concept is then presented in its main aspects and in terms of main subsystem

Near-infrared light absorption by brown carbon in the ambient atmosphere

Science.gov (United States)

Chung, C.; Hoffer, A.; Beres, N. D.; Moosmüller, H.; Liu, C.; Green, M.; Kim, S. W.; Engelbrecht, J. P.; Gelencser, A.

2017-12-01

Organic aerosols have been assumed to have little-to-no absorption in the red and near-infrared spectral regions of solar radiation, even though a class of organic aerosols were shown to absorb significantly in these spectral regions. Here, we show that ambient atmospheric data from commonly-used 7-wavelength aethalometers contain evidence of abundant near-infrared light absorption by organic aerosol. This evidence comes from the absorption Ångström exponent over 880 950 nm, which often exceeds values explainable by fresh or coated black carbon, or mineral dust. This evidence is not due to an artifact from the instrument random errors or biases, either. The best explanation for these large 880/950 nm absorption Ångström exponent values in the aethalometer data is near-infrared light absorption by tar balls. Tar balls are among common particles from forest fire.

NESDIS Total Ozone from Analysis of Stratospheric and Tropospheric components (TOAST)

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — TOAST combines UV and IR ozone retrievals from an algorithm using the Solar Backscatter Ultraviolet Version 2 (SBUV/2) and the Cross-track Infrared Sounder (CrIS)...

Identification of Critical Design Points for the EAP of a Space-based Doppler Lidar Wind Sounder

Science.gov (United States)

Emmitt, G. D.; Wood, S. A.

1992-01-01

The feasibility of making tropospheric wind measurements with a space-based Doppler lidar was studied by a number of agencies over the past 10-15 years. Currently NASA has a plan to launch such an instrument, the Laser Atmospheric Wind Sounder (LAWS), within the next decade. The design of the LAWS continues to undergo a series of iterations common to most instruments targeted for a space platform. In general, the constraints of available platform power, weight allowance, and project funds continue to change. With these changes the performance and design specifications also must change.

Assessment of NOAA NUCAPS upper air temperature profiles using COSMIC GPS radio occultation and ARM radiosondes

Science.gov (United States)

Feltz, M. L.; Borg, L.; Knuteson, R. O.; Tobin, D.; Revercomb, H.; Gambacorta, A.

2017-09-01

The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) recently began operational processing to derive vertical temperature profiles from two new sensors, Cross-Track Infrared Sounder and Advanced Technology Microwave Sounder, which were developed for the next generation of U.S. weather satellites. The NOAA-Unique Combined Atmospheric Processing System (NUCAPS) has been developed by NOAA to routinely process data from future Joint Polar Satellite System operational satellites and the preparatory Suomi-NPP satellite. This paper assesses the NUCAPS vertical temperature profile product from the upper troposphere into the middle stratosphere using radiosonde and GPS radio occultation (RO) data. Radiosonde data from the Department of Energy Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) program are=] compared to both the NUCAPS and GPS RO temperature products to evaluate bias and RMS errors. At all three fixed ARM sites for time periods investigated the NUCAPS temperature in the 100-40 hPa range is found to have an average bias to the radiosondes of less than 0.45 K and an RMS error of less than 1 K when temperature averaging kernels are applied. At a 95% confidence level, the radiosondes and RO were found to agree within 0.4 K at the North Slope of Alaska site and within 0.83 K at Southern Great Plains and Tropical Western Pacific. The GPS RO-derived dry temperatures, obtained from the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research Constellation Observing System for Meteorology, Ionosphere, and Climate (COSMIC) mission, are used as a common reference for the intercomparison of NUCAPS temperature products to similar products produced by NASA from Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) and by European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites from MetOp-B Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer (IASI). For seasonal and zonal scales, the NUCAPS agreement with AIRS and IASI is less than 0.5 K after application of averaging kernels.

Observations of atmospheric ammonia from TANSO-FTS/GOSAT

Science.gov (United States)

Someya, Yu; Imasu, Ryoichi; Saitoh, Naoko; Shiomi, Kei

2017-04-01

Atmospheric ammonia has large impacts on the nitrogen cycles or atmospheric environment such as nucleation of PM2.5 particles. It is reported that ammonia in the atmosphere has been increasing rapidly with the growth of population globally and this trend must continue in the future. Satellite observation is an effective approach to get to know the global perspectives of the gas. Atmospheric ammonia is observable using the thermal infrared (TIR) spectra, and IASI, TES and CrIS had been revealed those distributions. GOSAT also has TIR band including the ammonia absorption bands. GOSAT has the shorter revisit cycle than that of the other hyper-spectral TIR sounders mentioned above, therefore, the shorter time-scale events can be represented. In addition to the importance of the impacts of ammonia itself, the concentration ratio between ammonia and the other trace gases such as CO which is one of the main targets of the GOSAT-2 project is useful as the indicator of their emission sources. In this study, we introduce an algorithm to retrieve the column amount of atmospheric ammonia based on non-linear optimal estimation (Rogers, 2000) from GOSAT spectra in the ammonia absorption band between 960 - 970 cm-1. Temperature and water vapor profiles are estimated in advance of the ammonia retrieval. The preliminary results showed significant high concentrations of ammonia in the Northern India and the Eastern China as pointed out in the previous researches. We will discuss the global distribution of ammonia in the presentation.

An FPGA-Based Adaptable 200 MHz Bandwidth Channel Sounder for Wireless Communication Channel Characterisation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

David L. Ndzi

2011-01-01

Full Text Available This paper describes the development of a fast adaptable FPGA-based wideband channel sounder with signal bandwidths of up to 200 MHz and channel sampling rates up to 5.4 kHz. The application of FPGA allows the user to vary the number of real-time channel response averages, channel sampling interval, and duration of measurement. The waveform, bandwidth, and frequency resolution of the sounder can be adapted for any channel under investigation. The design approach and technology used has led to a reduction in size and weight by more than 60%. This makes the sounder ideal for mobile time-variant wireless communication channels studies. Averaging allows processing gains of up to 30 dB to be achieved for measurement in weak signal conditions. The technique applied also improves reliability, reduces power consumption, and has shifted sounder design complexity from hardware to software. Test results show that the sounder can detect very small-scale variations in channels.

Dispersive infrared spectroscopy measurements of atmospheric CO2 using a Fabry–Pérot interferometer sensor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chan, K.L.; Ning, Z.; Westerdahl, D.; Wong, K.C.; Sun, Y.W.; Hartl, A.; Wenig, M.O.

2014-01-01

In this paper, we present the first dispersive infrared spectroscopic (DIRS) measurement of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) using a new scanning Fabry–Pérot interferometer (FPI) sensor. The sensor measures the optical spectra in the mid infrared (3900 nm to 5220 nm) wavelength range with full width half maximum (FWHM) spectral resolution of 78.8 nm at the CO 2 absorption band (∼ 4280 nm) and sampling resolution of 20 nm. The CO 2 concentration is determined from the measured optical absorption spectra by fitting it to the CO 2 reference spectrum. Interference from other major absorbers in the same wavelength range, e.g., carbon monoxide (CO) and water vapor (H 2 O), was taken out by including their reference spectra in the fit as well. The detailed descriptions of the instrumental setup, the retrieval procedure, a modeling study for error analysis as well as laboratory validation using standard gas concentrations are presented. An iterative algorithm to account for the non-linear response of the fit function to the absorption cross sections due to the broad instrument function was developed and tested. A modeling study of the retrieval algorithm showed that errors due to instrument noise can be considerably reduced by using the dispersive spectral information in the retrieval. The mean measurement error of the prototype DIRS CO 2 measurement for 1 minute averaged data is about ± 2.5 ppmv, and down to ± 0.8 ppmv for 10 minute averaged data. A field test of atmospheric CO 2 measurements were carried out in an urban site in Hong Kong for a month and compared to a commercial non-dispersive infrared (NDIR) CO 2 analyzer. 10 minute averaged data shows good agreement between the DIRS and NDIR measurements with Pearson correlation coefficient (R) of 0.99. This new method offers an alternative approach of atmospheric CO 2 measurement featuring high accuracy, correction of non-linear absorption and interference of water vapor. - Highlights: • Dispersive infrared

Detection of nitric acid and nitric oxides in the terrestrial atmosphere in the middle-infrared spectral region

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. I. Blecka

1996-11-01

Full Text Available A proposal for combined space and ground-based observations of the vertical distributions and the column densities of nitric acid and nitric oxide concentrations in the earth's atmosphere is discussed. We focus on the aspects that are particular to the idea of correlative measurements: geometrical considerations, simulations of the solar absorption spectra in the middle-infrared region corresponding to the different observational geometries, and the associated retrieval methods. These studies are done specifically for the Belgian-French experiment MIRAS (MIR Infrared Atmospheric Spectrometer onboard the Russian Space Station MIR and correlative ground-based FTIR measurements in the Tatra mountains.

GRACILE: a comprehensive climatology of atmospheric gravity wave parameters based on satellite limb soundings

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. Ern

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Gravity waves are one of the main drivers of atmospheric dynamics. The spatial resolution of most global atmospheric models, however, is too coarse to properly resolve the small scales of gravity waves, which range from tens to a few thousand kilometers horizontally, and from below 1 km to tens of kilometers vertically. Gravity wave source processes involve even smaller scales. Therefore, general circulation models (GCMs and chemistry climate models (CCMs usually parametrize the effect of gravity waves on the global circulation. These parametrizations are very simplified. For this reason, comparisons with global observations of gravity waves are needed for an improvement of parametrizations and an alleviation of model biases. We present a gravity wave climatology based on atmospheric infrared limb emissions observed by satellite (GRACILE. GRACILE is a global data set of gravity wave distributions observed in the stratosphere and the mesosphere by the infrared limb sounding satellite instruments High Resolution Dynamics Limb Sounder (HIRDLS and Sounding of the Atmosphere using Broadband Emission Radiometry (SABER. Typical distributions (zonal averages and global maps of gravity wave vertical wavelengths and along-track horizontal wavenumbers are provided, as well as gravity wave temperature variances, potential energies and absolute momentum fluxes. This global data set captures the typical seasonal variations of these parameters, as well as their spatial variations. The GRACILE data set is suitable for scientific studies, and it can serve for comparison with other instruments (ground-based, airborne, or other satellite instruments and for comparison with gravity wave distributions, both resolved and parametrized, in GCMs and CCMs. The GRACILE data set is available as supplementary data at https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.879658.

A system design for storing, archiving, and retrieving hyperspectral data

Science.gov (United States)

Dedecker, Ralph G.; Whittaker, Tom; Garcia, Raymond K.; Knuteson, Robert O.

2004-10-01

Hyperspectral data and products derived from instrumentation such as the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS), the Cross-track Infrared Sounder (CrIS), Geosynchronous Imaging Fourier Transform Spectrometer (GIFTS) and the GOES-R Hyperspectral Environmental Suite (HES) will impose storage and data retrieval requirements that far exceed the demands of earlier generation remote sensing instrumentation used for atmospheric science research. A new architecture designed to address projected real time and research needs is undergoing prototype design and development. The system is designed using proven aspects of distributed data storage networks, descriptive metadata associated with stored files, data cataloging and database search schemes, and a data delivery approach that obeys accepted standards. Preliminary implementation and testing of some components of this architecture indicate that the design approach shows promise of an improved method for storage and library functionality for the data volumes associated with operational hyperspectral instrumentation.

Mesoscale Phenomenon Revealed by an Acoustic Sounder

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lundtang Petersen, Erik; Jensen, Niels Otto

1976-01-01

A particular phenomenon observed on an acoustic sounder record is analyzed, and is interpreted as being associated with the passing of a land breeze front. A simple physical explanation of the frontal movements is suggested. The actual existence of the land breeze is demonstrated by examination...

The benefit of limb cloud imaging for infrared limb sounding of tropospheric trace gases

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

G. Heinemann

2009-06-01

Full Text Available Advances in detector technology enable a new generation of infrared limb sounders to measure 2-D images of the atmosphere. A proposed limb cloud imager (LCI mode will detect clouds with a spatial resolution unprecedented for limb sounding. For the inference of temperature and trace gas distributions, detector pixels of the LCI have to be combined into super-pixels which provide the required signal-to-noise and information content for the retrievals. This study examines the extent to which tropospheric coverage can be improved in comparison to limb sounding using a fixed field of view with the size of the super-pixels, as in conventional limb sounders. The study is based on cloud topographies derived from (a IR brightness temperatures (BT of geostationary weather satellites in conjunction with ECMWF temperature profiles and (b ice and liquid water content data of the Consortium for Small-scale Modeling-Europe (COSMO-EU of the German Weather Service. Limb cloud images are simulated by matching the cloud topography with the limb sounding line of sight (LOS. The analysis of the BT data shows that the reduction of the spatial sampling along the track has hardly any effect on the gain in information. The comparison between BT and COSMO-EU data identifies the strength of both data sets, which are the representation of the horizontal cloud extent for the BT data and the reproduction of the cloud amount for the COSMO-EU data. The results of the analysis of both data sets show the great advantage of the cloud imager. However, because both cloud data sets do not present the complete fine structure of the real cloud fields in the atmosphere it is assumed that the results tend to underestimate the increase in information. In conclusion, real measurements by such an instrument may result in an even higher benefit for tropospheric limb retrievals.

Evaluation of Shortwave Infrared Atmospheric Correction for Ocean Color Remote Sensing of Chesapeake Bay

Science.gov (United States)

Werdell, P. Jeremy; Franz, Bryan A.; Bailey, Sean W.

2010-01-01

The NASA Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer onboard the Aqua platform (MODIS-Aqua) provides a viable data stream for operational water quality monitoring of Chesapeake Bay. Marine geophysical products from MODIS-Aqua depend on the efficacy of the atmospheric correction process, which can be problematic in coastal environments. The operational atmospheric correction algorithm for MODIS-Aqua requires an assumption of negligible near-infrared water-leaving radiance, nL(sub w)(NIR). This assumption progressively degrades with increasing turbidity and, as such, methods exist to account for non-negligible nL(sub w)(NIR) within the atmospheric correction process or to use alternate radiometric bands where the assumption is satisfied, such as those positioned within shortwave infrared (SWIR) region of the spectrum. We evaluated a decade-long time-series of nL(sub w)(lambda) from MODIS-Aqua in Chesapeake Bay derived using NIR and SWIR bands for atmospheric correction. Low signal-to-noise ratios (SNR) for the SWIR bands of MODIS-Aqua added noise errors to the derived radiances, which produced broad, flat frequency distributions of nL(sub w)(lambda) relative to those produced using the NIR bands. The SWIR approach produced an increased number of negative nL(sub w)(lambda) and decreased sample size relative to the NIR approach. Revised vicarious calibration and regional tuning of the scheme to switch between the NIR and SWIR approaches may improve retrievals in Chesapeake Bay, however, poor SNR values for the MODIS-Aqua SWIR bands remain the primary deficiency of the SWIR-based atmospheric correction approach.

Use of the Vis-SWIR to Aid Atmospheric Correction of Multispectral and Hyperspectral Thermal Infrared (TIR) Imagery: The TIR Model

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Gruninger, John; Fox, Marsha; Lee, Jamine; Ratkowski, Anthony J; Hoke, Michael L

2006-01-01

The atmospheric correction of thermal infrared (TIR) imagery involves the combined tasks of separation of atmospheric transmittance, downwelling flux and upwelling radiance from the surface material spectral emissivity and temperature...

Two-dimensional radiative transfer for the retrieval of limb emission measurements in the martian atmosphere

Science.gov (United States)

Kleinböhl, Armin; Friedson, A. James; Schofield, John T.

2017-01-01

The remote sounding of infrared emission from planetary atmospheres using limb-viewing geometry is a powerful technique for deriving vertical profiles of structure and composition on a global scale. Compared with nadir viewing, limb geometry provides enhanced vertical resolution and greater sensitivity to atmospheric constituents. However, standard limb profile retrieval techniques assume spherical symmetry and are vulnerable to biases produced by horizontal gradients in atmospheric parameters. We present a scheme for the correction of horizontal gradients in profile retrievals from limb observations of the martian atmosphere. It characterizes horizontal gradients in temperature, pressure, and aerosol extinction along the line-of-sight of a limb view through neighboring measurements, and represents these gradients by means of two-dimensional radiative transfer in the forward model of the retrieval. The scheme is applied to limb emission measurements from the Mars Climate Sounder instrument on Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. Retrieval simulations using data from numerical models indicate that biases of up to 10 K in the winter polar region, obtained with standard retrievals using spherical symmetry, are reduced to about 2 K in most locations by the retrieval with two-dimensional radiative transfer. Retrievals from Mars atmospheric measurements suggest that the two-dimensional radiative transfer greatly reduces biases in temperature and aerosol opacity caused by observational geometry, predominantly in the polar winter regions.

Global distributions of methanol and formic acid retrieved for the first time from the IASI/MetOp thermal infrared sounder

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. Razavi

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Methanol (CH₃OH and formic acid (HCOOH are among the most abundant volatile organic compounds present in the atmosphere. In this work, we derive the global distributions of these two organic species using for the first time the Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer (IASI launched onboard the MetOp-A satellite in 2006. This paper describes the method used and provides a first critical analysis of the retrieved products. The retrieval process follows a two-step approach in which global distributions are first obtained on the basis of a simple radiance indexing (transformed into brightness temperatures, and then mapped onto column abundances using suitable conversion factors. For methanol, the factors were calculated using a complete retrieval approach in selected regions. In the case of formic acid, a different approach, which uses a set of forward simulations for representative atmospheres, has been used. In both cases, the main error sources are carefully determined: the average relative error on the column for both species is estimated to be about 50%, increasing to about 100% for the least favorable conditions. The distributions for the year 2009 are discussed in terms of seasonality and source identification. Time series comparing methanol, formic acid and carbon monoxide in different regions are also presented.

Characterization of model errors in the calculation of tangent heights for atmospheric infrared limb measurements

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. Ridolfi

2014-12-01

Full Text Available We review the main factors driving the calculation of the tangent height of spaceborne limb measurements: the ray-tracing method, the refractive index model and the assumed atmosphere. We find that commonly used ray tracing and refraction models are very accurate, at least in the mid-infrared. The factor with largest effect in the tangent height calculation is the assumed atmosphere. Using a climatological model in place of the real atmosphere may cause tangent height errors up to ± 200 m. Depending on the adopted retrieval scheme, these errors may have a significant impact on the derived profiles.

Scanning Mechanism of the FY-3 Microwave Humidity Sounder

Science.gov (United States)

Schmid, Manfred; Jing, Li; Hehr, Christian

2010-01-01

Astrium GmbH Germany, developed the scanning equipment for the instrument package of the MicroWave Humidity Sounder (MWHS) flying on the FY-3 meteorological satellite (FY means Feng Yun, Wind and Cloud) in a sun-synchronized orbit of 850-km altitude and at an inclination of 98.8 . The scanning mechanism rotates at variable velocity comprising several acceleration / deceleration phases during each revolution. The Scanning Mechanism contains two output shafts, each rotating a parabolic offset Antenna Reflector. The mechanism is operated in closed loop by means of redundant control electronics. MWHS is a sounding radiometer for measurement of global atmospheric water vapour profiles. An Engineering Qualification Model was developed and qualified and a first Flight Model was launched early 2008. The system is now working for more than two years successful in orbit. A second Flight Model of the Antenna Scanning Mechanism and of its associated control electronics was built and delivered to the customer for application on the follow-on spacecraft that will be launched by the end of 2010.

Research of Infrared Imaging at Atmospheric Pressure Using a Substrate-Free Focal Plane Array

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wu Jian-Xiong; Cheng Teng; Zhang Qing-Chuan; Zhang Yong; Mao Liang; Gao Jie; Wu Xiao-Ping; Chen Da-Peng

2013-01-01

An equivalent circuit model to the substrate-free focal plane array (FPA) is established. Using this fast and effective model, the performance of infrared (IR) imaging at atmospheric pressure is investigated and it is found that the substrate-free FPA has the ability of IR imaging at atmospheric pressure, whereas it has a slightly degraded noise equivalent temperature difference (NETD) as compared with IR imaging under a high vacuum. This feature is also identified experimentally by a substrate-free FPA with pixel size of 50 × 50 μm 2 . The NETDs are measured to be 160 mK at 10 −2 Pa pressure and 1.08 K at atmospheric pressure

Noise performance of microwave humidity sounders over their lifetime

Science.gov (United States)

Hans, Imke; Burgdorf, Martin; John, Viju O.; Mittaz, Jonathan; Buehler, Stefan A.

2017-12-01

The microwave humidity sounders Special Sensor Microwave Water Vapor Profiler (SSMT-2), Advanced Microwave Sounding Unit-B (AMSU-B) and Microwave Humidity Sounder (MHS) to date have been providing data records for 25 years. So far, the data records lack uncertainty information essential for constructing consistent long time data series. In this study, we assess the quality of the recorded data with respect to the uncertainty caused by noise. We calculate the noise on the raw calibration counts from the deep space views (DSVs) of the instrument and the noise equivalent differential temperature (NEΔT) as a measure for the radiometer sensitivity. For this purpose, we use the Allan deviation that is not biased from an underlying varying mean of the data and that has been suggested only recently for application in atmospheric remote sensing. Moreover, we use the bias function related to the Allan deviation to infer the underlying spectrum of the noise. As examples, we investigate the noise spectrum in flight for some instruments. For the assessment of the noise evolution in time, we provide a descriptive and graphical overview of the calculated NEΔT over the life span of each instrument and channel. This overview can serve as an easily accessible information for users interested in the noise performance of a specific instrument, channel and time. Within the time evolution of the noise, we identify periods of instrumental degradation, which manifest themselves in an increasing NEΔT, and periods of erratic behaviour, which show sudden increases of NEΔT interrupting the overall smooth evolution of the noise. From this assessment and subsequent exclusion of the aforementioned periods, we present a chart showing available data records with NEΔT processing to provide input values for the uncertainty propagation in the generation of a new set of Fundamental Climate Data Records (FCDRs) that are currently produced in the project Fidelity and Uncertainty in Climate data

GRACILE: a comprehensive climatology of atmospheric gravity wave parameters based on satellite limb soundings

Science.gov (United States)

Ern, Manfred; Trinh, Quang Thai; Preusse, Peter; Gille, John C.; Mlynczak, Martin G.; Russell, James M., III; Riese, Martin

2018-04-01

Gravity waves are one of the main drivers of atmospheric dynamics. The spatial resolution of most global atmospheric models, however, is too coarse to properly resolve the small scales of gravity waves, which range from tens to a few thousand kilometers horizontally, and from below 1 km to tens of kilometers vertically. Gravity wave source processes involve even smaller scales. Therefore, general circulation models (GCMs) and chemistry climate models (CCMs) usually parametrize the effect of gravity waves on the global circulation. These parametrizations are very simplified. For this reason, comparisons with global observations of gravity waves are needed for an improvement of parametrizations and an alleviation of model biases. We present a gravity wave climatology based on atmospheric infrared limb emissions observed by satellite (GRACILE). GRACILE is a global data set of gravity wave distributions observed in the stratosphere and the mesosphere by the infrared limb sounding satellite instruments High Resolution Dynamics Limb Sounder (HIRDLS) and Sounding of the Atmosphere using Broadband Emission Radiometry (SABER). Typical distributions (zonal averages and global maps) of gravity wave vertical wavelengths and along-track horizontal wavenumbers are provided, as well as gravity wave temperature variances, potential energies and absolute momentum fluxes. This global data set captures the typical seasonal variations of these parameters, as well as their spatial variations. The GRACILE data set is suitable for scientific studies, and it can serve for comparison with other instruments (ground-based, airborne, or other satellite instruments) and for comparison with gravity wave distributions, both resolved and parametrized, in GCMs and CCMs. The GRACILE data set is available as supplementary data at https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.879658" target="_blank">https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.879658.

Simulation study for the Stratospheric Inferred Wind (SIW) sub-millimeter limb sounder

Science.gov (United States)

Baron, Philippe; Murtagh, Donal; Eriksson, Patrick; Ochiai, Satoshi

2017-04-01

://www.ohb.de/press-releases-details/ohb-sweden-and-aac-microtec-to-develop-the-innosat-platform-and-implement-its-first-mission-named-mats.html [2] Wu D., et al.: Mesospheric Doppler wind measurements from Aura Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS), Advanced in Space Research, 42, 1246-1252, 2008 [3] Baron P., et al.: Observation of horizontal winds in the middle-atmosphere between 30S and 55N during the northern winter 2009-2010, Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics 13(13), 6049-6064, 2013, doi:10.5194/acp-13-6049-2013 [4] Baron P., et al.: Definition of an uncooled submillimeter/terahertz limb sounder for measuring middle atmospheric winds, Proceedings of ESA Living Planet Symposium, Edinburgh, UK, 9-13 September 2013, (ESA SP-722, December 2013)

Dispersive infrared spectroscopy measurements of atmospheric CO{sub 2} using a Fabry–Pérot interferometer sensor

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chan, K.L. [School of Energy and Environment, City University of Hong Kong (Hong Kong); Ning, Z., E-mail: zhining@cityu.edu.hk [School of Energy and Environment, City University of Hong Kong (Hong Kong); Guy Carpenter Climate Change Centre, City University of Hong Kong (Hong Kong); Westerdahl, D. [Ability R and D Energy Research Centre, City University of Hong Kong (Hong Kong); Wong, K.C. [School of Energy and Environment, City University of Hong Kong (Hong Kong); Sun, Y.W. [Anhui Institute of Optics and Fine Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei (China); Hartl, A. [School of Energy and Environment, City University of Hong Kong (Hong Kong); Wenig, M.O. [Meteorological Institute, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität Munich (Germany)

2014-02-01

In this paper, we present the first dispersive infrared spectroscopic (DIRS) measurement of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO{sub 2}) using a new scanning Fabry–Pérot interferometer (FPI) sensor. The sensor measures the optical spectra in the mid infrared (3900 nm to 5220 nm) wavelength range with full width half maximum (FWHM) spectral resolution of 78.8 nm at the CO{sub 2} absorption band (∼ 4280 nm) and sampling resolution of 20 nm. The CO{sub 2} concentration is determined from the measured optical absorption spectra by fitting it to the CO{sub 2} reference spectrum. Interference from other major absorbers in the same wavelength range, e.g., carbon monoxide (CO) and water vapor (H{sub 2}O), was taken out by including their reference spectra in the fit as well. The detailed descriptions of the instrumental setup, the retrieval procedure, a modeling study for error analysis as well as laboratory validation using standard gas concentrations are presented. An iterative algorithm to account for the non-linear response of the fit function to the absorption cross sections due to the broad instrument function was developed and tested. A modeling study of the retrieval algorithm showed that errors due to instrument noise can be considerably reduced by using the dispersive spectral information in the retrieval. The mean measurement error of the prototype DIRS CO{sub 2} measurement for 1 minute averaged data is about ± 2.5 ppmv, and down to ± 0.8 ppmv for 10 minute averaged data. A field test of atmospheric CO{sub 2} measurements were carried out in an urban site in Hong Kong for a month and compared to a commercial non-dispersive infrared (NDIR) CO{sub 2} analyzer. 10 minute averaged data shows good agreement between the DIRS and NDIR measurements with Pearson correlation coefficient (R) of 0.99. This new method offers an alternative approach of atmospheric CO{sub 2} measurement featuring high accuracy, correction of non-linear absorption and interference of water

The IASI detection chain

Science.gov (United States)

Nicol, Patrick; Fleury, Joel; Le Naour, Claire; Bernard, Frédéric

2017-11-01

IASI (Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer) is an infrared atmospheric sounder. It will provide meteorologist and scientific community with atmospheric spectra. The instrument is composed of a Fourier transform spectrometer and an associated infrared imager. The presentation will describe the spectrometer detection chain architecture, composed by three different detectors cooled in a passive cryo-cooler (so called CBS : Cold Box Subsystem) and associated analog electronics up to digital conversion. It will mainly focus on design choices with regards to environment constraints, implemented technologies, and associated performances. CNES is leading the IASI program in collaboration with EUMETSAT. The instrument Prime is ALCATEL SPACE responsible, notably, of the detection chain architecture. SAGEM SA provides the detector package (so called CAU : Cold Acquisition Unit).

GARLIC — A general purpose atmospheric radiative transfer line-by-line infrared-microwave code: Implementation and evaluation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schreier, Franz; Gimeno García, Sebastián; Hedelt, Pascal; Hess, Michael; Mendrok, Jana; Vasquez, Mayte; Xu, Jian

2014-01-01

A suite of programs for high resolution infrared-microwave atmospheric radiative transfer modeling has been developed with emphasis on efficient and reliable numerical algorithms and a modular approach appropriate for simulation and/or retrieval in a variety of applications. The Generic Atmospheric Radiation Line-by-line Infrared Code — GARLIC — is suitable for arbitrary observation geometry, instrumental field-of-view, and line shape. The core of GARLIC's subroutines constitutes the basis of forward models used to implement inversion codes to retrieve atmospheric state parameters from limb and nadir sounding instruments. This paper briefly introduces the physical and mathematical basics of GARLIC and its descendants and continues with an in-depth presentation of various implementation aspects: An optimized Voigt function algorithm combined with a two-grid approach is used to accelerate the line-by-line modeling of molecular cross sections; various quadrature methods are implemented to evaluate the Schwarzschild and Beer integrals; and Jacobians, i.e. derivatives with respect to the unknowns of the atmospheric inverse problem, are implemented by means of automatic differentiation. For an assessment of GARLIC's performance, a comparison of the quadrature methods for solution of the path integral is provided. Verification and validation are demonstrated using intercomparisons with other line-by-line codes and comparisons of synthetic spectra with spectra observed on Earth and from Venus. - Highlights: • High resolution infrared-microwave radiative transfer model. • Discussion of algorithmic and computational aspects. • Jacobians by automatic/algorithmic differentiation. • Performance evaluation by intercomparisons, verification, validation

Seasonal and diel patterns in sedimentary flux of krill fecal pellets recorded by an echo sounder

KAUST Repository

Rø stad, Anders; Kaartvedt, Stein

2013-01-01

We used a moored upward-facing 200 kHz echo sounder to address sedimentation of fecal pellets (FPs) from dielly migrating Meganyctiphanes norvegica. The echo sounder was located on the bottom at 150 m depth in the Oslofjord, Norway, and was cabled

Infrared investigation of the temperature structure of the solar atmosphere

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Allen, R.G.

1978-01-01

Narrow-band continuum limb darkening observations of the sun were taken with the Infrared Spectrometer and the West Auxiliary of the McMath Solar Telescope during the first half of 1974. The infrared limb darkening measures were used with a few absolute intensity and limb darkening measures of other investigators to develop a series of empirical solar models. The temperatures in most of the solar models were adjusted until the predictions of the model atmosphere program matched the observational measures as well as possible. Limb darkening residuals were calculated by subtracting the observational measures of the limb darkening from the limb darkening measures that were computed from the program. Experiments with several models indicated that a steep temperature gradient was needed to fit the observations at short wavelengths while a rather low temperature gradient was needed at long wavelengths. Non-LTE effects and errors in the H - opacity were ruled out as possible sources of this discrepancy. An excellent fit to the observations was ultimately achieved with a two-component LTE solar model. The hot component of this model represents the half of the solar surface that is above the median temperature at each depth; while the cool component represents the half of the solar surface that is below the median temperature. Most of the observations are fitted to within the expected errors by this model. Discrepancies below 4500 A are probably due to line blanketing. The splitting between the hot and cool components of the model is consistent with current estimates of the rms intensity fluctuations in the solar atmosphere. The model also resembles several theoretical two-component models that have recently appeared in the literature

Freshness assessment of thawed and chilled cod fillets packed in modified atmosphere using near-infrared spectroscopy

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bøknæs, Niels; Jensen, K.N.; Andersen, Charlotte Møller

2002-01-01

Near-infrared reflectance (NIR) spectra was recorded of 105 samples of cod mince prepared from chill stored thawed cod fillets of varying quality in modified atmosphere packaging (MAP). Traditional chemical, physical, microbiological and sensory quality methods developed for assessing fresh fish...

Atmospheric Attenuation Correction Based on a Constant Reference for High-Precision Infrared Radiometry

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhiguo Huang

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Infrared (IR radiometry technology is an important method for characterizing the IR signature of targets, such as aircrafts or rockets. However, the received signal of targets could be reduced by a combination of atmospheric molecule absorption and aerosol scattering. Therefore, atmospheric correction is a requisite step for obtaining the real radiance of targets. Conventionally, the atmospheric transmittance and the air path radiance are calculated by an atmospheric radiative transfer calculation software. In this paper, an improved IR radiometric method based on constant reference correction of atmospheric attenuation is proposed. The basic principle and procedure of this method are introduced, and then the linear model of high-speed calibration in consideration of the integration time is employed and confirmed, which is then applicable in various complex conditions. To eliminate stochastic errors, radiometric experiments were conducted for multiple integration times. Finally, several experiments were performed on a mid-wave IR system with Φ600 mm aperture. The radiometry results indicate that the radiation inversion precision of the novel method is 4.78–4.89%, while the precision of the conventional method is 10.86–13.81%.

Infrared Absorption by Atmospheric Aerosols in Mexico City during MILAGRO.

Science.gov (United States)

Kelley, K. L.; Mangu, A.; Gaffney, J. S.; Marley, N. A.

2007-12-01

found as colloidal materials in surface and groundwaters (4). Examples of the IR spectra obtained and variance as a function of time at the two sites will be presented. The spectra are taken in Kubelka - Munk format, which also allows the infrared absorption strengths to be evaluated as function of wavelength. The wavelength dependence of the aerosol complex refractive index (m = n + ik) in the infrared spectral region is determined by application of the Kramers Kronig function. The importance of the aerosol absorption in the infrared spectral region to radiative forcing will be discussed. 1. N.A. Marley, J.S. Gaffney, and M.M. Cunningham,Environ. Sci. Technol. 27 2864-2869 (1993). 2. N.A. Marley, J.S. Gaffney, and M.M. Cunningham, Spectroscopy 7 44-53 (1992). 3. J.S. Gaffney and N.A. Marley, Atmospheric Environment, New Directions contribution, 32, 2873-2874 (1998). 4. N.A. Marley, J.S. Gaffney, and K.A. Orlandini, Chapter 7 in Humic/Fulvic Acids and Organic Colloidal Materials in the Environment, ACS Symposium Series 651, American Chemical Society, Washington, D.C., pp. 96-107, 1996. This work was performed as part of the Department of Energy's Megacity Aerosol Experiment - Mexico City (MAX- Mex) under the support of the Atmospheric Science Program. This research was supported by the Office of Science (BER), U.S. Department of Energy, Grant No. DE-FG02-07ER64328.

GARLIC - A general purpose atmospheric radiative transfer line-by-line infrared-microwave code: Implementation and evaluation

Science.gov (United States)

Schreier, Franz; Gimeno García, Sebastián; Hedelt, Pascal; Hess, Michael; Mendrok, Jana; Vasquez, Mayte; Xu, Jian

2014-04-01

A suite of programs for high resolution infrared-microwave atmospheric radiative transfer modeling has been developed with emphasis on efficient and reliable numerical algorithms and a modular approach appropriate for simulation and/or retrieval in a variety of applications. The Generic Atmospheric Radiation Line-by-line Infrared Code - GARLIC - is suitable for arbitrary observation geometry, instrumental field-of-view, and line shape. The core of GARLIC's subroutines constitutes the basis of forward models used to implement inversion codes to retrieve atmospheric state parameters from limb and nadir sounding instruments. This paper briefly introduces the physical and mathematical basics of GARLIC and its descendants and continues with an in-depth presentation of various implementation aspects: An optimized Voigt function algorithm combined with a two-grid approach is used to accelerate the line-by-line modeling of molecular cross sections; various quadrature methods are implemented to evaluate the Schwarzschild and Beer integrals; and Jacobians, i.e. derivatives with respect to the unknowns of the atmospheric inverse problem, are implemented by means of automatic differentiation. For an assessment of GARLIC's performance, a comparison of the quadrature methods for solution of the path integral is provided. Verification and validation are demonstrated using intercomparisons with other line-by-line codes and comparisons of synthetic spectra with spectra observed on Earth and from Venus.

Atmospheric correction using near-infrared bands for satellite ocean color data processing in the turbid western Pacific region.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Menghua; Shi, Wei; Jiang, Lide

2012-01-16

A regional near-infrared (NIR) ocean normalized water-leaving radiance (nL(w)(λ)) model is proposed for atmospheric correction for ocean color data processing in the western Pacific region, including the Bohai Sea, Yellow Sea, and East China Sea. Our motivation for this work is to derive ocean color products in the highly turbid western Pacific region using the Geostationary Ocean Color Imager (GOCI) onboard South Korean Communication, Ocean, and Meteorological Satellite (COMS). GOCI has eight spectral bands from 412 to 865 nm but does not have shortwave infrared (SWIR) bands that are needed for satellite ocean color remote sensing in the turbid ocean region. Based on a regional empirical relationship between the NIR nL(w)(λ) and diffuse attenuation coefficient at 490 nm (K(d)(490)), which is derived from the long-term measurements with the Moderate-resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on the Aqua satellite, an iterative scheme with the NIR-based atmospheric correction algorithm has been developed. Results from MODIS-Aqua measurements show that ocean color products in the region derived from the new proposed NIR-corrected atmospheric correction algorithm match well with those from the SWIR atmospheric correction algorithm. Thus, the proposed new atmospheric correction method provides an alternative for ocean color data processing for GOCI (and other ocean color satellite sensors without SWIR bands) in the turbid ocean regions of the Bohai Sea, Yellow Sea, and East China Sea, although the SWIR-based atmospheric correction approach is still much preferred. The proposed atmospheric correction methodology can also be applied to other turbid coastal regions.

Infrared Spectroscopic Observations on the Fate of Organophosphorus Compounds Exposed to Atmospheric Moisture. Part 3

Science.gov (United States)

2007-05-01

FATE OF ORGANOPHOSPHORUS COMPOUNDS EXPOSED TO ATMOSPHERIC MOISTURE PART III. PHOSPHINES, PHOSPHITES , PHOSPHONITES, PHOSPHINITES, PHOSPHORIC ACIDS ...The investigation continues with Phosphines, Phosphites , Phosphonites, Phosphinites, Phosphoric Acids , Phosphonic Acids , Phosphinic Acids , Phosphine...infrared spectrum of di-(2-ethylhexyl) phosphoric acid as a liquid film between KBr windows is given in Figure 104. The band assignments are as follows

Temperature Anomalies from the AIRS Product in Giovanni for the Climate Community

Science.gov (United States)

Ding, Feng; Hearty, Thomas J.; Wei, Jennifer; Theobald, Michael; Vollmer, Bruce; Seiler, Edward; Meyer, David

2018-01-01

The Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) mission began with the launch of Aqua in 2002. Over 15 years of AIRS products have been used by the climate research and application communities. The NASA Goddard Earth Sciences Data and Information Services Center (GES DISC), in collaboration with NASA Sounder Team at JPL, provides processing, archiving, and distribution services for NASA sounders: the present Aqua AIRS mission and the succeeding Suomi National Polar-Orbiting Partnership (SNPP) Cross-track Infrared Sounder (CrIS) mission. We generated a Multi-year Monthly Mean and Anomaly product using 14 years of AIRS standard monthly product. The product includes Air Temperature at the Surface and Surface Skin Temperature, both in Ascending/Daytime and Descending/Nighttime mode. The temperature variables and their anomalies are deployed to Giovanni, a Web-based application developed by the GES DISC. Giovanni provides a simple and intuitive way to visualize, analyze, and access vast amounts of Earth science remote sensing data without having to download the data. It is also a powerful tool that stakeholders can use for decision support in planning and preparing for increased climate variability. In this presentation, we demonstrate the functions in Giovanni with use cases employing AIRS Multi-year Monthly Mean and Anomaly variables.

Atmospheric transport, clouds and the Arctic longwave radiation paradox

Science.gov (United States)

Sedlar, Joseph

2016-04-01

Clouds interact with radiation, causing variations in the amount of electromagnetic energy reaching the Earth's surface, or escaping the climate system to space. While globally clouds lead to an overall cooling radiative effect at the surface, over the Arctic, where annual cloud fractions are high, the surface cloud radiative effect generally results in a warming. The additional energy input from absorption and re-emission of longwave radiation by the clouds to the surface can have a profound effect on the sea ice state. Anomalous atmospheric transport of heat and moisture into the Arctic, promoting cloud formation and enhancing surface longwave radiation anomalies, has been identified as an important mechanism in preconditioning Arctic sea ice for melt. Longwave radiation is emitted equally in all directions, and changes in the atmospheric infrared emission temperature and emissivity associated with advection of heat and moisture over the Arctic should correspondingly lead to an anomalous signal in longwave radiation at the top of the atmosphere (TOA). To examine the role of atmospheric heat and moisture transport into the Arctic on TOA longwave radiation, infrared satellite sounder observations from AIRS during 2003-2014 are analyzed for summer (JJAS). Thermodynamic metrics are developed to identify months characterized by a high frequency of warm and moist advection into the Arctic, and segregate the 2003-14 time period into climatological and anomalously warm, moist summer months. We find that anomalously warm, moist months result in a significant TOA longwave radiative cooling, which is opposite the forcing signal that the surface experiences during these months. At the timescale of the advective events, 3-10 days, the TOA cooling can be as large as the net surface energy budget during summer. When averaged on the monthly time scale, and over the full Arctic basin (poleward of 75°N), summer months experiencing frequent warm, moist advection events are

A case study of typhoon-induced gravity waves and the orographic impacts related to Typhoon Mindulle (2004) over Taiwan

OpenAIRE

Wu, J. F.; Xue, X. H.; Hoffmann, L.; Dou, X. K.; Li, H. M.; Chen, T. D.

2015-01-01

Atmospheric gravity waves (GWs) significantly influence global circulation. Deep convection, particularly that associated with typhoons, is believed to be an important source of gravity waves. Stratospheric gravity waves induced by Typhoon Mindulle (2004) were detected by the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS). Semicircular GWs with horizontal wavelengths of 100–400 km were found over Taiwan through an inspection of AIRS radiances at 4.3 μm. Characteristics of the stratospheric gravity waves...

Regional Data Assimilation of AIRS Profiles and Radiances at the SPoRT Center

Science.gov (United States)

Zavodsky, Brad; Chou, Shih-hung; Jedlovec, Gary

2009-01-01

This slide presentation reviews the Short Term Prediction Research and Transition (SPoRT) Center's mission to improve short-term weather prediction at the regional and local scale. It includes information on the cold bias in Weather Research and Forcasting (WRF), troposphere recordings from the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS), and vertical resolution of analysis grid.

Atmospheric radiation measurement program facilities newsletter, June 2002.; TOPICAL

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Holdridge, D. J.

2002-01-01

ARM Intensive Operational Period Scheduled to Validate New NASA Satellite-Beginning in July, all three ARM sites (Southern Great Plains[SGP], North Slope of Alaska, and Tropical Western Pacific; Figure 1) will participate in the AIRS Validation IOP. This three-month intensive operational period (IOP) will validate data collected by the satellite-based Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) recently launched into space. On May 4, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) launched Aqua, the second spacecraft in the Earth Observing System (EOS) series. The EOS satellites monitor Earth systems including land surfaces, oceans, the atmosphere, and ice cover. The first EOS satellite, named Terra, was launched in December 1999. The second EOS satellite is named Aqua because its primary focus is understanding Earth's water cycle through observation of atmospheric moisture, clouds, temperature, ocean surface, precipitation, and soil moisture. One of the instruments aboard Aqua is the AIRS, built by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a NASA agency. The AIRS Validation IOP complements the ARM mission to improve understanding of the interactions of clouds and atmospheric moisture with solar radiation and their influence on weather and climate. In support of satellite validation IOP, ARM will launch dedicated radiosondes at all three ARM sites while the Aqua satellite with the AIRS instrument is orbiting overhead. These radiosonde launches will occur 45 minutes and 5 minutes before selected satellite overpasses. In addition, visiting scientists from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory will launch special radiosondes to measure ozone and humidity over the SGP site. All launches will generate ground-truth data to validate satellite data collected simultaneously. Data gathered daily by ARM meteorological and solar radiation instruments will complete the validation data sets. Data from Aqua-based instruments, including AIRS, will aid in weather forecasting, climate modeling, and

Seasonal and diel patterns in sedimentary flux of krill fecal pellets recorded by an echo sounder

KAUST Repository

Røstad, Anders

2013-11-01

We used a moored upward-facing 200 kHz echo sounder to address sedimentation of fecal pellets (FPs) from dielly migrating Meganyctiphanes norvegica. The echo sounder was located on the bottom at 150 m depth in the Oslofjord, Norway, and was cabled to shore for continuous measurements during winter and spring. Records of sinking pellets were for the first time observed with an echo sounder. Seasonal patterns of sedimentation of krill FPs were strongly correlated with data from continuous measurement of fluorescence, which illustrate the development of the spring bloom. Sedimenting particles were first observed as fluorescence values started to increase at the end of February and continued to increase until the bloom suddenly culminated at the end of March. This collapse of the bloom was detected on the echo sounder as a pulse of slowly sinking acoustic targets over a 2 d period. Prior to this event, there was a strong diel pattern in sedimentation, which correlated, with some time lag, with the diel migration of krill foraging at night near the surface. Pellet average sinking speeds ranged between 423 m d−1 and 804 m d−1, with a strong relation to pellet target strength, which is an acoustic proxy for size. This novel approach shows that echo sounders may be a valuable tool in studies of vertical pellet flux and, thereby, carbon flux, providing temporal resolution and direct observation of the sedimentation process, which are not obtained from standard methods.

P-sounder: an airborne P-band ice sounding radar

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Dall, Jørgen; Skou, Niels; Kusk, Anders

2007-01-01

is to test new ice sounding techniques, e.g. polarimetry, synthetic aperture processing, and coherent clutter suppression. A system analysis involving ice scattering models confirms that it is feasible to detect the bedrock through 4 km of ice and to detect deep ice layers. The ice sounder design features...

Evidence of Convective Redistribution of Carbon Monoxide in Aura Tropospheric Emission Sounder (TES) and Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS) Observations

Science.gov (United States)

Manyin, Michael; Douglass, Anne; Schoeberl, Mark

2010-01-01

Vertical convective transport is a key element of the tropospheric circulation. Convection lofts air from the boundary layer into the free troposphere, allowing surface emissions to travel much further, and altering the rate of chemical processes such as ozone production. This study uses satellite observations to focus on the convective transport of CO from the boundary layer to the mid and upper troposphere. Our hypothesis is that strong convection associated with high rain rate regions leads to a correlation between mid level and upper level CO amounts. We first test this hypothesis using the Global Modeling Initiative (GMI) chemistry and transport model. We find the correlation is robust and increases as the precipitation rate (the strength of convection) increases. We next examine three years of CO profiles from the Tropospheric Emission Sounder (TES) and Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS) instruments aboard EOS Aura. Rain rates are taken from the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) 3B-42 multi-satellite product. Again we find a correlation between mid-level and upper tropospheric CO, which increases with rain rate. Our result shows the critical importance of tropical convection in coupling vertical levels of the troposphere in the transport of trace gases. The effect is seen most clearly in strong convective regions such as the Inter-tropical Convergence Zone.

Conceptual thermal design and analysis of a far-infrared/mid-infrared remote sensing instrument

Science.gov (United States)

Roettker, William A.

1992-07-01

This paper presents the conceptual thermal design and analysis results for the Spectroscopy of the Atmosphere using Far-Infrared Emission (SAFIRE) instrument. SAFIRE has been proposed for Mission to Planet Earth to study ozone chemistry in the middle atmosphere using remote sensing of the atmosphere in the far-infrared (21-87 microns) and mid-infrared (9-16 microns) spectra. SAFIRE requires that far-IR detectors be cooled to 3-4 K and mid-IR detectors to 80 K for the expected mission lifetime of five years. A superfluid helium dewar and Stirling-cycle cryocoolers provide the cryogenic temperatures required by the infrared detectors. The proposed instrument thermal design uses passive thermal control techniques to reject 465 watts of waste heat from the instrument.

Bottom pressure, vertical acoustic round-trip travel time, and near-bottom currents data collected by Current-and-Pressure-recording Inverted Echo Sounders (CPIES), as part of the Kuroshio Extension System Study (KESS), from 26 April 2004 to 25 June 2006 in the Kuroshio Extension east of Japan (NODC Accession 0073269)

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — This data set contains Current and Pressure recording Inverted Echo Sounder (CPIES) measurements collected during the Kuroshio Extension System Study (KESS) under...

Acoustic detection of momentum transfer during the abrupt transition from a laminar to a turbulent atmospheric boundary layer1

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schubert, J.F.

1977-01-01

Acoustic sounder measurements of a vertical profile of the abrupt transition from a laminar to a turbulent atmospheric boundary layer were compared with meteorological measurements made at 10 and 137 m on an instrumented tower. Sounder data show that conditions necessary for the onset of the momentum burst phenomenon exist sometime during a clear afternoon when heat flux changes sign and the planetary surface cools. Under these conditions, the lowest part of the atmospheric boundary layer becomes stable. Prior to this situation, the entire boundary layer is in turbulent motion from surface heating. The boundary layer is then an effective barrier for all fluxes, and as the maximum flux Richardson number is reached at some height close to but above the surface, turbulence is dampened and a laminar layer forms. The profile of this layer is recorded by the sounder. Surface temperature drops, a strong wind shear develops, and the Richardson number decreases below its critical value (Ri/sub cr/<0.25). Subsequently, the laminar layer is eroded by turbulence from above, and with a burst of momentum and heat, it eventually reaches the ground

Study of Geological Analogues for Understanding the Radar Sounder Response of the RIME Targets

Science.gov (United States)

Thakur, S.; Bruzzone, L.

2017-12-01

Radar for Icy Moon Exploration (RIME), the radar sounder onboard the Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (JUICE), is aimed at characterizing the ice shells of the Jovian moons - Ganymede, Europa and Callisto. RIME is optimized to operate at 9 MHz central frequency with bandwidth of 1 MHz and 2.7 MHz to achieve a penetration depth up to 9 km through ice. We have developed an approach to the definition of a database of simulated RIME radargrams by leveraging the data available from airborne and orbital radar sounder acquisitions over geological analogues of the expected icy moon features. These simulated radargrams are obtained by merging real radar sounder data with models of the subsurface of the Jupiter icy moons. They will be useful for geological interpretation of the RIME radargrams and for better predicting the performance of RIME. The database will also be useful in developing pre-processing and automatic feature extraction algorithms to support data analysis during the mission phase of RIME. Prior to the JUICE mission exploring the Jovian satellites with RIME, there exist radar sounders such as SHARAD (onboard MRO) and MARSIS (onboard MEX) probing Mars, the LRS (onboard SELENE) probing the Moon, and many airborne sounders probing the polar regions of Earth. Analogues have been identified in these places based on similarity in geo-morphological expression. Moreover, other analogues have been identified on the Earth for possible dedicated acquisition campaigns before the RIME operations. By assuming that the subsurface structure of the RIME targets is approximately represented in the analogue radargrams, the difference in composition is accounted for by imposing different dielectric and subsurface attenuation models. The RIME radargrams are simulated from the analogue radargrams using the radar equation and the RIME processing chain and accounting for different possible scenarios in terms of subsurface structure, dielectric properties and instrument parameters. For

Technical Note: Interference errors in infrared remote sounding of the atmosphere

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

R. Sussmann

2007-07-01

Full Text Available Classical error analysis in remote sounding distinguishes between four classes: "smoothing errors," "model parameter errors," "forward model errors," and "retrieval noise errors". For infrared sounding "interference errors", which, in general, cannot be described by these four terms, can be significant. Interference errors originate from spectral residuals due to "interfering species" whose spectral features overlap with the signatures of the target species. A general method for quantification of interference errors is presented, which covers all possible algorithmic implementations, i.e., fine-grid retrievals of the interfering species or coarse-grid retrievals, and cases where the interfering species are not retrieved. In classical retrieval setups interference errors can exceed smoothing errors and can vary by orders of magnitude due to state dependency. An optimum strategy is suggested which practically eliminates interference errors by systematically minimizing the regularization strength applied to joint profile retrieval of the interfering species. This leads to an interfering-species selective deweighting of the retrieval. Details of microwindow selection are no longer critical for this optimum retrieval and widened microwindows even lead to reduced overall (smoothing and interference errors. Since computational power will increase, more and more operational algorithms will be able to utilize this optimum strategy in the future. The findings of this paper can be applied to soundings of all infrared-active atmospheric species, which include more than two dozen different gases relevant to climate and ozone. This holds for all kinds of infrared remote sounding systems, i.e., retrievals from ground-based, balloon-borne, airborne, or satellite spectroradiometers.

UARS Improved Stratospheric and Mesospheric Sounder (ISAMS) Level 3AL V001

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — The Improved Stratospheric and Mesospheric Sounder (ISAMS) Level 3AL data product consists of daily, 4 degree increment latitude-ordered vertical profiles of...

Large Scale Gaussian Processes for Atmospheric Parameter Retrieval and Cloud Screening

Science.gov (United States)

Camps-Valls, G.; Gomez-Chova, L.; Mateo, G.; Laparra, V.; Perez-Suay, A.; Munoz-Mari, J.

2017-12-01

Current Earth-observation (EO) applications for image classification have to deal with an unprecedented big amount of heterogeneous and complex data sources. Spatio-temporally explicit classification methods are a requirement in a variety of Earth system data processing applications. Upcoming missions such as the super-spectral Copernicus Sentinels EnMAP and FLEX will soon provide unprecedented data streams. Very high resolution (VHR) sensors like Worldview-3 also pose big challenges to data processing. The challenge is not only attached to optical sensors but also to infrared sounders and radar images which increased in spectral, spatial and temporal resolution. Besides, we should not forget the availability of the extremely large remote sensing data archives already collected by several past missions, such ENVISAT, Cosmo-SkyMED, Landsat, SPOT, or Seviri/MSG. These large-scale data problems require enhanced processing techniques that should be accurate, robust and fast. Standard parameter retrieval and classification algorithms cannot cope with this new scenario efficiently. In this work, we review the field of large scale kernel methods for both atmospheric parameter retrieval and cloud detection using infrared sounding IASI data and optical Seviri/MSG imagery. We propose novel Gaussian Processes (GPs) to train problems with millions of instances and high number of input features. Algorithms can cope with non-linearities efficiently, accommodate multi-output problems, and provide confidence intervals for the predictions. Several strategies to speed up algorithms are devised: random Fourier features and variational approaches for cloud classification using IASI data and Seviri/MSG, and engineered randomized kernel functions and emulation in temperature, moisture and ozone atmospheric profile retrieval from IASI as a proxy to the upcoming MTG-IRS sensor. Excellent compromise between accuracy and scalability are obtained in all applications.

MIPAS: an instrument for atmospheric and climate research

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

H. Fischer

2008-04-01

Full Text Available MIPAS, the Michelson Interferometer for Passive Atmospheric Sounding, is a mid-infrared emission spectrometer which is part of the core payload of ENVISAT. It is a limb sounder, i.e. it scans across the horizon detecting atmospheric spectral radiances which are inverted to vertical temperature, trace species and cloud distributions. These data can be used for scientific investigations in various research fields including dynamics and chemistry in the altitude region between upper troposphere and lower thermosphere.

The instrument is a well calibrated and characterized Fourier transform spectrometer which is able to detect many trace constituents simultaneously. The different concepts of retrieval methods are described including multi-target and two-dimensional retrievals. Operationally generated data sets consist of temperature, H₂O, O₃, CH₄, N₂O, HNO₃, and NO₂ profiles. Measurement errors are investigated in detail and random and systematic errors are specified. The results are validated by independent instrumentation which has been operated at ground stations or aboard balloon gondolas and aircraft. Intercomparisons of MIPAS measurements with other satellite data have been carried out, too. As a result, it has been proven that the MIPAS data are of good quality.

MIPAS can be operated in different measurement modes in order to optimize the scientific output. Due to the wealth of information in the MIPAS spectra, many scientific results have already been published. They include intercomparisons of temperature distributions with ECMWF data, the derivation of the whole NO_y family, the study of atmospheric processes during the Antarctic vortex split in September~2002, the determination of properties of Polar Stratospheric Clouds, the downward transport of NO_x in the middle atmosphere, the stratosphere-troposphere exchange, the influence of

UARS Improved Stratospheric and Mesospheric Sounder (ISAMS) Level 3AT V001

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — The Improved Stratospheric and Mesospheric Sounder (ISAMS) Level 3AT data product consists of daily, 65.536 second interval time-ordered vertical profiles of...

A climate index derived from satellite measured spectral infrared radiation. Ph.D. Thesis

Science.gov (United States)

Abel, M. D.; Fox, S. K.

1982-01-01

The vertical infrared radiative emitting structure (VIRES) climate index, based on radiative transfer theory and derived from the spectral radiances typically used to retrieve temperature profiles, is introduced. It is assumed that clouds and climate are closely related and a change in one will result in a change in the other. The index is a function of the cloud, temperature, and moisture distributions. It is more accurately retrieved from satellite data than is cloudiness per se. The VIRES index is based upon the shape and relative magnitude of the broadband weighting function of the infrared radiative transfer equation. The broadband weighting curves are retrieved from simulated satellite infrared sounder data (spectral radiances). The retrieval procedure is described and the error error sensitivities of the method investigated. Index measuring options and possible applications of the VIRES index are proposed.

A new software tool for computing Earth's atmospheric transmission of near- and far-infrared radiation

Science.gov (United States)

Lord, Steven D.

1992-01-01

This report describes a new software tool, ATRAN, which computes the transmittance of Earth's atmosphere at near- and far-infrared wavelengths. We compare the capabilities of this program with others currently available and demonstrate its utility for observational data calibration and reduction. The program employs current water-vapor and ozone models to produce fast and accurate transmittance spectra for wavelengths ranging from 0.8 microns to 10 mm.

Direction-of-Arrival Analysis of Airborne Ice Depth Sounder Data

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, Ulrik; Yan, Jie-Bang; Gogineni, Sivaprasad

2017-01-01

In this paper, we analyze the direction-of arrival(DOA) of the ice-sheet data collected over Jakobshavn Glacier with the airborne Multichannel Radar Depth Sounder (MCRDS) during the 2006 field season. We extracted weak ice–bed echoes buried in signals scattered by the rough surface of the fast...

A comparison of measured radiances from AIRS and HIRS across different cloud types

Science.gov (United States)

Schreier, M. M.; Kahn, B. H.; Staten, P.

2015-12-01

The observation of Earth's atmosphere with passive remote sensing instruments is ongoing for decades and resulting in a long-term global dataset. Two prominent examples are operational satellite platforms from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) or research platforms like NASA's Earth Observing System (EOS). The observed spectral ranges of these observations are often similar among the different platforms, but have large differences when it comes to resolution, accuracy and quality control. Our approach is to combine different kinds of instruments at the pixel-scale to improve the characterization of infrared radiances. We focus on data from the High-resolution Infrared Radiation Sounder (HIRS) and compare the observations to radiances from the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) on Aqua. The high spectral resolution of AIRS is used to characterize and possibly recalibrate the observed radiances from HIRS. Our approach is unique in that we use additional information from other passive instruments on the same platforms including the Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) and the MODerate resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS). We will present comparisons of radiances from HIRS and AIRS within different types of clouds that are determined from the imagers. In this way, we can analyze and select the most homogeneous conditions for radiance comparisons and a possible re-calibration of HIRS. We hope to achieve a cloud-type-dependent calibration and quality control for HIRS, which can be extrapolated into the past via inter-calibration of the different HIRS instruments beyond the time of AIRS.

Noise performance of microwave humidity sounders over their lifetime

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

I. Hans

2017-12-01

Full Text Available The microwave humidity sounders Special Sensor Microwave Water Vapor Profiler (SSMT-2, Advanced Microwave Sounding Unit-B (AMSU-B and Microwave Humidity Sounder (MHS to date have been providing data records for 25 years. So far, the data records lack uncertainty information essential for constructing consistent long time data series. In this study, we assess the quality of the recorded data with respect to the uncertainty caused by noise. We calculate the noise on the raw calibration counts from the deep space views (DSVs of the instrument and the noise equivalent differential temperature (NEΔT as a measure for the radiometer sensitivity. For this purpose, we use the Allan deviation that is not biased from an underlying varying mean of the data and that has been suggested only recently for application in atmospheric remote sensing. Moreover, we use the bias function related to the Allan deviation to infer the underlying spectrum of the noise. As examples, we investigate the noise spectrum in flight for some instruments. For the assessment of the noise evolution in time, we provide a descriptive and graphical overview of the calculated NEΔT over the life span of each instrument and channel. This overview can serve as an easily accessible information for users interested in the noise performance of a specific instrument, channel and time. Within the time evolution of the noise, we identify periods of instrumental degradation, which manifest themselves in an increasing NEΔT, and periods of erratic behaviour, which show sudden increases of NEΔT interrupting the overall smooth evolution of the noise. From this assessment and subsequent exclusion of the aforementioned periods, we present a chart showing available data records with NEΔT  <  1 K. Due to overlapping life spans of the instruments, these reduced data records still cover without gaps the time since 1994 and may therefore serve as a first step for constructing long time

Total column ozone retrieval using INSAT-3D sounder in the tropics ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

important for ozone estimation and lower instrument noise results in better ozone ... the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) ... tivity of the sounder ozone band corresponding to .... NOAA Climate Monitoring and Diagnostics Labo-.

Developing the science product algorithm testbed for Chinese next-generation geostationary meteorological satellites: Fengyun-4 series

Science.gov (United States)

Min, Min; Wu, Chunqiang; Li, Chuan; Liu, Hui; Xu, Na; Wu, Xiao; Chen, Lin; Wang, Fu; Sun, Fenglin; Qin, Danyu; Wang, Xi; Li, Bo; Zheng, Zhaojun; Cao, Guangzhen; Dong, Lixin

2017-08-01

Fengyun-4A (FY-4A), the first of the Chinese next-generation geostationary meteorological satellites, launched in 2016, offers several advances over the FY-2: more spectral bands, faster imaging, and infrared hyperspectral measurements. To support the major objective of developing the prototypes of FY-4 science algorithms, two science product algorithm testbeds for imagers and sounders have been developed by the scientists in the FY-4 Algorithm Working Group (AWG). Both testbeds, written in FORTRAN and C programming languages for Linux or UNIX systems, have been tested successfully by using Intel/g compilers. Some important FY-4 science products, including cloud mask, cloud properties, and temperature profiles, have been retrieved successfully through using a proxy imager, Himawari-8/Advanced Himawari Imager (AHI), and sounder data, obtained from the Atmospheric InfraRed Sounder, thus demonstrating their robustness. In addition, in early 2016, the FY-4 AWG was developed based on the imager testbed—a near real-time processing system for Himawari-8/AHI data for use by Chinese weather forecasters. Consequently, robust and flexible science product algorithm testbeds have provided essential and productive tools for popularizing FY-4 data and developing substantial improvements in FY-4 products.

LATTICE: The Lower ATmosphere-Thermosphere-Ionosphere Coupling Experiment

Science.gov (United States)

Mlynczak, M. G.; Yee, J. H.

2017-12-01

We present the Lower Atmosphere-Thermosphere-Ionosphere Coupling Experiment (LATTICE), which is a candidate mission for proposal to a future NASA Announcement of Opportunity. LATTICE will make the first consistent measurements of global kinetic temperature from the tropopause up to at least 160 km, along with global vector winds from 100 to 160 km at all local times. LATTICE thus provides, for the first time, a consistent picture of the coupling of the terrestrial lower atmosphere to the thermosphere-ionosphere system, which is a major scientific goal outlined in the 2012 Heliophysics Decadal Survey. The core instruments on LATTICE are the Terahertz Limb Sounder (TLS) and the Sounding of the Atmosphere using Broadband Emission Radiometry-II (SABER-II) instrument. The TLS instrument measures the 147 µm (2.04 THz) fine structure line of atomic oxygen. From these measurements TLS will provide kinetic temperature, atomic oxygen density, and vector wind from 100 to at least 160 km altitude. SABER-II is an infrared radiometer and is optically identical to the legacy SABER instrument on the current TIMED satellite. SABER-II is half the mass, half the power, and one-third the volume of the legacy instrument, and expects the same radiometric performance. SABER-II will again measure kinetic temperature from 15 to 110 km and will make measurements of key parameters in the thermosphere-ionosphere system including NO+, the green line and red line emissions, as well as continuing legacy measurements of ozone, water vapor, atomic oxygen, and atomic hydrogen in the mesosphere and lower thermosphere. We will describe the LATTICE mission in detail including other potential instruments for diagnosing thermospheric composition and high latitude energy inputs, and for measuring solar ultraviolet irradiance.

Revisiting Short-Wave-Infrared (SWIR) Bands for Atmospheric Correction in Coastal Waters

Science.gov (United States)

Pahlevan, Nima; Roger, Jean-Claude; Ahmad, Ziauddin

2017-01-01

The shortwave infrared (SWIR) bands on the existing Earth Observing missions like MODIS have been designed to meet land and atmospheric science requirements. The future geostationary and polar-orbiting ocean color missions, however, require highly sensitive SWIR bands (greater than 1550nm) to allow for a precise removal of aerosol contributions. This will allow for reasonable retrievals of the remote sensing reflectance (R(sub rs)) using standard NASA atmospheric corrections over turbid coastal waters. Design, fabrication, and maintaining high-performance SWIR bands at very low signal levels bear significant costs on dedicated ocean color missions. This study aims at providing a full analysis of the utility of alternative SWIR bands within the 1600nm atmospheric window if the bands within the 2200nm window were to be excluded due to engineering/cost constraints. Following a series of sensitivity analyses for various spectral band configurations as a function of water vapor amount, we chose spectral bands centered at 1565 and 1675nm as suitable alternative bands within the 1600nm window for a future geostationary imager. The sensitivity of this band combination to different aerosol conditions, calibration uncertainties, and extreme water turbidity were studied and compared with that of all band combinations available on existing polar-orbiting missions. The combination of the alternative channels was shown to be as sensitive to test aerosol models as existing near-infrared (NIR) band combinations (e.g., 748 and 869nm) over clear open ocean waters. It was further demonstrated that while in extremely turbid waters the 1565/1675 band pair yields R(sub rs) retrievals as good as those derived from all other existing SWIR band pairs (greater than 1550nm), their total calibration uncertainties must be less than 1% to meet current science requirements for ocean color retrievals (i.e., delta R(sub rs) (443) less than 5%). We further show that the aerosol removal using the

Validation and Demonstration of the NOAA Unique Combined Atmospheric Processing System (NUCAPS) in Support of User Applications

Science.gov (United States)

Nalli, N. R.; Gambacorta, A.; Tan, C.; Iturbide, F.; Barnet, C. D.; Reale, A.; Sun, B.; Liu, Q.

2017-12-01

This presentation overviews the performance of the operational SNPP NOAA Unique Combined Atmospheric Processing System (NUCAPS) environmental data record (EDR) products. The SNPP Cross-track Infrared Sounder and Advanced Technology Microwave Sounder (CrIS/ATMS) suite, the first of the Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS) Program, is one of NOAA's major investments in our nation's future operational environmental observation capability. The NUCAPS algorithm is a world-class NOAA-operational IR/MW retrieval algorithm based upon the well-established AIRS science team algorithm for deriving temperature, moisture, ozone and carbon trace gas to provide users with state-of-the-art EDR products. Operational use of the products includes the NOAA National Weather Service (NWS) Advanced Weather Interactive Processing System (AWIPS), along with numerous science-user applications. NUCAPS EDR product assessments are made with reference to JPSS Level 1 global requirements, which provide the definitive metrics for assessing that the products have minimally met predefined global performance specifications. The NESDIS/STAR NUCAPS development and validation team recently delivered the Phase 4 algorithm which incorporated critical updates necessary for compatibility with full spectral-resolution (FSR) CrIS sensor data records (SDRs). Based on comprehensive analyses, the NUCAPS Phase 4 CrIS-FSR temperature, moisture and ozone profile EDRs, as well as the carbon trace gas EDRs (CO, CH4 and CO2), are shown o be meeting or close to meeting the JPSS program global requirements. Regional and temporal assessments of interest to EDR users (e.g., AWIPS) will also be presented.

Atmospheric lifetimes, infrared absorption spectra, radiative forcings and global warming potentials of NF3 and CF3CF2Cl (CFC-115

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. Totterdill

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Fluorinated compounds such as NF3 and C2F5Cl (CFC-115 are characterised by very large global warming potentials (GWPs, which result from extremely long atmospheric lifetimes and strong infrared absorptions in the atmospheric window. In this study we have experimentally determined the infrared absorption cross sections of NF3 and CFC-115, calculated the radiative forcing and efficiency using two radiative transfer models and identified the effect of clouds and stratospheric adjustment. The infrared cross sections are within 10 % of previous measurements for CFC-115 but are found to be somewhat larger than previous estimates for NF3, leading to a radiative efficiency for NF3 that is 25 % larger than that quoted in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Fifth Assessment Report. A whole atmosphere chemistry–climate model was used to determine the atmospheric lifetimes of NF3 and CFC-115 to be (509 ± 21 years and (492 ± 22 years, respectively. The GWPs for NF3 are estimated to be 15 600, 19 700 and 19 700 over 20, 100 and 500 years, respectively. Similarly, the GWPs for CFC-115 are 6030, 7570 and 7480 over 20, 100 and 500 years, respectively.

Precipitation in Madeira island and atmospheric rivers in the winter seasons

Science.gov (United States)

Couto, Flavio T.; Salgado, Rui; João Costa, Maria; Prior, Victor

2016-04-01

This study aims to analyse the distribution of the daily accumulated precipitation in the Madeira's highlands over a 10-year period, as well as the main characteristics associated with atmospheric rivers (ARs) affecting the island during 10 winter seasons, and their impact in the rainfall amounts recorded near the mountain crest in the south-eastern part of the island. The period between September 2002 and November 2012 is considered for the analysis. The ARs have been identified from the total precipitable water vapour field extracted from the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS). The AIRS observations were downloaded for a domain covering large part of the North Atlantic Ocean. The precipitable water vapour field from the European Centre for Medium-range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) analysis was also used aiming to support the AIRS data when there was no satellite information over the island. The daily accumulated precipitation at surface showed generally drier summers, while the highest accumulated precipitation are recorded mainly during the winter, although some significant events may occur also in autumn and spring seasons. The patterns of the precipitable water vapour field when ARs reach the island were investigated, and even if great part of the atmospheric rivers reaches the island in a dissipation stage, some rivers are heavy enough to reach the Madeira Island. In this situation, the water vapour transport could be observed in two main configurations and transporting significant water vapour amounts toward the Madeira from the tropical region. This study lead to conclude that the atmospheric rivers, when associated to high values of precipitable water vapour over the island can provide favourable conditions to the development of precipitation, sometimes associated with high amounts. However, it was also found that many cases of high to extreme accumulated precipitation at the surface were not associated to this kind of moisture transport.

The atmospheres of Saturn and Titan in the near-infrared: First results of Cassini/Vims

Science.gov (United States)

Baines, K.H.; Momary, T.W.; Buratti, B.J.; Matson, D.L.; Nelson, R.M.; Drossart, P.; Sicardy, B.; Formisano, V.; Bellucci, G.; Coradini, A.; Griffith, C.; Brown, R.H.; Bibring, J.-P.; Langevin, Y.; Capaccioni, F.; Cerroni, P.; Clark, R.N.; Combes, M.; Cruikshank, D.P.; Jaumann, R.; McCordt, T.B.; Mennella, V.; Nicholson, P.D.; Sotin, Christophe

2006-01-01

The wide spectral coverage and extensive spatial, temporal, and phase-angle mapping capabilities of the Visual Infrared Mapping Spectrometer (VIMS) onboard the Cassini-Huygens Orbiter are producing fundamental new insights into the nature of the atmospheres of Saturn and Titan. For both bodies, VIMS maps over time and solar phase angles provide information for a multitude of atmospheric constituents and aerosol layers, providing new insights into atmospheric structure and dynamical and chemical processes. For Saturn, salient early results include evidence for phosphine depletion in relatively dark and less cloudy belts at temperate and mid-latitudes compared to the relatively bright and cloudier Equatorial Region, consistent with traditional theories of belts being regions of relative downwelling. Additional Saturn results include (1) the mapping of enhanced trace gas absorptions at the south pole, and (2) the first high phase-angle, high-spatial-resolution imagery of CH4 fluorescence. An additional fundamental new result is the first nighttime near-infrared mapping of Saturn, clearly showing discrete meteorological features relatively deep in the atmosphere beneath the planet's sunlit haze and cloud layers, thus revealing a new dynamical regime at depth where vertical dynamics is relatively more important than zonal dynamics in determining cloud morphology. Zonal wind measurements at deeper levels than previously available are achieved by tracking these features over multiple days, thereby providing measurements of zonal wind shears within Saturn's troposphere when compared to cloudtop movements measured in reflected sunlight. For Titan, initial results include (1) the first detection and mapping of thermal emission spectra of CO, CO2, and CH3D on Titan's nightside limb, (2) the mapping of CH4 fluorescence over the dayside bright limb, extending to ??? 750 km altitude, (3) wind measurements of ???0.5 ms-1, favoring prograde, from the movement of a persistent

A microwave pressure sounder. [for remote measurement of atmospheric pressure

Science.gov (United States)

Peckham, G. E.; Flower, D. A.

1981-01-01

A technique for the remote measurement of atmospheric surface pressure will be described. Such measurements could be made from a satellite in polar orbit and would cover many areas for which conventional meteorological data are not available. An active microwave instrument is used to measure the strength of return echoes from the ocean surface at a number of frequencies near the 60 GHz oxygen absorption band. Factors which affect the accuracy with which surface pressure can be deduced from these measurements will be discussed and an instrument designed to test the method by making measurements from an aircraft will be described.

Infrared Absorption Spectroscopic Study on Reaction between Self-Assembled Monolayers and Atmospheric-Pressure Plasma

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Masanori Shinohara

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Plasma is becoming increasingly adopted in bioapplications such as plasma medicine and agriculture. This study investigates the interaction between plasma and molecules in living tissues, focusing on plasma-protein interactions. To this end, the reaction of air-pressure air plasma with NH2-terminated self-assembled monolayer is investigated by infrared spectroscopy in multiple internal reflection geometry. The atmospheric-pressure plasma decomposed the NH2 components, the characteristic units of proteins. The decomposition is attributed to water clusters generated in the plasma, indicating that protein decomposition by plasma requires humid air.

Thermal Stability of a 4 Meter Primary Reflector for the Scanning Microwave Limb Sounder

Science.gov (United States)

Cofield, Richard E.; Kasl, Eldon P.

2011-01-01

The Scanning Microwave Limb Sounder (SMLS) is a space-borne heterodyne radiometer which will measure pressure, temperature and atmospheric constituents from thermal emission in [180,680] GHz. SMLS, planned for the NRC Decadal Survey's Global Atmospheric Composition Mission, uses a novel toric Cassegrain antenna to perform both elevation and azimuth scanning. This provides better horizontal and temporal resolution and coverage than were possible with elevation-only scanning in the two previous MLS satellite instruments. SMLS is diffraction-limited in the vertical plane but highly astigmatic in the horizontal (beam aspect ratio approx. 1:20). Nadir symmetry ensures that beam shape is nearly invariant over plus or minus 65 deg azimuth. A low-noise receiver FOV is swept over the reflector system by a small azimuth-scanning mirror. We describe the fabrication and thermal-stability test of a composite demonstration primary reflector, having full 4m height and 1/3 the width planned for flight. Using finite-element models of reflectors and structure, we evaluate thermal deformations and optical performance for 4 orbital environments and isothermal soak. We compare deformations with photogrammetric measurements made during soak tests in a chamber. The test temperature range exceeds predicted orbital ranges by large factors, implying in-orbit thermal stability of 0.21 micron rms (root mean square)/C, which meets SMLS requirements.

Thermal infrared properties of the Martian atmosphere 2. The 15-μm band measurements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Martin, T.Z.; Kieffer, H.H.

1979-01-01

Viking infrared thermal mapper observations of Mars in the 15-μm CO 2 band reveal global atmospheric thermal behavior at the 0.3- to 0.6-mbar level. Dust entrained by storms produces major modification of diurnal and latitudinal structure in the brightness temperature T 15 . In the dust-laden atmosphere of southern spring and summer 1977, T 15 was a maximum in late afternoon at a latitude well south of the subsolar latitude. Diurnal amplitude was as great as 30 K, while diurnal mean temperatures exceeded 220 K. Over the northern winter polar cap, T 15 increased dramatically following the second global dust storm of 1977; even in regions of polar night the change was up to 80 K. Inversions of similar magnitude resulted, and the change in downward radiance was sufficient to modify substantially the rate of CO 2 condensation at the surface

The GEOS Chemistry Climate Model: Comparisons to Satellite Data

Science.gov (United States)

Stolarski, R. S.; Douglass, A. R.

2008-05-01

The Goddard Earth Observing System Chemistry Climate Model (GEOS CCM) has been developed by combining the atmospheric chemistry and transport modules developed over the years at Goddard and the GEOS general circulation model, also developed at Goddard. We will compare model simulations of ozone, and the minor constituents that affect ozone, for the period around 1980 with newly released revised data from the Limb Infrared Monitor of the Stratosphere (LIMS) instrument on Nimbus 4. We will also compare model simulations for the period of the early 2000s with the data from the Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS) and the High Resolution Dynamic Limb Sounder (HRDLS) on the Aura satellite. We will use these comparisons to examine the performance of the model for the present atmosphere and for the change that has occurred during the last 2 decades of ozone loss due to chlorine and bromine compounds released from chlorofluorocarbons and halons.

ISIS Topside-Sounder Plasma-Wave Investigations as Guides to Desired Virtual Wave Observatory (VWO) Data Search Capabilities

Science.gov (United States)

Benson, Robert F.; Fung, Shing F.

2008-01-01

Many plasma-wave phenomena, observed by space-borne radio sounders, cannot be properly explained in terms of wave propagation in a cold plasma consisting of mobile electrons and infinitely massive positive ions. These phenomena include signals known as plasma resonances. The principal resonances at the harmonics of the electron cyclotron frequency, the plasma frequency, and the upper-hybrid frequency are well explained by the warm-plasma propagation of sounder-generated electrostatic waves, Other resonances have been attributed to sounder-stimulated plasma instability and non-linear effects, eigenmodes of cylindrical electromagnetic plasma oscillations, and plasma memory processes. Data from the topside sounders of the International Satellites for Ionospheric Studies (ISIS) program played a major role in these interpretations. A data transformation and preservation effort at the Goddard Space Flight Center has produced digital ISIS topside ionograms and a metadata search program that has enabled some recent discoveries pertaining to the physics of these plasma resonances. For example, data records were obtained that enabled the long-standing question (several decades) of the origin of the plasma resonance at the fundamental electron cyclotron frequency to be explained [Muldrew, Radio Sci., 2006]. These data-search capabilities, and the science enabled by them, will be presented as a guide to desired data search capabilities to be included in the Virtual Wave Observatory (VWO).

Validation of UARS Microwave Limb Sounder 183 GHz H2O Measurements

Science.gov (United States)

Lahoz, W. A.; Suttie, M. R.; Froidevaux, L.; Harwood, R. S.; Lau, C. L.; Lungu, T. A.; Peckham, G. E.; Pumphrey, H. C.; Read, W. G.; Shippony, Z.;

Atmospheric influences on infrared-laser signals used for occultation measurements between Low Earth Orbit satellites

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. Schweitzer

2011-10-01

Full Text Available LEO-LEO infrared-laser occultation (LIO is a new occultation technique between Low Earth Orbit (LEO satellites, which applies signals in the short wave infrared spectral range (SWIR within 2 μm to 2.5 μm. It is part of the LEO-LEO microwave and infrared-laser occultation (LMIO method that enables to retrieve thermodynamic profiles (pressure, temperature, humidity and altitude levels from microwave signals and profiles of greenhouse gases and further variables such as line-of-sight wind speed from simultaneously measured LIO signals. Due to the novelty of the LMIO method, detailed knowledge of atmospheric influences on LIO signals and of their suitability for accurate trace species retrieval did not yet exist. Here we discuss these influences, assessing effects from refraction, trace species absorption, aerosol extinction and Rayleigh scattering in detail, and addressing clouds, turbulence, wind, scattered solar radiation and terrestrial thermal radiation as well. We show that the influence of refractive defocusing, foreign species absorption, aerosols and turbulence is observable, but can be rendered small to negligible by use of the differential transmission principle with a close frequency spacing of LIO absorption and reference signals within 0.5%. The influences of Rayleigh scattering and terrestrial thermal radiation are found negligible. Cloud-scattered solar radiation can be observable under bright-day conditions, but this influence can be made negligible by a close time spacing (within 5 ms of interleaved laser-pulse and background signals. Cloud extinction loss generally blocks SWIR signals, except very thin or sub-visible cirrus clouds, which can be addressed by retrieving a cloud layering profile and exploiting it in the trace species retrieval. Wind can have a small influence on the trace species absorption, which can be made negligible by using a simultaneously retrieved or a moderately accurate background wind speed profile. We

Observation of the exhaust plume from the space shuttle main engines using the microwave limb sounder

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

H. C. Pumphrey

2011-01-01

Full Text Available A space shuttle launch deposits 700 tonnes of water in the atmosphere. Some of this water is released into the upper mesosphere and lower thermosphere where it may be directly detected by a limb sounding satellite instrument. We report measurements of water vapour plumes from shuttle launches made by the Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS on the Aura satellite. Approximately 50%–65% of shuttle launches are detected by MLS. The signal appears at a similar level across the upper 10 km of the MLS limb scan, suggesting that the bulk of the observed water is above the top of the scan. Only a small fraction at best of smaller launches (Ariane 5, Proton are detected. We conclude that the sensitivity of MLS is only just great enough to detect a shuttle sized launch, but that a suitably designed instrument of the same general type could detect the exhausts from a large proportion of heavy-lift launches.

Infrared spectroscopy, vibrational predissociation dynamics and stability of the hydrogen trioxy (HOOO) radical and estimation of its abundance in the atmosphere

Science.gov (United States)

Derro, Erika L.

The hydrogen trioxy (HOOO) radical has been implicated as an important intermediate in key processes in the atmosphere. In the present studies, HOOO is produced by the combination of O2 and photolytically generated OH radicals in the collisional region of a pulsed supersonic expansion. Rotationally cooled HOOO is probed in the effectively collision-free region of the expansion using infrared action spectroscopy, an infrared-pump, ultraviolet-probe technique, in which HOOO is vibrationally excited and the nascent OH products of vibrational predissociation are probed via laser-induced fluorescence. High resolution infrared spectra of HOOO and DOOO were observed in the fundamental and overtone OH/D stretching regions (nui and 2nu 1), which comprise a rotationally structured band attributed to the trans conformer, and an unstructured component assigned to the cis conformer. Infrared spectra of HOOO and DOOO combination bands composed of the OH stretch and a low frequency mode (nu1 + nun) were also observed. This allowed identification of vibrational frequencies for five of the six modes for trans-H/DOOO and four of the six modes for cis-HOOO and DOOO. Identification of low frequency modes provides critical information on the vibrational dynamics and thermochemical properties of the HOOO radical, and furthermore, provides a potential means for detecting HOOO in situ in the atmosphere. In addition, the nascent OH X2pi products following vibrational predissociation of HOOO have been investigated. The product state distributions reveal a distinct preference for population of pi(A ') Λ-doublets in OH that is indicative of a planar dissociation of trans-HOOO in which the symmetry of the bonding orbital is maintained. The highest observed OH quantum state allows determination of the stability of HOOO relative to the OH + O 2 asymptote using a conservation of energy approach. In conjunction with a similar investigation of DOOO, the binding energy is determined to be ≤ 5

An Assessment of Data from the Advanced Technology Microwave Sounder at the Met Office

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Amy Doherty

2015-01-01

Full Text Available An appraisal of the Advanced Technology Microwave Sounder (ATMS for use in numerical weather prediction (NWP is presented, including an assessment of the data quality, the impact on Met Office global forecasts in preoperational trials, and a summary of performance over a period of 17 months operational use. After remapping, the noise performance (NEΔT of the tropospheric temperature sounding channels is evaluated to be approximately 0.1 K, comparing favourably with AMSU-A. However, the noise is not random, differences between observations and simulations based on short-range forecast fields show a spurious striping effect, due to 1/f noise in the receiver. The amplitude of this signal is several tenths of a Kelvin, potentially a concern for NWP applications. In preoperational tests, adding ATMS data to a full Met Office system already exploiting data from four microwave sounders improves southern hemisphere mean sea level pressure forecasts in the 2- to 5-day range by 1-2%. In operational use, where data from five other microwave sounders is assimilated, forecast impact is typically between −0.05 and −0.1 J/kg (3.4% of total mean impact per day over the period 1 April to 31 July 2013. This suggests benefits beyond redundancy, associated with reducing already small analysis errors.

The Use of Red Green Blue Air Mass Imagery to Investigate the Role of Stratospheric Air in a Non-convective Wind Event

Science.gov (United States)

Berndt, E. B.; Zavodsky, B. T.; Jedlovec, G. J.; Molthan, A. L.

2013-01-01

Non-convective wind events commonly occur with passing extratropical cyclones and have significant societal and economic impacts. Since non-convective winds often occur in the absence of specific phenomena such as a thunderstorm, tornado, or hurricane, the public are less likely to heed high wind warnings and continue daily activities. Thus non-convective wind events result in as many fatalities as straight line thunderstorm winds. One physical explanation for non-convective winds includes tropopause folds. Improved model representation of stratospheric air and associated non-convective wind events could improve non-convective wind forecasts and associated warnings. In recent years, satellite data assimilation has improved skill in forecasting extratropical cyclones; however errors still remain in forecasting the position and strength of extratropical cyclones as well as the tropopause folding process. The goal of this study is to determine the impact of assimilating satellite temperature and moisture retrieved profiles from hyperspectral infrared (IR) sounders (i.e. Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS), Cross-track Infrared and Microwave Sounding Suite (CrIMSS), and Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer (IASI)) on the model representation of the tropopause fold and an associated high wind event that impacted the Northeast United States on 09 February 2013. Model simulations using the Advanced Research Weather Research and Forecasting Model (ARW) were conducted on a 12-km grid with cycled data assimilation mimicking the operational North American Model (NAM). The results from the satellite assimilation run are compared to a control experiment (without hyperspectral IR retrievals), Modern Era-Retrospective Analysis for Research and Applications (MERRA) reanalysis, and Rapid Refresh analyses.

Sahara Dust Cloud

Science.gov (United States)

2005-01-01

[figure removed for brevity, see original site] Dust Particles Click on the image for Quicktime movie from 7/15-7/24 A continent-sized cloud of hot air and dust originating from the Sahara Desert crossed the Atlantic Ocean and headed towards Florida and the Caribbean. A Saharan Air Layer, or SAL, forms when dry air and dust rise from Africa's west coast and ride the trade winds above the Atlantic Ocean. These dust clouds are not uncommon, especially during the months of July and August. They start when weather patterns called tropical waves pick up dust from the desert in North Africa, carry it a couple of miles into the atmosphere and drift westward. In a sequence of images created by data acquired by the Earth-orbiting Atmospheric Infrared Sounder ranging from July 15 through July 24, we see the distribution of the cloud in the atmosphere as it swirls off of Africa and heads across the ocean to the west. Using the unique silicate spectral signatures of dust in the thermal infrared, AIRS can detect the presence of dust in the atmosphere day or night. This detection works best if there are no clouds present on top of the dust; when clouds are present, they can interfere with the signal, making it much harder to detect dust as in the case of July 24, 2005. In the Quicktime movie, the scale at the bottom of the images shows +1 for dust definitely detected, and ranges down to -1 for no dust detected. The plots are averaged over a number of AIRS observations falling within grid boxes, and so it is possible to obtain fractional numbers. [figure removed for brevity, see original site] Total Water Vapor in the Atmosphere Around the Dust Cloud Click on the image for Quicktime movie The dust cloud is contained within a dry adiabatic layer which originates over the Sahara Desert. This Saharan Air Layer (SAL) advances Westward over the Atlantic Ocean, overriding the cool, moist air nearer the surface. This burst of very dry air is visible in the AIRS retrieved total water

Recent advances in infrared astronomy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Robson, E.I.

1980-01-01

A background survey is given of developments in infrared astronomy during the last decade. Advantages obtained in using infrared wavelengths to penetrate the Earth's atmosphere and the detectors used for this work are considered. Infrared studies of, among other subjects, the stars, dust clouds, the centre of our galaxy and the 3k cosmic background radiation, are discussed. (UK)

Fourier transform infrared absorption spectroscopy characterization of gaseous atmospheric pressure plasmas with 2 mm spatial resolution

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Laroche, G. [Laboratoire d' Ingenierie de Surface, Centre de Recherche sur les Materiaux Avances, Departement de genie des mines, de la metallurgie et des materiaux, Universite Laval, 1065, avenue de la Medecine, Quebec G1V 0A6 (Canada); Centre de recherche du CHUQ, Hopital St Francois d' Assise, 10, rue de l' Espinay, local E0-165, Quebec G1L 3L5 (Canada); Vallade, J. [Laboratoire Procedes, Materiaux et Energie Solaire, PROMES, CNRS, Technosud, Rambla de la Thermodynamique, F-66100 Perpignan (France); Agence de l' environnement et de la Ma Latin-Small-Letter-Dotless-I -carettrise de l' Energie, 20, avenue du Gresille, BP 90406, F-49004 Angers Cedex 01 (France); Bazinette, R.; Hernandez, E.; Hernandez, G.; Massines, F. [Laboratoire Procedes, Materiaux et Energie Solaire, PROMES, CNRS, Technosud, Rambla de la Thermodynamique, F-66100 Perpignan (France); Nijnatten, P. van [OMT Solutions bv, High Tech Campus 9, 5656AE Eindhoven (Netherlands)

2012-10-15

This paper describes an optical setup built to record Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) absorption spectra in an atmospheric pressure plasma with a spatial resolution of 2 mm. The overall system consisted of three basic parts: (1) optical components located within the FTIR sample compartment, making it possible to define the size of the infrared beam (2 mm Multiplication-Sign 2 mm over a path length of 50 mm) imaged at the site of the plasma by (2) an optical interface positioned between the spectrometer and the plasma reactor. Once through the plasma region, (3) a retro-reflector module, located behind the plasma reactor, redirected the infrared beam coincident to the incident path up to a 45 Degree-Sign beamsplitter to reflect the beam toward a narrow-band mercury-cadmium-telluride detector. The antireflective plasma-coating experiments performed with ammonia and silane demonstrated that it was possible to quantify 42 and 2 ppm of these species in argon, respectively. In the case of ammonia, this was approximately three times less than this gas concentration typically used in plasma coating experiments while the silane limit of quantification was 35 times lower. Moreover, 70% of the incoming infrared radiation was focused within a 2 mm width at the site of the plasma, in reasonable agreement with the expected spatial resolution. The possibility of reaching this spatial resolution thus enabled us to measure the gaseous precursor consumption as a function of their residence time in the plasma.

PCA determination of the radiometric noise of high spectral resolution infrared observations from spectral residuals: Application to IASI

Science.gov (United States)

Serio, C.; Masiello, G.; Camy-Peyret, C.; Jacquette, E.; Vandermarcq, O.; Bermudo, F.; Coppens, D.; Tobin, D.

2018-02-01

The problem of characterizing and estimating the instrumental or radiometric noise of satellite high spectral resolution infrared spectrometers directly from Earth observations is addressed in this paper. An approach has been developed, which relies on the Principal Component Analysis (PCA) with a suitable criterion to select the optimal number of PC scores. Different selection criteria have been set up and analysed, which is based on the estimation theory of Least Squares and/or Maximum Likelihood Principle. The approach is independent of any forward model and/or radiative transfer calculations. The PCA is used to define an orthogonal basis, which, in turn, is used to derive an optimal linear reconstruction of the observations. The residual vector that is the observation vector minus the calculated or reconstructed one is then used to estimate the instrumental noise. It will be shown that the use of the spectral residuals to assess the radiometric instrumental noise leads to efficient estimators, which are largely independent of possible departures of the true noise from that assumed a priori to model the observational covariance matrix. Application to the Infrared Atmospheric Sounder Interferometer (IASI) has been considered. A series of case studies has been set up, which make use of IASI observations. As a major result, the analysis confirms the high stability and radiometric performance of IASI. The approach also proved to be efficient in characterizing noise features due to mechanical micro-vibrations of the beam splitter of the IASI instrument.

Combining Passive Microwave Sounders with CYGNSS information for improved retrievals: Observations during Hurricane Harvey

Science.gov (United States)

Schreier, M. M.

2017-12-01

The launch of CYGNSS (Cyclone Global Navigation Satellite System) has added an interesting component to satellite observations: it can provide wind speeds in the tropical area with a high repetition rate. Passive microwave sounders that are overpassing the same region can benefit from this information, when it comes to the retrieval of temperature or water profiles: the uncertainty about wind speeds has a strong impact on emissivity and reflectivity calculations with respect to surface temperature. This has strong influences on the uncertainty of retrieval of temperature and water content, especially under extreme weather conditions. Adding CYGNSS information to the retrieval can help to reduce errors and provide a significantly better sounder retrieval. Based on observations during Hurricane Harvey, we want to show the impact of CYGNSS data on the retrieval of passive microwave sensors. We will show examples on the impact on the retrieval from polar orbiting instruments, like the Advanced Technology Microwave Sounder (ATMS) and AMSU-A/B on NOAA-18 and 19. In addition we will also show the impact on retrievals from HAMSR (High Altitude MMIC Sounding Radiometer), which was flying on the Global Hawk during the EPOCH campaign. We will compare the results with other observations and estimate the impact of additional CYGNSS information on the microwave retrieval, especially on the impact in error and uncertainty reduction. We think, that a synergetic use of these different data sources could significantly help to produce better assimilation products for forecast assimilation.

Mid-Infrared Lasers

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — Mid infrared solid state lasers for Differential Absorption Lidar (DIAL) systems required for understanding atmospheric chemistry are not available. This program...

Space Plasma Slab Studies using a new 3D Embedded Reconfigurable MPSoC Sounder

Science.gov (United States)

Dekoulis, George

2016-07-01

This paper presents recent ionospheric slab thickness measurements using a new mobile digital sounder system. The datasets obtained have been compared to the results of existing sounders in operation. The data validity has been verified. The slab thickness data allow constant monitoring of the lower ionosphere revealing the dynamic trends of the physical processes being involved. The prototype offers a tremendous amount of hardware processing power and a previously unseen response time in servicing the input and output data interfaces. This has been enabled by incorporating the latest three-dimensional Ultrascale+ technologies available commercially from the reconfigurable Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) computing industry. Furthermore, a previously developed Network-on-Chip (NoC) design methodology has been incorporated for connecting and controlling the application driven multiprocessor network. The system determines electron distributions, aggregate electromagnetic field gradients and plasma current density.

Infrared Sky Imager (IRSI) Instrument Handbook

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Morris, Victor R. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)

2016-04-01

The Infrared Sky Imager (IRSI) deployed at the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Climate Research Facility is a Solmirus Corp. All Sky Infrared Visible Analyzer. The IRSI is an automatic, continuously operating, digital imaging and software system designed to capture hemispheric sky images and provide time series retrievals of fractional sky cover during both the day and night. The instrument provides diurnal, radiometrically calibrated sky imagery in the mid-infrared atmospheric window and imagery in the visible wavelengths for cloud retrievals during daylight hours. The software automatically identifies cloudy and clear regions at user-defined intervals and calculates fractional sky cover, providing a real-time display of sky conditions.

Variability at Multiple Scales: Using an Array of Current- and Pressure-Sensor Equipped Inverted Echo Sounders to Measure the Ocean

Science.gov (United States)

2016-11-29

of Current- and Pressure - Sensor Equipped Inverted Echo Sounders to Measure the Ocean 5b. GRANT NUMBER NOOO 14-15-1-2857 5c. PROGRAM ELEMENT NUMBER...inverted echo sounders (lESs) equipped with pressure and current sensors (CPIESs). CPIESs are moored instruments that measure the round-trip acoustic...at a range of spatial and temporal scales. The goals of this project were to enhance the pool of pressure - sensor equipped lESs available at the

Variability at Multiple Scales: Using an Array of Current and Pressure Sensor Equipped Inverted Echo Sounders to Measure the Ocean

Science.gov (United States)

2016-11-29

of Current- and Pressure - Sensor Equipped Inverted Echo Sounders to Measure the Ocean 5b. GRANT NUMBER NOOO 14-15-1-2857 5c. PROGRAM ELEMENT NUMBER...inverted echo sounders (lESs) equipped with pressure and current sensors (CPIESs). CPIESs are moored instruments that measure the round-trip acoustic...at a range of spatial and temporal scales. The goals of this project were to enhance the pool of pressure - sensor equipped lESs available at the

Design and Implementation of a Mechanical Control System for the Scanning Microwave Limb Sounder

Science.gov (United States)

Bowden, William

2011-01-01

The Scanning Microwave Limb Sounder (SMLS) will use technological improvements in low noise mixers to provide precise data on the Earth's atmospheric composition with high spatial resolution. This project focuses on the design and implementation of a real time control system needed for airborne engineering tests of the SMLS. The system must coordinate the actuation of optical components using four motors with encoder readback, while collecting synchronized telemetric data from a GPS receiver and 3-axis gyrometric system. A graphical user interface for testing the control system was also designed using Python. Although the system could have been implemented with a FPGA-based setup, we chose to use a low cost processor development kit manufactured by XMOS. The XMOS architecture allows parallel execution of multiple tasks on separate threads-making it ideal for this application and is easily programmed using XC (a subset of C). The necessary communication interfaces were implemented in software, including Ethernet, with significant cost and time reduction compared to an FPGA-based approach. For these reasons, the XMOS technology is an attractive, cost effective, alternative to FPGA-based technologies for this design and similar rapid prototyping projects.

Algorithm integration using ADL (Algorithm Development Library) for improving CrIMSS EDR science product quality

Science.gov (United States)

Das, B.; Wilson, M.; Divakarla, M. G.; Chen, W.; Barnet, C.; Wolf, W.

2013-05-01

Algorithm Development Library (ADL) is a framework that mimics the operational system IDPS (Interface Data Processing Segment) that is currently being used to process data from instruments aboard Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership (S-NPP) satellite. The satellite was launched successfully in October 2011. The Cross-track Infrared and Microwave Sounder Suite (CrIMSS) consists of the Advanced Technology Microwave Sounder (ATMS) and Cross-track Infrared Sounder (CrIS) instruments that are on-board of S-NPP. These instruments will also be on-board of JPSS (Joint Polar Satellite System) that will be launched in early 2017. The primary products of the CrIMSS Environmental Data Record (EDR) include global atmospheric vertical temperature, moisture, and pressure profiles (AVTP, AVMP and AVPP) and Ozone IP (Intermediate Product from CrIS radiances). Several algorithm updates have recently been proposed by CrIMSS scientists that include fixes to the handling of forward modeling errors, a more conservative identification of clear scenes, indexing corrections for daytime products, and relaxed constraints between surface temperature and air temperature for daytime land scenes. We have integrated these improvements into the ADL framework. This work compares the results from ADL emulation of future IDPS system incorporating all the suggested algorithm updates with the current official processing results by qualitative and quantitative evaluations. The results prove these algorithm updates improve science product quality.

IASI instrument: technical description and measured performances

Science.gov (United States)

Hébert, Ph.; Blumstein, D.; Buil, C.; Carlier, T.; Chalon, G.; Astruc, P.; Clauss, A.; Siméoni, D.; Tournier, B.

2017-11-01

IASI is an infrared atmospheric sounder. It will provide meteorologist and scientific community with atmospheric spectra. The IASI system includes 3 instruments that will be mounted on the Metop satellite series, a data processing software integrated in the EPS (EUMETSAT Polar System) ground segment and a technical expertise centre implemented in CNES Toulouse. The instrument is composed of a Fourier transform spectrometer and an associated infrared imager. The optical configuration is based on a Michelson interferometer and the interferograms are processed by an on-board digital processing subsystem, which performs the inverse Fourier transforms and the radiometric calibration. The infrared imager co-registers the IASI soundings with AVHRR imager (AVHRR is another instrument on the Metop satellite). The presentation will focus on the architectures of the instrument, the description of the implemented technologies and the measured performance of the first flight model. CNES is leading the IASI program in association with EUMETSAT. The instrument Prime is ALCATEL SPACE.

A portable infrared laser spectrometer for flux measurements of trace gases at the geosphere–atmosphere interface

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guimbaud, C; Catoire, V; Robert, C; Chartier, M; Pomathiod, L; Gogo, S; Laggoun-Défarge, F; Albéric, P; Grossel, A; Nicoullaud, B; Richard, G

2011-01-01

A portable infrared laser absorption spectrometer named SPIRIT (SPectromètre Infra-Rouge In situ Troposphérique) has been set up for the simultaneous flux measurements of trace gases at the geosphere–atmosphere interface. It uses a continuous wave distributed feedback room temperature quantum cascade laser and a patented new optical multi-pass cell. The aim of SPIRIT field studies is to get a better understanding of land and water bodies to atmosphere exchange mechanisms of greenhouse gases (GHG). The analytical procedures to derive concentrations and fluxes are described, as well as the performances of the instrument under field conditions. The ability of SPIRIT to assess space and time dependence emissions of two GHG—nitrous oxide (N 2 O) and methane (CH 4 )—for different types of ecosystems is demonstrated through in situ measurements on peatland, on fertilized soil, and on water body systems. The objectives of these investigations and preliminary significant results are reported

Atmosphere Assessment for MARS Science Laboratory Entry, Descent and Landing Operations

Science.gov (United States)

Cianciolo, Alicia D.; Cantor, Bruce; Barnes, Jeff; Tyler, Daniel, Jr.; Rafkin, Scot; Chen, Allen; Kass, David; Mischna, Michael; Vasavada, Ashwin R.

2013-01-01

On August 6, 2012, the Mars Science Laboratory rover, Curiosity, successfully landed on the surface of Mars. The Entry, Descent and Landing (EDL) sequence was designed using atmospheric conditions estimated from mesoscale numerical models. The models, developed by two independent organizations (Oregon State University and the Southwest Research Institute), were validated against observations at Mars from three prior years. In the weeks and days before entry, the MSL "Council of Atmospheres" (CoA), a group of atmospheric scientists and modelers, instrument experts and EDL simulation engineers, evaluated the latest Mars data from orbiting assets including the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter's Mars Color Imager (MARCI) and Mars Climate Sounder (MCS), as well as Mars Odyssey's Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS). The observations were compared to the mesoscale models developed for EDL performance simulation to determine if a spacecraft parameter update was necessary prior to entry. This paper summarizes the daily atmosphere observations and comparison to the performance simulation atmosphere models. Options to modify the atmosphere model in the simulation to compensate for atmosphere effects are also presented. Finally, a summary of the CoA decisions and recommendations to the MSL project in the days leading up to EDL is provided.

The Box Model and the Acoustic Sounder, a Case Study

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Niels Otto; Lundtang Petersen, Erik

1979-01-01

Concentrations of SO2 in a large city during a subsidence situation are predicted as a function of time by means of a simple box model and the predictions are compared to actual SO2 concentration measurements. The agreement between model results and measurements is found to be excellent. The mode...... uses the height of the mixing layer as measured by means of an acoustic sounder. It is demonstrated that this height is a dominant factor in determining the variation of the SO2 concentration...

The infrared spectrum of Jupiter

Science.gov (United States)

Ridgway, S. T.; Larson, H. P.; Fink, U.

1976-01-01

The principal characteristics of Jupiter's infrared spectrum are reviewed with emphasis on their significance for our understanding of the composition and temperature structure of the Jovian upper atmosphere. The spectral region from 1 to 40 microns divides naturally into three regimes: the reflecting region, thermal emission from below the cloud deck (5-micron hot spots), and thermal emission from above the clouds. Opaque parts of the Jovian atmosphere further subdivide these regions into windows, and each is discussed in the context of its past or potential contributions to our knowledge of the planet. Recent results are incorporated into a table of atmospheric composition and abundance which includes positively identified constituents as well as several which require verification. The limited available information about spatial variations of the infrared spectrum is presented

Assimilation of Feng-Yun-3B satellite microwave humidity sounder data over land

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Keyi; Bormann, Niels; English, Stephen; Zhu, Jiang

2018-03-01

The ECMWF has been assimilating Feng-Yun-3B (FY-3B) satellite microwave humidity sounder (MWHS) data over ocean in an operational forecasting system since 24 September 2014. It is more difficult, however, to assimilate microwave observations over land and sea ice than over the open ocean due to higher uncertainties in land surface temperature, surface emissivity and less effective cloud screening. We compare approaches in which the emissivity is retrieved dynamically from MWHS channel 1 [150 GHz (vertical polarization)] with the use of an evolving emissivity atlas from 89 GHz observations from the MWHS onboard NOAA and EUMETSAT satellites. The assimilation of the additional data over land improves the fit of short-range forecasts to other observations, notably ATMS (Advanced Technology Microwave Sounder) humidity channels, and the forecast impacts are mainly neutral to slightly positive over the first five days. The forecast impacts are better in boreal summer and the Southern Hemisphere. These results suggest that the techniques tested allow for effective assimilation of MWHS/FY-3B data over land.

Thermal effects of an ICL-based mid-infrared CH4 sensor within a wide atmospheric temperature range

Science.gov (United States)

Ye, Weilin; Zheng, Chuantao; Sanchez, Nancy P.; Girija, Aswathy V.; He, Qixin; Zheng, Huadan; Griffin, Robert J.; Tittel, Frank K.

2018-03-01

The thermal effects of an interband cascade laser (ICL) based mid-infrared methane (CH4) sensor that uses long-path absorption spectroscopy were studied. The sensor performance in the laboratory at a constant temperature of ∼25 °C was measured for 5 h and its Allan deviation was ∼2 ppbv with a 1 s averaging time. A LabVIEW-based simulation program was developed to study thermal effects on infrared absorption and a temperature compensation technique was developed to minimize these effects. An environmental test chamber was employed to investigate the thermal effects that occur in the sensor system with variation of the test chamber temperature between 10 and 30 °C. The thermal response of the sensor in a laboratory setting was observed using a 2.1 ppm CH4 standard gas sample. Indoor/outdoor CH4 measurements were conducted to evaluate the sensor performance within a wide atmospheric temperature range.

Spectroscopy of the earth's atmosphere and interstellar medium

CERN Document Server

Rao, KN

1992-01-01

Spectroscopy of the Earth's Atmosphere and Interstellar Medium focuses on the characteristics of the electromagnetic spectrum of the Earth's atmosphere in the far-infrared and microwave regions. It discusses the modes of observation in field measurements and reviews the two techniques used in the spectral region. Organized into six chapters, this volume begins with an overview of the effect of water-vapor absorption, followed by a discussion on the two frequently used method for deriving atmospheric parameters from high-resolution infrared atmospheric spectra, namely, the equivalent width

Next generation global Earth atmospheric composition sounders for the decadal survey requirements and roadmaps

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — This task follows directly from an "A Team" study conducted in April 2013 to identify the future space based atmospheric composition measurements required to inform...

TES Level 1 Algorithms: Interferogram Processing, Geolocation, Radiometric, and Spectral Calibration

Science.gov (United States)

Worden, Helen; Beer, Reinhard; Bowman, Kevin W.; Fisher, Brendan; Luo, Mingzhao; Rider, David; Sarkissian, Edwin; Tremblay, Denis; Zong, Jia

2006-01-01

The Tropospheric Emission Spectrometer (TES) on the Earth Observing System (EOS) Aura satellite measures the infrared radiance emitted by the Earth's surface and atmosphere using Fourier transform spectrometry. The measured interferograms are converted into geolocated, calibrated radiance spectra by the L1 (Level 1) processing, and are the inputs to L2 (Level 2) retrievals of atmospheric parameters, such as vertical profiles of trace gas abundance. We describe the algorithmic components of TES Level 1 processing, giving examples of the intermediate results and diagnostics that are necessary for creating TES L1 products. An assessment of noise-equivalent spectral radiance levels and current systematic errors is provided. As an initial validation of our spectral radiances, TES data are compared to the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) (on EOS Aqua), after accounting for spectral resolution differences by applying the AIRS spectral response function to the TES spectra. For the TES L1 nadir data products currently available, the agreement with AIRS is 1 K or better.

Mars: Atmosphere

Science.gov (United States)

Moroz, V.; Murdin, P.

2001-07-01

The atmosphere of MARS is much thinner than the terrestrial one. However, even the simplest visual telescopic observations show a set of atmospheric events such as seasonal exchange of material between polar caps, temporal appearance of clouds and changes of visibility of dark regions on the disk of the planet. In 1947 the prominent CO2 bands in the near-infrared part of the Martian spectrum were...

Intercomparison of stratospheric gravity wave observations with AIRS and IASI

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

L. Hoffmann

2014-12-01

Full Text Available Gravity waves are an important driver for the atmospheric circulation and have substantial impact on weather and climate. Satellite instruments offer excellent opportunities to study gravity waves on a global scale. This study focuses on observations from the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS onboard the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Aqua satellite and the Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer (IASI onboard the European MetOp satellites. The main aim of this study is an intercomparison of stratospheric gravity wave observations of both instruments. In particular, we analyzed AIRS and IASI 4.3 μm brightness temperature measurements, which directly relate to stratospheric temperature. Three case studies showed that AIRS and IASI provide a clear and consistent picture of the temporal development of individual gravity wave events. Statistical comparisons based on a 5-year period of measurements (2008–2012 showed similar spatial and temporal patterns of gravity wave activity. However, the statistical comparisons also revealed systematic differences of variances between AIRS and IASI that we attribute to the different spatial measurement characteristics of both instruments. We also found differences between day- and nighttime data that are partly due to the local time variations of the gravity wave sources. While AIRS has been used successfully in many previous gravity wave studies, IASI data are applied here for the first time for that purpose. Our study shows that gravity wave observations from different hyperspectral infrared sounders such as AIRS and IASI can be directly related to each other, if instrument-specific characteristics such as different noise levels and spatial resolution and sampling are carefully considered. The ability to combine observations from different satellites provides an opportunity to create a long-term record, which is an exciting prospect for future climatological studies of stratospheric

Thermal infrared properties of the Martian atmosphere 4. Predictions of the presence of dust and ice clouds from Viking IRTM spectral measurements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hunt, G.E.

1979-01-01

In this paper we investigate the response of the Martian atmosphere at the wavelengths measured by the Viking infrared thermal mapper instrument (IRTM) to the presence of varying amounts of dust and water ice clouds. A detailed radiative transfer study is represented to show that these IRTM measurements at channels centered at 7, 9, 11, and 20 μm may be used to differentiate between the presence of dust and water ice clouds in the Martian atmosphere. They show further that these measurements may also be used to provide some information on the structure of the lower atmosphere. The use of the IRTM measurements in the manner we describe can provide information associated with the thermal characteristics of Martian dust storms

Far infrared photoconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Leotin, J.; Meny, C.

1990-01-01

This paper presents the development of far infrared photoconductors for the focal plane of a spaceborne instrument named SAFIRE. SAFIRE (Spectroscopy of the Atmosphere using Far-Infrared Emission) belongs to the EOS program (Earth Observing System) and is now in the definition phase. It is a joint effort by scientists from the United States, Great Britain, Italy and France for a new generation of atmosphere sensor. The overall goal of the SAFIRE experiment is to improve the understanding of the ozone distribution in the middle atmosphere by conducting global scale measurements of the important chemical, radiative and dynamical processes which influence its changes. This will be accomplished by the measurement of the far infrared thermal limb emission in seven spectral channels covering the range 80 to 400 cm -1 with a maximum resolution of 0.004 cm -1 . For example key gases like OH, O, HO 2 , N 2 O 5 will be probed for the first time. Achievement of the required detector sensitivity in the far-infrared imposes the choice of photoconductive detectors operating at liquid helium temperatures. Germanium doped with gallium is selected for six channels whereas germanium doped with beryllium is suitable for the N 2 O 5 channel. Both photoconductors Ge:Ga and Ge:Be benefit from a well established material technology. A better wavelength coverage of channel 1 is achieved by applying a small uniaxial stress of the order of 0.1 GPa on the Ge:Ga photoconductors. The channel 6B wavelength coverage could be improved by using zinc-doped-germanium (Ge:Zn) or, much better, by using a Blocked Impurity band silicon detector doped with antimony (BIB Si:Sb). The later is developed as an optional basis

Calibration of NOAA-7 AVHRR, GOES-5 and GOES-6 VISSR/VAS solar channels

Science.gov (United States)

Frouin, R.; Gautier, C.

1986-01-01

The NOAA-7, GOES-5 and GOES-6 Visible Infrared Spin Scan Radiometer/Vertical Atmospheric Sounder (VISSR/VAS) solar channels were calibrated. The White Sands Monument area in New Mexico, whose reflectance properties are well known, and space are used as calibration targets. The shortwave reflected terrestrial irradiance that is measured at satellite altitude is computed using a fairly accurate radiative transfer model which accounts for multiple scattering and bidirectional effects. The ground target reflectance and relevant characteristics of the overlying atmosphere are estimated from climatological data and observation at the nearest meteorological sites. The approach is believed to produce accuracies of 8 to 13% depending on the channel considered.

Space-Time Variations in Water Vapor as Observed by the UARS Microwave Limb Sounder

Science.gov (United States)

Elson, Lee S.; Read, William G.; Waters, Joe W.; Mote, Philip W.; Kinnersley, Jonathan S.; Harwood, Robert S.

1996-01-01

Water vapor in the upper troposphere has a significant impact on the climate system. Difficulties in making accurate global measurements have led to uncertainty in understanding water vapor's coupling to the hydrologic cycle in the lower troposphere and its role in radiative energy balance. The Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS) on the Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite is able to retrieve water vapor concentration in the upper troposphere with good sensitivity and nearly global coverage. An analysis of these preliminary retrievals based on 3 years of observations shows the water vapor distribution to be similar to that measured by other techniques and to model results. The primary MLS water vapor measurements were made in the stratosphere, where this species acts as a conserved tracer under certain conditions. As is the case for the upper troposphere, most of the stratospheric discussion focuses on the time evolution of the zonal mean and zonally varying water vapor. Stratospheric results span a 19-month period and tropospheric results a 36-month period, both beginning in October of 1991. Comparisons with stratospheric model calculations show general agreement, with some differences in the amplitude and phase of long-term variations. At certain times and places, the evolution of water vapor distributions in the lower stratosphere suggests the presence of meridional transport.

Mid-upper tropospheric methane retrieval from IASI and its validation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

X. Xiong

2013-09-01

Full Text Available Mid-upper tropospheric methane (CH4, as an operational product at NOAA's (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Comprehensive Large Array-data Stewardship System (CLASS, has been retrieved from the Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer (IASI since 2008. This paper provides a description of the retrieval method and the validation using 596 CH4 vertical profiles from aircraft measurements by the HIAPER Pole-to-Pole Observations (HIPPO program over the Pacific Ocean. The number of degrees of freedom for the CH4 retrieval is mostly less than 1.5, and it decreases under cloudy conditions. The retrievals show greatest sensitivity between 100–600 hPa in the tropics and 200–750 hPa in the mid- to high latitude. Validation is accomplished using aircraft measurements (convolved by applying the monthly mean averaging kernels collocated with all the retrieved profiles within 200 km and on the same day, and the results show that, on average, a larger error of CH4 occurs at 300–500 hPa. The bias in the trapezoid of 374–477 hPa is −1.74% with a residual standard deviation of 1.20%, and at layer 596–753 hPa the bias is −0.69% with a residual standard deviation of 1.07%. The retrieval error is relatively larger in the high northern latitude regions and/or under cloudy conditions. The main reasons for this negative bias include the uncertainty in the spectroscopy near the methane Q branch and/or the empirical bias correction, plus residual cloud contamination in the cloud-cleared radiances. It is expected for NOAA to generate the CH4 product for 20 + years using a similar algorithm from three similar thermal infrared sensors: Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS, IASI and the Cross-track Infrared Sounder (CrIS. Such a unique product will provide a supplementary to the current ground-based observation network, particularly in the Arctic, for monitoring the CH4 cycle, its transport and trend associated with climate change.

A Useful Tool for Atmospheric Correction and Surface Temperature Estimation of Landsat Infrared Thermal Data

Science.gov (United States)

Rivalland, Vincent; Tardy, Benjamin; Huc, Mireille; Hagolle, Olivier; Marcq, Sébastien; Boulet, Gilles

2016-04-01

Land Surface temperature (LST) is a critical variable for studying the energy and water budgets at the Earth surface, and is a key component of many aspects of climate research and services. The Landsat program jointly carried out by NASA and USGS has been providing thermal infrared data for 40 years, but no associated LST product has been yet routinely proposed to community. To derive LST values, radiances measured at sensor-level need to be corrected for the atmospheric absorption, the atmospheric emission and the surface emissivity effect. Until now, existing LST products have been generated with multi channel methods such as the Temperature/Emissivity Separation (TES) adapted to ASTER data or the generalized split-window algorithm adapted to MODIS multispectral data. Those approaches are ill-adapted to the Landsat mono-window data specificity. The atmospheric correction methodology usually used for Landsat data requires detailed information about the state of the atmosphere. This information may be obtained from radio-sounding or model atmospheric reanalysis and is supplied to a radiative transfer model in order to estimate atmospheric parameters for a given coordinate. In this work, we present a new automatic tool dedicated to Landsat thermal data correction which improves the common atmospheric correction methodology by introducing the spatial dimension in the process. The python tool developed during this study, named LANDARTs for LANDsat Automatic Retrieval of surface Temperature, is fully automatic and provides atmospheric corrections for a whole Landsat tile. Vertical atmospheric conditions are downloaded from the ERA Interim dataset from ECMWF meteorological organization which provides them at 0.125 degrees resolution, at a global scale and with a 6-hour-time step. The atmospheric correction parameters are estimated on the atmospheric grid using the commercial software MODTRAN, then interpolated to 30m resolution. We detail the processing steps

A Fourier transform infrared trace gas and isotope analyser for atmospheric applications

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

D. W. T. Griffith

2012-10-01

Full Text Available Concern in recent decades about human impacts on Earth's climate has led to the need for improved and expanded measurement capabilities of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. In this paper we describe in detail an in situ trace gas analyser based on Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR spectroscopy that is capable of simultaneous and continuous measurements of carbon dioxide (CO₂, methane (CH₄, carbon monoxide (CO, nitrous oxide (N₂O and ¹³C in CO₂ in air with high precision. High accuracy is established by reference to measurements of standard reference gases. Stable water isotopes can also be measured in undried airstreams. The analyser is automated and allows unattended operation with minimal operator intervention. Precision and accuracy meet and exceed the compatibility targets set by the World Meteorological Organisation – Global Atmosphere Watch for baseline measurements in the unpolluted troposphere for all species except ¹³C in CO₂.

The analyser is mobile and well suited to fixed sites, tower measurements, mobile platforms and campaign-based measurements. The isotopic specificity of the optically-based technique and analysis allows its application in isotopic tracer experiments, for example in tracing variations of ¹³C in CO₂ and ¹⁵N in N₂O. We review a number of applications illustrating use of the analyser in clean air monitoring, micrometeorological flux and tower measurements, mobile measurements on a train, and soil flux chamber measurements.

Modeling of spectral atmosphere transmission for infrared radiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wiecek, B.; Olbrycht, R.

2009-01-01

IR radiation transmission of the atmosphere is an important factor during the thermovision remote sensing and measurement. Transmission coefficient of the atmosphere depends on its content and it is attenuated mainly due to the vapor concentration. Every calibrated thermal camera should be equipped with the digital system which implements the transmission model of the atmosphere. The model presented in this work is based on Beer and Bouguer laws. The proposed simplified model of transmission atmosphere is suitable for implementation in the thermal cameras. A simple digital controller of the camera can calculate the transmission coefficient and correct the temperature measurement. The model takes in account both scattering and absorption due the quantum effects when the photons are interacting with the molecules. (author)

Characterization of near-infrared nonmetal atomic emission from an atmospheric helium microwave-induced plasma using a Fourier transform spectrophotometer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hubert, J.; Van Tra, H.; Chi Tran, K.; Baudais, F.L.

1986-01-01

A new approach for using Fourier transform spectroscopy (FTS) for the detection of atomic emission from an atmospheric helium plasma has been developed and the results obtained are described. Among the different types of plasma source available, the atmospheric pressure microwave helium plasma appears to be an efficient excitation source for the determination of nonmetal species. The more complete microwave plasma emission spectra of Cl, Br, I, S, O, P, C, N, and He in the near-infrared region were obtained and their corrected relative emission intensities are reported. This makes qualitative identification simple, and aids in the quantitative analysis of atomic species. The accuracy of the emission wavelengths obtained with the Fourier transform spectrophotometer was excellent and the resolution provided by the FTS allowed certain adjacent emission lines to be adequate for analytical applications

Remote measurement of atmospheric pollutants

Science.gov (United States)

Allario, F.; Hoell, J.; Seals, R. K.

1979-01-01

The concentration and vertical distribution of atmospheric ammonia and ozone are remotely sensed, using dual-C02-laser multichannel infrared Heterodyne Spectrometer (1HS). Innovation makes atmospheric pollution measurements possible with nearly-quantum-noise-limited sensitivity and ultrafine spectral resolution.

Oblique Longwave Infrared Atmospheric Compensation

Science.gov (United States)

2017-09-14

been updated to take terrain shape from a digital elevation model into account, as well as multiple viewing geometries for the different pixels...utilizing a digital elevation map). In summary, OISAC simply estimates line contributions for the transmission and path radiance, τ̄` and L̄p,`, from the...and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) National Operational Model Archive and Distribution System ( NOMADS ) [34]. At- mospheric estimates from the

Space-based infrared sensors of space target imaging effect analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Dai, Huayu; Zhang, Yasheng; Zhou, Haijun; Zhao, Shuang

2018-02-01

Target identification problem is one of the core problem of ballistic missile defense system, infrared imaging simulation is an important means of target detection and recognition. This paper first established the space-based infrared sensors ballistic target imaging model of point source on the planet's atmosphere; then from two aspects of space-based sensors camera parameters and target characteristics simulated atmosphere ballistic target of infrared imaging effect, analyzed the camera line of sight jitter, camera system noise and different imaging effects of wave on the target.

Unified Retrieval of Cloud Properties, Atmospheric Profiles, and Surface Parameters from Combined DMSP Imager and Sounder Data

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Isaacs, Ronald

2000-01-01

The main objective of the proposed study was to investigate the complementary information provided by microwave and infrared sensors in order to enhance both the microwave retrieval and the current cloud analysis...

Determining the infrared radiative effects of Saharan dust: a radiative transfer modelling study based on vertically resolved measurements at Lampedusa

Science.gov (United States)

Meloni, Daniela; di Sarra, Alcide; Brogniez, Gérard; Denjean, Cyrielle; De Silvestri, Lorenzo; Di Iorio, Tatiana; Formenti, Paola; Gómez-Amo, José L.; Gröbner, Julian; Kouremeti, Natalia; Liuzzi, Giuliano; Mallet, Marc; Pace, Giandomenico; Sferlazzo, Damiano M.

2018-03-01

Detailed measurements of radiation, atmospheric and aerosol properties were carried out in summer 2013 during the Aerosol Direct Radiative Impact on the regional climate in the MEDiterranean region (ADRIMED) campaign in the framework of the Chemistry-Aerosol Mediterranean Experiment (ChArMEx) experiment. This study focusses on the characterization of infrared (IR) optical properties and direct radiative effects of mineral dust, based on three vertical profiles of atmospheric and aerosol properties and IR broadband and narrowband radiation from airborne measurements, made in conjunction with radiosonde and ground-based observations at Lampedusa, in the central Mediterranean. Satellite IR spectra from the Infrared Atmospheric Sounder Interferometer (IASI) are also included in the analysis. The atmospheric and aerosol properties are used as input to a radiative transfer model, and various IR radiation parameters (upward and downward irradiance, nadir and zenith brightness temperature at different altitudes) are calculated and compared with observations. The model calculations are made for different sets of dust particle size distribution (PSD) and refractive index (RI), derived from observations and from the literature. The main results of the analysis are that the IR dust radiative forcing is non-negligible and strongly depends on PSD and RI. When calculations are made using the in situ measured size distribution, it is possible to identify the refractive index that produces the best match with observed IR irradiances and brightness temperatures (BTs). The most appropriate refractive indices correspond to those determined from independent measurements of mineral dust aerosols from the source regions (Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco) of dust transported over Lampedusa, suggesting that differences in the source properties should be taken into account. With the in situ size distribution and the most appropriate refractive index the estimated dust IR radiative forcing

UARS Improved Stratospheric and Mesospheric Sounder (ISAMS) Level 3AL V010 (UARIS3AL) at GES DISC

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — The Improved Stratospheric and Mesospheric Sounder (ISAMS) Level 3AL data product consists of daily, 4 degree increment latitude-ordered vertical profiles of...

Using multi-beam echo sounder backscatter data for sediment classification in very shallow water environments

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Amiri-Simkooei, A.R.; Snellen, M.; Simons, D.G.

2009-01-01

In a recent work described in Ref. [1], an angle-independent methodology was developed to use the multi-beam echo sounder backscatter (MBES) data for the seabed sediment classification. The method employs the backscatter data at a certain angle to obtain the number of sediment classes and to

UARS Improved Stratospheric and Mesospheric Sounder (ISAMS) Level 3AT V010 (UARIS3AT) at GES DISC

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — The Improved Stratospheric and Mesospheric Sounder (ISAMS) Level 3AT data product consists of daily, 65.536 second interval time-ordered vertical profiles of...

Remote sensing of atmospheric chemistry; Proceedings of the Meeting, Orlando, FL, Apr. 1-3, 1991

Science.gov (United States)

McElroy, James L.; McNeal, Robert J.

The present volume on remote sensing of atmospheric chemistry discusses special remote sensing space observations and field experiments to study chemical change in the atmosphere, network monitoring for detection of stratospheric chemical change, stratospheric chemistry studies, and the combining of model, in situ, and remote sensing in atmospheric chemistry. Attention is given to the measurement of tropospheric carbon monoxide using gas filter radiometers, long-path differential absorption measurements of tropospheric molecules, air quality monitoring with the differential optical absorption spectrometer, and a characterization of tropospheric methane through space-based remote sensing. Topics addressed include microwave limb sounder experiments for UARS and EOS, an overview of the spectroscopy of the atmosphere using an FIR emission experiment, the detection of stratospheric ozone trends by ground-based microwave observations, and a FIR Fabry-Perot spectrometer for OH measurements. (For individual items see A93-31377 to A93-31412)

Voyager infrared spectroscopy and radiometry investigation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hanel, R; Conrath, B; Gautier, D; Gierasch, P; Kumar, S; Kunde, V; Lowman, P; Maguire, W; Pearl, J; Pirraglia, J [National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Greenbelt, Md. (USA). Goddard Space Flight Center

1977-11-01

The infrared investigation on Voyager uses two interferometers covering the spectral ranges 60-600 cm/sup -1/ (17-170 ..mu..m) and 1000-7000 cm/sup -1/ (1.4-10 ..mu..m), and a radiometer covering the range 8000-25000 cm/sup -1/ (0.4-1.2 ..mu..m). Two spectral resolutions (approximately 6.5 and 2.0 cm/sup -1/) are available for each of the interferometers. In the middle of the thermal channel (far infrared interferometer) the noise level is equivalent to the signal from a target at 50 K; in the middle of the reflected sunlight channel (near infrared interferometer) the noise level is equivalent to the signal from an object of albedo 0.2 at the distance of Uranus. For planets and satellites with substantial atmospheres, the data will be used to investigate cloud and gas composition (including isotopic ratios), haze scale height, atmospheric vertical thermal structure, local and planetary circulation and dynamics, and planetary energy balance. For satellites with tenuous atmospheres, data will be gathered on surface and atmospheric compositon, surface temperature and thermal properties, local and global phase functions, and surface structure. For Saturn's rings, the composition and radial structure, particle size and thermal characteristics will be investigated. Comparative studies of the planets and their satellite systems will be carried out.

A NEAR-INFRARED SPECTROSCOPIC SURVEY OF COOL WHITE DWARFS IN THE SLOAN DIGITAL SKY SURVEY

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kilic, Mukremin; Kowalski, Piotr M.; Von Hippel, Ted

2009-01-01

We present near-infrared photometric observations of 15 and spectroscopic observations of 38 cool white dwarfs (WDs). This is the largest near-infrared spectroscopic survey of cool WDs to date. Combining the Sloan Digital Sky Survey photometry and our near-infrared data, we perform a detailed model atmosphere analysis. The spectral energy distributions of our objects are explained fairly well by model atmospheres with temperatures ranging from 6300 K down to 4200 K. Two WDs show significant absorption in the infrared, and are best explained with mixed H/He atmosphere models. Based on the up-to-date model atmosphere calculations by Kowalski and Saumon, we find that the majority of the stars in our sample have hydrogen-rich atmospheres. We do not find any pure helium atmosphere WDs below 5000 K, and we find a trend of increasing hydrogen to helium ratio with decreasing temperature. These findings present an important challenge to understanding the spectral evolution of WDs.

Non-Equilibrium Radiative Transfer in Structured Atmospheres

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Picard, R. H; Winick, J. R; Wintersteiner, P. P

2002-01-01

... passage of both atmospheric gravity waves and transient frontal disturbances or bores. The infrared emissions from this part of the atmosphere are already typically not in local thermodynamic equilibrium (LTE...

Errors induced by different approximations in handling horizontal atmospheric inhomogeneities in MIPAS/ENVISAT retrievals

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

E. Castelli

2016-11-01

Full Text Available MIPAS (Michelson Interferometer for Passive Atmospheric Sounding is a mid-infrared limb emission sounder that operated on board the polar satellite ENVISAT from 2002 to 2012. The retrieval algorithm used by the European Space Agency to process MIPAS measurements exploits the assumption that the atmosphere is horizontally homogeneous. However, previous studies highlighted how this assumption causes significant errors on the retrieved profiles of some MIPAS target species.In this paper we quantify the errors induced by this assumption and evaluate the performances of three different algorithms that can be used to mitigate the problem. We generate synthetic observations with a high spatial resolution atmospheric model and carry out the retrievals with four alternative methods. The first assumes horizontal homogeneity (1-D retrieval, the second includes a model of the horizontal gradient of atmospheric temperature (1-D plus temperature gradient retrieval, the third accounts for an horizontal gradient of temperature and composition (1-D plus temperature and composition gradient retrieval, while the fourth is the full two-dimensional (2-D inversion approach.Our results highlight that the 1-D retrieval implies errors that are significant for averages of profiles. Furthermore, for some targets (e.g. T, CH4 and N2O below 10 hPa the error induced by the 1-D approximation also becomes visible in the individual retrieved profiles. The inclusion of any kind of horizontal variability model improves all the targets with respect to the horizontal homogeneity assumption. For temperature, HNO3 and CFC-11, the inclusion of an horizontal temperature gradient leads to a significant reduction of the error. For other targets, such as H2O, O3, N2O, CH4, the improvements due to the inclusion of an horizontal temperature gradient are minor. In these cases, the inclusion of a gradient in the target volume mixing ratio leads to significant improvements. Among all the

A high-resolution atlas of the infrared spectrum of the Sun and the Earth atmosphere from space. Volume 3: Key to identification of solar features

Science.gov (United States)

Geller, Murray

1992-01-01

During the period April 29 through May 2, 1985, the Atmospheric Trace Molecule Spectroscopy (ATMOS) experiment was operated as part of the Spacelab-3 (SL-3) payload on the shuttle Challenger. The instrument, a Fourier transform spectrometer, recorded over 2000 infrared solar spectra from an altitude of 360 km. Although the majority of the spectra were taken through the limb of the Earth's atmosphere in order to better understand its composition, several hundred of the 'high-sun' spectra were completely free from telluric absorption. These high-sun spectra recorded from space are, at the present time, the only high-resolution infrared spectra ever taken of the Sun free from absorptions due to constituents in the Earth's atmosphere. Volumes 1 and 2 of this series provide a compilation of these spectra arranged in a format suitable for quick-look reference purposes and are the first record of the continuous high-resolution infrared spectrum of the Sun and the Earth's atmosphere from space. In the Table of Identifications, which constitutes the main body of this volume, each block of eight wavenumbers is given a separate heading and corresponds to a page of two panels in Volume 1 of this series. In addition, three separate blocks of data available from ATMOS from 622-630 cm(exp -1), 630-638 cm(exp -1) and 638-646 cm(exp -1), excluded from Volume 1 because of the low signal-to-noise ratio, have been included due to the certain identification of several OH and NH transitions. In the first column of the table, the corrected frequency is given. The second column identifies the molecular species. The third and fourth columns represent the assigned transition. The fifth column gives the depth of the molecular line in millimeters. Also included in this column is a notation to indicate whether the line is a blend or lies on the shoulder(s) of another line(s). The final column repeats a question mark if the line is unidentified.

Coherent atomic and molecular spectroscopy in the far infrared

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Inguscio, M.

1988-01-01

Recent advances in far infrared spectroscopy of atoms (fine structure transitions) and molecules (rotational transitions) are reviewed. Results obtained by means of Laser Magnetic Resonance, using fixed frequency lasers, and Tunable Far Infrared spectrometers are illustrated. The importance of far infrared spectroscopy for several fields, including astrophysics, atmospheric physics, atomic structure and metology, is discussed. (orig.)

NASA's Advancements in Space-Based Spectrometry Lead to Improvements in Weather Prediction and Understanding of Climate Processes

Science.gov (United States)

Susskind, Joel; Iredell, Lena

2010-01-01

AIRS (Atmospheric Infra-Red Sounder), was launched, in conjunction with AMSU-A (Advanced Microwave Sounding Unit-A) on the NASA polar orbiting research satellite EOS (Earth Observing System) Aqua satellite in May 2002 as a next generation atmospheric sounding system. Atmospheric sounders provide information primarily about the vertical distribution of atmospheric temperature and water vapor distribution. This is achieved by measuring outgoing radiation in discrete channels (spectral intervals) which are sensitive primarily to variations of these geophysical parameters. The primary objectives of AIRS/AMSU were to utilize such information in order to improve the skill of numerical weather prediction as well as to measure climate variability and trends. AIRS is a multi-detector array grating spectrometer with 2378 channels covering the spectral range 650/cm (15 microns) to 2660/cm (3.6 microns) with a resolving power (i/a i) of roughly 1200 where a i is the spectral channel bandpass. Atmospheric temperature profile can be determined from channel observations taken within the 15 micron (the long-wave CO2 absorption band) and within the 4.2 micron (the short-wave CO2 absorption band). Radiances in these (and all other) spectral intervals in the infrared are also sensitive to the presence of clouds in the instrument?s field of view (FOV), which are present about 95% of the time. AIRS was designed so as to allow for the ability to produce accurate Quality Controlled atmospheric soundings under most cloud conditions. This was achieved by having 1) extremely low channel noise values in the shortwave portion of the spectrum and 2) a very flat spatial response function within a channel?s FOV. IASI, the high spectral resolution IR interferometer flying on the European METOP satellite, does not contain either of these important characteristics. The AIRS instrument was also designed to be extremely stabile with regard to its spectral radiometric characteristics, which is

Interpreting Observations of Large-Scale Traveling Ionospheric Disturbances by Ionospheric Sounders

Science.gov (United States)

Pederick, L. H.; Cervera, M. A.; Harris, T. J.

2017-12-01

From July to October 2015, the Australian Defence Science and Technology Group conducted an experiment during which a vertical incidence sounder (VIS) was set up at Alice Springs Airport. During September 2015 this VIS observed the passage of many large-scale traveling ionospheric disturbances (TIDs). By plotting the measured virtual heights across multiple frequencies as a function of time, the passage of the TID can be clearly displayed. Using this plotting method, we show that all the TIDs observed during the campaign by the VIS at Alice Springs show an apparent downward phase progression of the crests and troughs. The passage of the TID can be more clearly interpreted by plotting the true height of iso-ionic contours across multiple plasma frequencies; the true heights can be obtained by inverting each ionogram to obtain an electron density profile. These plots can be used to measure the vertical phase speed of a TID and also reveal a time lag between events seen in true height compared to virtual height. To the best of our knowledge, this style of analysis has not previously been applied to other swept-frequency sounder observations. We develop a simple model to investigate the effect of the passage of a large-scale TID on a VIS. The model confirms that for a TID with a downward vertical phase progression, the crests and troughs will appear earlier in virtual height than in true height and will have a smaller apparent speed in true height than in virtual height.

High resolution spectroscopy in the microwave and far infrared

Science.gov (United States)

Pickett, Herbert M.

1990-01-01

High resolution rotational spectroscopy has long been central to remote sensing techniques in atmospheric sciences and astronomy. As such, laboratory measurements must supply the required data to make direct interpretation of data for instruments which sense atmospheres using rotational spectra. Spectral measurements in the microwave and far infrared regions are also very powerful tools when combined with infrared measurements for characterizing the rotational structure of vibrational spectra. In the past decade new techniques were developed which have pushed high resolution spectroscopy into the wavelength region between 25 micrometers and 2 mm. Techniques to be described include: (1) harmonic generation of microwave sources, (2) infrared laser difference frequency generation, (3) laser sideband generation, and (4) ultrahigh resolution interferometers.

Infrared photometry of cool white dwarfs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wickramasinghe, D.T.; Allen, D.A.; Bessell, M.S.

1982-01-01

The results are presented of a search for the effects of pressure induced H 2 dipole opacity on the infrared JHK magnitudes of cool white dwarfs. LHS 1126 is found to be a very cool (Tsub(e) approximately 4250 K) DC white dwarf with a H rich atmospheric composition dominated by H 2 dipole opacity in the infrared. JHK photometry also favours a H rich atmospheric composition for the DK white dwarfs LP 658-2 and W 489. The surprisingly high proportion of hydrogen rich white dwarfs in the sample appears to suggest that the mechanism which inhibits the accretion of hydrogen in the hotter helium stars becomes less effective at low (Tsub(e) approximately 3 + ion in cool hydrogen rich white dwarf atmospheres is pointed out and it is suggested that the opacity due to this ion may be responsible for the blanketing observed in the U and B magnitudes of some cool white dwarfs. (author)

Correction of detector nonlinearity for the balloonborne Michelson Interferometer for Passive Atmospheric Sounding.

Science.gov (United States)

Kleinert, Anne

2006-01-20

The detectors used in the cryogenic limb-emission sounder MIPAS-B2 (Michelson Interferometer for Passive Atmospheric Sounding) show a nonlinear response, which leads to radiometric errors in the calibrated spectra if the nonlinearity is not taken into account. In the case of emission measurements, the dominant error that arises from the nonlinearity is the changing detector responsivity as the incident photon load changes. The effect of the distortion of a single interferogram can be neglected. A method to characterize the variable responsivity and to correct for this effect is proposed. Furthermore, a detailed error estimation is presented.

Space Infrared Telescope Facility (SIRTF) science instruments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ramos, R.; Hing, S.M.; Leidich, C.A.; Fazio, G.; Houck, J.R.

1989-01-01

Concepts of scientific instruments designed to perform infrared astronomical tasks such as imaging, photometry, and spectroscopy are discussed as part of the Space Infrared Telescope Facility (SIRTF) project under definition study at NASA/Ames Research Center. The instruments are: the multiband imaging photometer, the infrared array camera, and the infrared spectograph. SIRTF, a cryogenically cooled infrared telescope in the 1-meter range and wavelengths as short as 2.5 microns carrying multiple instruments with high sensitivity and low background performance, provides the capability to carry out basic astronomical investigations such as deep search for very distant protogalaxies, quasi-stellar objects, and missing mass; infrared emission from galaxies; star formation and the interstellar medium; and the composition and structure of the atmospheres of the outer planets in the solar sytem. 8 refs

Counter electrojet features in the Brazilian sector: simultaneous observation by radar, digital sounder and magnetometers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

C. M. Denardini

2009-04-01

Full Text Available In the present work we show new results regarding equatorial counter electrojet (CEJ events in the Brazilian sector, based on the RESCO radar, two set of fluxgate magnetometer systems and a digital sounder. RESCO radar is a 50 MHz backscatter coherent radar installed in 1998 at São Luís (SLZ, 2.33° S, 44.60° W, an equatorial site. The Digital sounder routinely monitors the electron density profile at the radar site. The magnetometer systems are fluxgate-type installed at SLZ and Eusébio (EUS, 03.89° S, 38.44° W. From the difference between the horizontal component of magnetic field at SLZ station and the same component at EUS (EEJ ground strength several cases of westward morning electrojet and its normal inversion to the eastward equatorial electrojet (EEJ have been observed. Also, the EEJ ground strength has shown some cases of CEJ events, which been detected with the RESCO radar too. Detection of these events were investigated with respect to their time and height of occurrence, correlation with sporadic E (Es layers at the same time, and their spectral characteristics as well as the radar echo power intensity.

Shot-Noise-Limited Dual-Beam Detector for Atmospheric Trace-Gas Monitoring with Near-Infrared Diode Lasers

Science.gov (United States)

Durry, Georges; Pouchet, Ivan; Amarouche, Nadir; Danguy, Théodore; Megie, Gerard

2000-10-01

A dual-beam detector is used to measure atmospheric trace species by differential absorption spectroscopy with commercial near-infrared InGaAs laser diodes. It is implemented on the Spectrom tre Diodes Laser Accordables, a balloonborne tunable diode laser spectrometer devoted to the in situ monitoring of CH 4 and H 2 O. The dual-beam detector is made of simple analogical subtractor circuits combined with InGaAs photodiodes. The detection strategy consists in taking the balanced analogical difference between the reference and the sample signals detected at the input and the output of an open optical multipass cell to apply the full dynamic range of the measurements (16 digits) to the weak molecular absorption information. The obtained sensitivity approaches the shot-noise limit. With a 56-m optical cell, the detection limit obtained when the spectra is recorded within 8 ms is 10 4 (expressed in absorbance units). The design and performances of both a simple substractor and an upgraded feedback substractor circuit are discussed with regard to atmospheric in situ CH 4 absorption spectra measured in the 1.653- m region. Mixing ratios are obtained from the absorption spectra by application of a nonlinear least-squares fit to the full molecular line shape in conjunction with in situ P and T measurements.

A study of the atmospherically important reactions of dimethylsulfide (DMS) with I2 and ICl using infrared matrix isolation spectroscopy and electronic structure calculations.

Science.gov (United States)

Beccaceci, Sonya; Armata, Nerina; Ogden, J Steven; Dyke, John M; Rhyman, Lydia; Ramasami, Ponnadurai

2012-02-21

The reactions of dimethylsulfide (DMS) with molecular iodine (I(2)) and iodine monochloride (ICl) have been studied by infrared matrix isolation spectroscopy by co-condensation of the reagents in an inert gas matrix. Molecular adducts of DMS + I(2) and DMS + ICl have also been prepared using standard synthetic methods. The vapour above each of these adducts trapped in an inert gas matrix gave the same infrared spectrum as that recorded for the corresponding co-condensation reaction. In each case, the infrared spectrum has been interpreted in terms of a van der Waals adduct, DMS : I(2) and DMS : ICl, with the aid of infrared spectra computed for their minimum energy structures at the MP2 level. Computed relative energies of minima and transition states on the potential energy surfaces of these reactions were used to understand why they do not proceed further than the reactant complexes DMS : I(2) and DMS : ICl. The main findings of this research are compared with results obtained earlier for the DMS + Cl(2) and DMS + Br(2) reactions, and the atmospheric implications of the conclusions are also considered.

CVD molybdenum films of high infrared reflectance

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Carver, G. E.

1979-01-01

Molybdenum thin films of high infrared reflectance have been deposited by pyrolytic decomposition of molybdenum carbonyl (Mo(CO)/sub 6/), and by hydrogen reduction of molybdenum pentachloride (MoCl/sub 5/). Reflectance values within 0.7% of the reflectance of supersmooth bulk molybdenum have been attained by annealing films of lower reflectance in both reducing and non-reducing atmospheres. All depositions and anneals proceed at atmospheric pressure, facilitating a continuous, flow-through fabrication. These reflectors combine the high temperature stability of molybdenum thin films with the infrared reflectance of a material such as aluminum. Deposition from Mo(CO)/sub 6/ under oxidizing conditions, and subsequent anneal in a reducing atmosphere, results in films that combine high solar absorptance with low thermal emittance. If anti-reflected, black molybdenum films can serve as highly selective single layer photothermal converters. Structural, compositional, and crystallographic properties have been measured after both deposition and anneal.

Atmospheric Motion Vectors from INSAT-3D: Initial quality assessment and its impact on track forecast of cyclonic storm NANAUK

Science.gov (United States)

Deb, S. K.; Kishtawal, C. M.; Kumar, Prashant; Kiran Kumar, A. S.; Pal, P. K.; Kaushik, Nitesh; Sangar, Ghansham

2016-03-01

The advanced Indian meteorological geostationary satellite INSAT-3D was launched on 26 July 2013 with an improved imager and an infrared sounder and is placed at 82°E over the Indian Ocean region. With the advancement in retrieval techniques of different atmospheric parameters and with improved imager data have enhanced the scope for better understanding of the different tropical atmospheric processes over this region. The retrieval techniques and accuracy of one such parameter, Atmospheric Motion Vectors (AMV) has improved significantly with the availability of improved spatial resolution data along with more options of spectral channels in the INSAT-3D imager. The present work is mainly focused on providing brief descriptions of INSAT-3D data and AMV derivation processes using these data. It also discussed the initial quality assessment of INSAT-3D AMVs for a period of six months starting from 01 February 2014 to 31 July 2014 with other independent observations: i) Meteosat-7 AMVs available over this region, ii) in-situ radiosonde wind measurements, iii) cloud tracked winds from Multi-angle Imaging Spectro-Radiometer (MISR) and iv) numerical model analysis. It is observed from this study that the qualities of newly derived INSAT-3D AMVs are comparable with existing two versions of Meteosat-7 AMVs over this region. To demonstrate its initial application, INSAT-3D AMVs are assimilated in the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model and it is found that the assimilation of newly derived AMVs has helped in reduction of track forecast errors of the recent cyclonic storm NANAUK over the Arabian Sea. Though, the present study is limited to its application to one case study, however, it will provide some guidance to the operational agencies for implementation of this new AMV dataset for future applications in the Numerical Weather Prediction (NWP) over the south Asia region.

Handbook of infrared standards II with spectral coverage between

CERN Document Server

Meurant, Gerard

1993-01-01

This timely compilation of infrared standards has been developed for use by infrared researchers in chemistry, physics, engineering, astrophysics, and laser and atmospheric sciences. Providing maps of closely spaced molecular spectra along with their measured wavenumbers between 1.4vm and 4vm, this handbook will complement the 1986 Handbook of Infrared Standards that included special coverage between 3 and 2600vm. It will serve as a necessary reference for all researchers conducting spectroscopic investigations in the near-infrared region.Key Features:- Provides all new spec

Plasma density measurements from the GEOS-1 relaxation sounder

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Etcheto, J.; Bloch, J.J.

1978-01-01

The relaxation sounder uses the characteristics of the propagation of radiowaves to sound the plasma surrounding the spacecraft. It determines, in particular, the plasma frequency, which gives the electron density. Measurements over the whole dayside of the magnetosphere, from the evening to the night sectors, are now available. The behaviour of the plasma resonance depends on local time, the nighttime echoes being generally weaker. Density measurements thus obtained are shown and discussed in the context of what is presently known about the plasma distribution in the magnetosphere. In particular, the density around apogee is studied as a function of magnetic activity. On the dayside, it appears to vary between a few and a few tens of electrons per cubic centimeter. The evolution of the density profile for several consecutive days is studied and interpreted tracing back the drift of the particles. (Auth.)

Automatic detection of subglacial lakes in radar sounder data acquired in Antarctica

Science.gov (United States)

Ilisei, Ana-Maria; Khodadadzadeh, Mahdi; Dalsasso, Emanuele; Bruzzone, Lorenzo

2017-10-01

Subglacial lakes decouple the ice sheet from the underlying bedrock, thus facilitating the sliding of the ice masses towards the borders of the continents, consequently raising the sea level. This motivated increasing attention in the detection of subglacial lakes. So far, about 70% of the total number of subglacial lakes in Antarctica have been detected by analysing radargrams acquired by radar sounder (RS) instruments. Although the amount of radargrams is expected to drastically increase, from both airborne and possible future Earth observation RS missions, currently the main approach to the detection of subglacial lakes in radargrams is by visual interpretation. This approach is subjective and extremely time consuming, thus difficult to apply to a large amount of radargrams. In order to address the limitations of the visual interpretation and to assist glaciologists in better understanding the relationship between the subglacial environment and the climate system, in this paper, we propose a technique for the automatic detection of subglacial lakes. The main contribution of the proposed technique is the extraction of features for discriminating between lake and non-lake basal interfaces. In particular, we propose the extraction of features that locally capture the topography of the basal interface, the shape and the correlation of the basal waveforms. Then, the extracted features are given as input to a supervised binary classifier based on Support Vector Machine to perform the automatic subglacial lake detection. The effectiveness of the proposed method is proven both quantitatively and qualitatively by applying it to a large dataset acquired in East Antarctica by the MultiChannel Coherent Radar Depth Sounder.

Impact of local and non-local sources of pollution on background US Ozone: synergy of a low-earth orbiting and geostationary sounder constellation

Science.gov (United States)

Bowman, K. W.; Lee, M.

2015-12-01

Dramatic changes in the global distribution of emissions over the last decade have fundamentally altered source-receptor pollution impacts. A new generation of low-earth orbiting (LEO) sounders complimented by geostationary sounders over North America, Europe, and Asia providing a unique opportunity to quantify the current and future trajectory of emissions and their impact on global pollution. We examine the potential of this constellation of air quality sounders to quantify the role of local and non-local sources of pollution on background ozone in the US. Based upon an adjoint sensitivity method, we quantify the role synoptic scale transport of non-US pollution on US background ozone over months representative of different source-receptor relationships. This analysis allows us distinguish emission trajectories from megacities, e.g. Beijing, or regions, e.g., western China, from natural trends on downwind ozone. We subsequently explore how a combination of LEO and GEO observations could help quantify the balance of local emissions against changes in distant sources . These results show how this unprecedented new international ozone observing system can monitor the changing structure of emissions and their impact on global pollution.

Imaging spectrometers for atmosphere monitoring

Science.gov (United States)

Reinert, Thido; Bovensmann, Heinrich; Münzenmayer, Ralf; Weiss, Stefan; Posselt, Winfried

2017-11-01

Atmospheric monitoring missions aim at products like O3, H2O, NO2, SO2, BrO, CH4, CO, CO2 as well as aerosols and cloud information. Depending on the application area (Ozone Monitoring, Green House Gas Monitoring, Tropospheric Composition and Air Quality, Chemistry Climate Interaction etc.) total or tropospheric columns as well as profile information is required. The user community of these data as well as their central requirements w.r.t. the payload aspects will be described. A large range of relevant passive instrument types is available, in particular imaging spectrometer, sounder and polarisation measuring systems in the UV-VIS, SWIR and TIR spectral range. Differences between instruments for dedicated missions are highlighted and evolution of requirements is explained, also in comparison with relevant existing instrumentation partly in orbit today. Aspects of technology roadmaps for instrument implementation as well as synergetic effects of instrument combinations and according mission scopes are discussed.

Ultra-High Resolution Spectroscopic Remote Sensing: A Microscope on Planetary Atmospheres

Science.gov (United States)

Kostiuk, Theodor

2010-01-01

Remote sensing of planetary atmospheres is not complete without studies of all levels of the atmosphere, including the dense cloudy- and haze filled troposphere, relatively clear and important stratosphere and the upper atmosphere, which are the first levels to experience the effects of solar radiation. High-resolution spectroscopy can provide valuable information on these regions of the atmosphere. Ultra-high spectral resolution studies can directly measure atmospheric winds, composition, temperature and non-thermal phenomena, which describe the physics and chemistry of the atmosphere. Spectroscopy in the middle to long infrared wavelengths can also probe levels where dust of haze limit measurements at shorter wavelength or can provide ambiguous results on atmospheric species abundances or winds. A spectroscopic technique in the middle infrared wavelengths analogous to a radio receiver. infrared heterodyne spectroscopy [1], will be describe and used to illustrate the detailed study of atmospheric phenomena not readily possible with other methods. The heterodyne spectral resolution with resolving power greater than 1,000.000 measures the true line shapes of emission and absorption lines in planetary atmospheres. The information on the region of line formation is contained in the line shapes. The absolute frequency of the lines can be measured to I part in 100 ,000,000 and can be used to accurately measure the Doppler frequency shift of the lines, directly measuring the line-of-sight velocity of the gas to --Im/s precision (winds). The technical and analytical methods developed and used to measure and analyze infrared heterodyne measurements will be described. Examples of studies on Titan, Venus, Mars, Earth, and Jupiter will be presented. 'These include atmospheric dynamics on slowly rotating bodies (Titan [2] and Venus [3] and temperature, composition and chemistry on Mars 141, Venus and Earth. The discovery and studies of unique atmospheric phenomena will also be

Pluto's atmosphere in 2015 from high-resolution spectroscopy

Science.gov (United States)

Roe, Henry G.; Cook, Jason C.; Mace, Gregory N.; Holler, Bryan J.; Young, Leslie A.; McLane, Jacob N.; Jaffe, Daniel T.

2015-11-01

Pluto's thin N2/CH4 atmosphere is in vapor-pressure equilibrium with ices on its surface. The atmosphere evolves seasonally with the varying insolation pattern on Pluto's heterogenous surface, perhaps even largely freezing out to the surface during the coldest portion of Pluto's year. We use high-resolution (R≈25,000-50,000) near-infrared spectroscopy to resolve atmospheric methane absorption lines from Pluto's continuum spectra, as well as separate Pluto's atmospheric lines from the telluric spectrum. In addition to measuring the abundance and temperature of Pluto's atmospheric CH4, with broad wavelength coverage we are able to search for the inevitable products of N2/CH4 photochemistry. In 2015 we are undertaking an intensive campaign using NIRSPEC at Keck Observatory and IGRINS (Immersion Grating INfrared Spectrometer) at McDonald Observatory to coincide with the New Horizons Pluto encounter. We will report initial results from this 2015 campaign and compare the state of Pluto's atmosphere at the time of the New Horizons encounter with earlier years.

Characterization of gaseous species in scanning atmospheric rf plasma with transmission infrared spectroscopy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Seong H.; Kim, Jeong Hoon; Kang, Bang-Kwon

2008-01-01

A scanning atmospheric radio-frequency (rf) plasma was analyzed with transmission infrared (IR) spectroscopy. The IR analyses were made for the plasmas used for hydrophobic coating deposition and superhydrophobic coating deposition processes. Since the rf plasma was generated in a small open space with a high gas flow rate in ambient air, the density of gas-phase molecules was very high and the plasma-generated reactive species seemed to undergo various reactions in the gas phase. So, the transmission IR spectra of the scanning atmospheric rf plasma were dominated by gas-phase reaction products, rather than plasma-generated intermediate species. In the CH 4 /He plasma used for hydrophobic coating deposition, C 2 H 6 , C 2 H 2 , and a small amount of C 2 H 4 as well as CO were detected in transmission IR. The intensities of these peaks increased as the rf power increased. The CO formation is due to the activation of oxygen and water in the air. In the CF 4 /H 2 /He plasma used for deposition of superhydrophobic coatings, C 2 F 6 , CF 3 H, COF 2 , and HF were mainly detected. When the H 2 /CF 4 ratio was ∼0.5, the consumption of CF 4 was the highest. As the H 2 /CF 4 ratio increased higher, the C 2 F 6 production was suppressed while the CF 3 H peak grew and the formation of CH 4 were detected. In both CH 4 /He and CF 4 /H 2 /He plasma systems, the undissociated feed gas molecules seem to be highly excited vibrationally and rotationally. The information on plasma-generated reactive species and their reactions was deduced from the distribution of these gas-phase reaction products

Cross-validation of IASI/MetOp derived tropospheric δD with TES and ground-based FTIR observations

Science.gov (United States)

Lacour, J.-L.; Clarisse, L.; Worden, J.; Schneider, M.; Barthlott, S.; Hase, F.; Risi, C.; Clerbaux, C.; Hurtmans, D.; Coheur, P.-F.

2015-03-01

The Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer (IASI) flying onboard MetOpA and MetOpB is able to capture fine isotopic variations of the HDO to H2O ratio (δD) in the troposphere. Such observations at the high spatio-temporal resolution of the sounder are of great interest to improve our understanding of the mechanisms controlling humidity in the troposphere. In this study we aim to empirically assess the validity of our error estimation previously evaluated theoretically. To achieve this, we compare IASI δD retrieved profiles with other available profiles of δD, from the TES infrared sounder onboard AURA and from three ground-based FTIR stations produced within the MUSICA project: the NDACC (Network for the Detection of Atmospheric Composition Change) sites Kiruna and Izaña, and the TCCON site Karlsruhe, which in addition to near-infrared TCCON spectra also records mid-infrared spectra. We describe the achievable level of agreement between the different retrievals and show that these theoretical errors are in good agreement with empirical differences. The comparisons are made at different locations from tropical to Arctic latitudes, above sea and above land. Generally IASI and TES are similarly sensitive to δD in the free troposphere which allows one to compare their measurements directly. At tropical latitudes where IASI's sensitivity is lower than that of TES, we show that the agreement improves when taking into account the sensitivity of IASI in the TES retrieval. For the comparison IASI-FTIR only direct comparisons are performed because the sensitivity profiles of the two observing systems do not allow to take into account their differences of sensitivity. We identify a quasi negligible bias in the free troposphere (-3‰) between IASI retrieved δD with the TES, which are bias corrected, but important with the ground-based FTIR reaching -47‰. We also suggest that model-satellite observation comparisons could be optimized with IASI thanks to its high

The Whisper Relaxation Sounder onboard Cluster: A Powerful Tool for Space Plasma Diagnosis around the Earth

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Trotignon, J.G.; Decreau, P.M.E.; Rauch, J.L.; LeGuirriec, E.; Canu, P.; Darrouzet, F.

2001-01-01

The WHISPER relaxation sounder that is onboard the four CLUSTER spacecraft has for main scientific objectives to monitor the natural waves in the 2 kHz - 80 kHz frequency range and, mostly, to determine the total plasma density from the solar wind down to the Earth's plasmasphere. To fulfil these objectives, the WHISPER uses the two long double sphere antennae of the Electric Field and Wave experiment as transmitting and receiving sensors. In its active working mode, the WHISPER works according to principles that have been worked out for topside sounding. A radio wave transmitter sends an almost monochromatic and short wave train. A few milliseconds after, a receiver listens to the surrounding plasma response. Strong and long lasting echoes are actually received whenever the transmitting frequencies coincide with characteristic plasma frequencies. Provided that these echoes, also called resonances, may be identified, the WHISPER relaxation sounder becomes a reliable and powerful tool for plasma diagnosis. When the transmitter is off, the WHISPER behaves like a passive receiver, allowing natural waves to be monitored. The paper aims mainly at the resonance identification process description and the WHISPER capabilities and performance highlighting. (author)

Instrumentation for optical remote sensing from space; Proceedings of the Meeting, Cannes, France, November 27-29, 1985

Science.gov (United States)

Seeley, John S. (Editor); Lear, John W. (Editor); Russak, Sidney L. (Editor); Monfils, Andre (Editor)

1986-01-01

Papers are presented on such topics as the development of the Imaging Spectrometer for Shuttle and space platform applications; the in-flight calibration of pushbroom remote sensing instruments for the SPOT program; buttable detector arrays for 1.55-1.7 micron imaging; the design of the Improved Stratospheric and Mesospheric Sounder on the Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite; and SAGE II design and in-orbit performance. Consideration is also given to the Shuttle Imaging Radar-B/C instruments; the Venus Radar Mapper multimode radar system design; various ISO instruments (ISOCAM, ISOPHOT, and SWS and LWS); and instrumentation for the Space Infrared Telescope Facility.

One-Year Observations of Jupiter by the Jovian Infrared Auroral Mapper on Juno

Science.gov (United States)

Adriani, A.; Mura, A.; Bolton, S. J.; Connerney, J. E. P.; Levin, S.; Becker, H. N.; Bagenal, F.; Hansen, C. J.; Orton, G.; Gladstone, R.; Kurth, W. S.; Mauk, B.; Valek, P. W.

2017-12-01

The Jovian InfraRed Auroral Mapper (JIRAM) [1] on board the Juno [2,3] spacecraft, is equipped with an infrared camera and a spectrometer working in the spectral range 2-5 μm. JIRAM was built to study the infrared aurora of Jupiter as well as to map the planet's atmosphere in the 5 µm spectral region. The spectroscopic observations are used for studying clouds and measuring the abundance of some chemical species that have importance in the atmosphere's chemistry, microphysics and dynamics like water, ammonia and phosphine. During 2017 the instrument will operate during all 7 of Juno's Jupiter flybys. JIRAM has performed several observations of the polar regions of the planet addressing the aurora and the atmosphere. Unprecedented views of the aurora and the polar atmospheric structures have been obtained. We present a survey of the most significant observations that the instrument has performed during the current year. [1] Adriani A. et al., JIRAM, the Jovian Infrared Auroral Mapper. Space Sci. Rew., DOI 10.1007/s11214-014-0094-y, 2014. [2] Bolton S.J. et al., Jupiter's interior and deep atmosphere: The initial pole-to-pole passes with the Juno spacecraft. Science DOI: 10.1126/science.aal2108, 2017. [3] Connerney J. E.P. et al., Jupiter's magnetosphere and aurorae observed by the Juno spacecraft during its first polar orbits. Science, DOI: 10.1126/science.aam5928, 2017.

Whisper, a resonance sounder and wave analyser: Performances and perspectives for the Cluster mission

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Decreau, P.M.E.; Fergeau, P.; KrannoselsKikh, V.

1997-01-01

The WHISPER sounder on the Cluster spacecraft is primarily designed to provide an absolute measurement of the total plasma density within the range 0.2-80 cm(-3). This is achieved by means of a resonance sounding technique which has already proved successful in the regions to be explored. The wav...... in the electron foreshock and solar wind, to investigations about small-scale structures via density and high-frequency emission signatures, and to the analysis of the non-thermal continuum in the magnetosphere....

Sideband characterization and atmospheric observations with various 340 GHz heterodyne receivers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Renker, Matthias, E-mail: renker@iap.unibe.ch; Murk, Axel [Institute of Applied Physics, University of Bern, Bern (Switzerland); Rea, Simon P. [STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Didcot, Oxfordshire (United Kingdom); Emrich, A.; Frisk, U. [OMNISYS Instruments, Västra Frölunda (Sweden)

2014-08-15

This paper describes sideband response measurements and atmospheric observations with a double sideband and two Single Sideband (SSB) receiver prototypes developed for the multi-beam limb sounder instrument stratosphere-troposphere exchange and climate monitor radiometer. We first show an advanced Fourier-Transform Spectroscopy (FTS) method for sideband response and spurious signal characterization. We then present sideband response measurements of the different prototype receivers and we compare the results of the SSB receivers with sideband measurements by injecting a continuous wave signal into the upper and lower sidebands. The receivers were integrated into a total-power radiometer and atmospheric observations were carried out. The observed spectra were compared to forward model spectra to conclude on the sideband characteristics of the different receivers. The two sideband characterization methods show a high degree of agreement for both SSB receivers with various local oscillator settings. The measured sideband response was used to correct the forward model simulations. This improves the agreement with the atmospheric observations and explains spectral features caused by an unbalanced sideband response. The FTS method also allows to quantify the influence of spurious harmonic responses of the receiver.

Multiple infrared bands absorber based on multilayer gratings

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Xiaoyi; Gao, Jinsong; Yang, Haigui; Wang, Xiaoyi; Guo, Chengli

2018-03-01

The present study offers an Ag/Si multilayer-grating microstructure based on an Si substrate. The microstructure exhibits designable narrowband absorption in multiple infrared wavebands, especially in mid- and long-wave infrared atmospheric windows. We investigate its resonance mode mechanism, and calculate the resonance wavelengths by the Fabry-Perot and metal-insulator-metal theories for comparison with the simulation results. Furthermore, we summarize the controlling rules of the absorption peak wavelength of the microstructure to provide a new method for generating a Si-based device with multiple working bands in infrared.

Toward an Improved Representation of Middle Atmospheric Dynamics Thanks to the ARISE Project

Science.gov (United States)

Blanc, E.; Ceranna, L.; Hauchecorne, A.; Charlton-Perez, A.; Marchetti, E.; Evers, L. G.; Kvaerna, T.; Lastovicka, J.; Eliasson, L.; Crosby, N. B.; Blanc-Benon, P.; Le Pichon, A.; Brachet, N.; Pilger, C.; Keckhut, P.; Assink, J. D.; Smets, P. S. M.; Lee, C. F.; Kero, J.; Sindelarova, T.; Kämpfer, N.; Rüfenacht, R.; Farges, T.; Millet, C.; Näsholm, S. P.; Gibbons, S. J.; Espy, P. J.; Hibbins, R. E.; Heinrich, P.; Ripepe, M.; Khaykin, S.; Mze, N.; Chum, J.

2018-03-01

This paper reviews recent progress toward understanding the dynamics of the middle atmosphere in the framework of the Atmospheric Dynamics Research InfraStructure in Europe (ARISE) initiative. The middle atmosphere, integrating the stratosphere and mesosphere, is a crucial region which influences tropospheric weather and climate. Enhancing the understanding of middle atmosphere dynamics requires improved measurement of the propagation and breaking of planetary and gravity waves originating in the lowest levels of the atmosphere. Inter-comparison studies have shown large discrepancies between observations and models, especially during unresolved disturbances such as sudden stratospheric warmings for which model accuracy is poorer due to a lack of observational constraints. Correctly predicting the variability of the middle atmosphere can lead to improvements in tropospheric weather forecasts on timescales of weeks to season. The ARISE project integrates different station networks providing observations from ground to the lower thermosphere, including the infrasound system developed for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty verification, the Lidar Network for the Detection of Atmospheric Composition Change, complementary meteor radars, wind radiometers, ionospheric sounders and satellites. This paper presents several examples which show how multi-instrument observations can provide a better description of the vertical dynamics structure of the middle atmosphere, especially during large disturbances such as gravity waves activity and stratospheric warming events. The paper then demonstrates the interest of ARISE data in data assimilation for weather forecasting and re-analyzes the determination of dynamics evolution with climate change and the monitoring of atmospheric extreme events which have an atmospheric signature, such as thunderstorms or volcanic eruptions.

Mid-infrared Semiconductor Optoelectronics

CERN Document Server

Krier, Anthony

2006-01-01

The practical realisation of optoelectronic devices operating in the 2–10 µm (mid-infrared) wavelength range offers potential applications in a variety of areas from environmental gas monitoring around oil rigs and landfill sites to the detection of pharmaceuticals, particularly narcotics. In addition, an atmospheric transmission window exists between 3 µm and 5 µm that enables free-space optical communications, thermal imaging applications and the development of infrared measures for "homeland security". Consequently, the mid-infrared is very attractive for the development of sensitive optical sensor instrumentation. Unfortunately, the nature of the likely applications dictates stringent requirements in terms of laser operation, miniaturisation and cost that are difficult to meet. Many of the necessary improvements are linked to a better ability to fabricate and to understand the optoelectronic properties of suitable high-quality epitaxial materials and device structures. Substantial progress in these m...

A Warming Surface but a Cooling Top of Atmosphere Associated with Warm, Moist Air Mass Advection over the Ice and Snow Covered Arctic

Science.gov (United States)

Sedlar, J.

2015-12-01

Atmospheric advection of heat and moisture from lower latitudes to the high-latitude Arctic is a critical component of Earth's energy cycle. Large-scale advective events have been shown to make up a significant portion of the moist static energy budget of the Arctic atmosphere, even though such events are typically infrequent. The transport of heat and moisture over surfaces covered by ice and snow results in dynamic changes to the boundary layer structure, stability and turbulence, as well as to diabatic processes such as cloud distribution, microphysics and subsequent radiative effects. Recent studies have identified advection into the Arctic as a key mechanism for modulating the melt and freeze of snow and sea ice, via modification to all-sky longwave radiation. This paper examines the radiative impact during summer of such Arctic advective events at the top of the atmosphere (TOA), considering also the important role they play for the surface energy budget. Using infrared sounder measurements from the AIRS satellite, the summer frequency of significantly stable and moist advective events from 2003-2014 are characterized; justification of AIRS profiles over the Arctic are made using radiosoundings during a 3-month transect (ACSE) across the Eastern Arctic basin. One such event was observed within the East Siberian Sea in August 2014 during ACSE, providing in situ verification on the robustness and capability of AIRS to monitor advective cases. Results will highlight the important surface warming aspect of stable, moist instrusions. However a paradox emerges as such events also result in a cooling at the TOA evident on monthly mean TOA radiation. Thus such events have a climatic importance over ice and snow covered surfaces across the Arctic. ERA-Interim reanalyses are examined to provide a longer term perspective on the frequency of such events as well as providing capability to estimate meridional fluxes of moist static energy.

Using commercial software products for atmospheric remote sensing

Science.gov (United States)

Kristl, Joseph A.; Tibaudo, Cheryl; Tang, Kuilian; Schroeder, John W.

2002-02-01

The Ontar Corporation (www.Ontar.com) has developed several products for atmospheric remote sensing to calculate radiative transport, atmospheric transmission, and sensor performance in both the normal atmosphere and the atmosphere disturbed by battlefield conditions of smoke, dust, explosives and turbulence. These products include: PcModWin: Uses the USAF standard MODTRAN model to compute the atmospheric transmission and radiance at medium spectral resolution (2 cm-1) from the ultraviolet/visible into the infrared and microwave regions of the spectrum. It can be used for any geometry and atmospheric conditions such as aerosols, clouds and rain. PcLnWin: Uses the USAF standard FASCOD model to compute atmospheric transmission and emission at high (line-by-line) spectral resolution using the HITRAN 2000 database. It can be used over the same spectrum from the UV/visible into the infrared and microwave regions of the spectrum. HitranPC: Computes the absolute high (line-by-line) spectral resolution transmission spectrum of the atmosphere for different temperatures and pressures. HitranPC is a user-friendly program developed by the University of South Florida (USF) and uses the international standard molecular spectroscopic database, HITRAN. LidarPC: A computer program to calculate the Laser Radar/L&n Equation for hard targets and atmospheric backscatter using manual input atmospheric parameters or HitranPC and BETASPEC - transmission and backscatter calculations of the atmosphere. Also developed by the University of South Florida (USF). PcEosael: is a library of programs that mathematically describe aspects of electromagnetic propagation in battlefield environments. 25 modules are connected but can be exercised individually. Covers eight general categories of atmospheric effects, including gases, aerosols and laser propagation. Based on codes developed by the Army Research Lab. NVTherm: NVTherm models parallel scan, serial scan, and staring thermal imagers that operate

Use of INSAT-3D sounder and imager radiances in the 4D-VAR data assimilation system and its implications in the analyses and forecasts

Science.gov (United States)

Indira Rani, S.; Taylor, Ruth; George, John P.; Rajagopal, E. N.

2016-05-01

INSAT-3D, the first Indian geostationary satellite with sounding capability, provides valuable information over India and the surrounding oceanic regions which are pivotal to Numerical Weather Prediction. In collaboration with UK Met Office, NCMRWF developed the assimilation capability of INSAT-3D Clear Sky Brightness Temperature (CSBT), both from the sounder and imager, in the 4D-Var assimilation system being used at NCMRWF. Out of the 18 sounder channels, radiances from 9 channels are selected for assimilation depending on relevance of the information in each channel. The first three high peaking channels, the CO2 absorption channels and the three water vapor channels (channel no. 10, 11, and 12) are assimilated both over land and Ocean, whereas the window channels (channel no. 6, 7, and 8) are assimilated only over the Ocean. Measured satellite radiances are compared with that from short range forecasts to monitor the data quality. This is based on the assumption that the observed satellite radiances are free from calibration errors and the short range forecast provided by NWP model is free from systematic errors. Innovations (Observation - Forecast) before and after the bias correction are indicative of how well the bias correction works. Since the biases vary with air-masses, time, scan angle and also due to instrument degradation, an accurate bias correction algorithm for the assimilation of INSAT-3D sounder radiance is important. This paper discusses the bias correction methods and other quality controls used for the selected INSAT-3D sounder channels and the impact of bias corrected radiance in the data assimilation system particularly over India and surrounding oceanic regions.

On the Atmospheric Correction of Antarctic Airborne Hyperspectral Data

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Martin Black

2014-05-01

Full Text Available The first airborne hyperspectral campaign in the Antarctic Peninsula region was carried out by the British Antarctic Survey and partners in February 2011. This paper presents an insight into the applicability of currently available radiative transfer modelling and atmospheric correction techniques for processing airborne hyperspectral data in this unique coastal Antarctic environment. Results from the Atmospheric and Topographic Correction version 4 (ATCOR-4 package reveal absolute reflectance values somewhat in line with laboratory measured spectra, with Root Mean Square Error (RMSE values of 5% in the visible near infrared (0.4–1 µm and 8% in the shortwave infrared (1–2.5 µm. Residual noise remains present due to the absorption by atmospheric gases and aerosols, but certain parts of the spectrum match laboratory measured features very well. This study demonstrates that commercially available packages for carrying out atmospheric correction are capable of correcting airborne hyperspectral data in the challenging environment present in Antarctica. However, it is anticipated that future results from atmospheric correction could be improved by measuring in situ atmospheric data to generate atmospheric profiles and aerosol models, or with the use of multiple ground targets for calibration and validation.

A high-resolution atlas of the infrared spectrum of the Sun and the Earth atmosphere from space: A compilation of ATMOS spectra of the region from 650 to 4800 cm (2.3 to 16 micron). Volume 1: The Sun

Science.gov (United States)

Farmer, Crofton B.; Norton, Robert H.

1989-01-01

During the period April 29 through May 2, 1985, the Atmospheric Trace Molecular Spectroscopy experiment was operated as part of the Spacelab-3 payload of the shuttle Challenger. The instrument, a modified Michelson Interferometer covering the frequency range from 600 to 5000/cm, at a spectral resolution of 0.01/cm, recorded infrared spectra of the Sun and of the Earth's atmosphere at times close to entry into and exit from occultation by the Earth's limb as seen from the shuttle orbit of 360 km. Spectra were obtained that are free from absorptions due to constituents of the atmosphere (i.e., solar pure spectra), as well as spectra of the atmosphere itself, covering line-of-sight tangent altitudes that span the range from the lower thermosphere to the bottom of the troposphere. This atlas, believed to be the first record of observations of the continuous high resolution infrared spectrum of the Sun and the Earth's atmosphere from space, provides a compilation of these spectra arranged in a hardcopy format suitable for quick-look reference purposes; the data are also available in digital form.

Space Electron Density Gradient Studies using a 3D Embedded Reconfigurable Sounder and ESA/NASA CLUSTER Mission

Science.gov (United States)

Dekoulis, George

2016-07-01

This paper provides a direct comparison between data captured by a new embedded reconfigurable digital sounder, different ground-based ionospheric sounders spread around Europe and the ESA/NASA CLUSTER mission. The CLUSTER mission consists of four identical space probes flying in a formation that allows measurements of the electron density gradient in the local magnetic field. Both the ground-based and the spacecraft instrumentations assist in studying the motion, geometry and boundaries of the plasmasphere. The comparison results are in accordance to each other. Some slight deviations among the captured data were expected from the beginning of this investigation. These small discrepancies are reasonable and seriatim analyzed. The results of this research are significant, since the level of the plasma's ionization, which is related to the solar activity, dominates the propagation of electromagnetic waves through it. Similarly, unusually high solar activity presents serious hazards to orbiting satellites, spaceborne instrumentation, satellite communications and infrastructure located on the Earth's surface. Long-term collaborative study of the data is required to continue, in order to identify and determine the enhanced risk in advance. This would allow scientists to propose an immediate cure.

A Fast Visible-Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite Simulator for Cloudy Atmopheres

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Chao; Yang, Ping; Nasiri, Shaima L.; Platnick, Steven; Meyer, Kerry G.; Wang, Chen Xi; Ding, Shouguo

2015-01-01

A fast instrument simulator is developed to simulate the observations made in cloudy atmospheres by the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS). The correlated k-distribution (CKD) technique is used to compute the transmissivity of absorbing atmospheric gases. The bulk scattering properties of ice clouds used in this study are based on the ice model used for the MODIS Collection 6 ice cloud products. Two fast radiative transfer models based on pre-computed ice cloud look-up-tables are used for the VIIRS solar and infrared channels. The accuracy and efficiency of the fast simulator are quantify in comparison with a combination of the rigorous line-by-line (LBLRTM) and discrete ordinate radiative transfer (DISORT) models. Relative errors are less than 2 for simulated TOA reflectances for the solar channels and the brightness temperature differences for the infrared channels are less than 0.2 K. The simulator is over three orders of magnitude faster than the benchmark LBLRTM+DISORT model. Furthermore, the cloudy atmosphere reflectances and brightness temperatures from the fast VIIRS simulator compare favorably with those from VIIRS observations.

Application of open-path Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy for atmospheric monitoring of a CO2 back-production experiment at the Ketzin pilot site (Germany).

Science.gov (United States)

Sauer, Uta; Borsdorf, H; Dietrich, P; Liebscher, A; Möller, I; Martens, S; Möller, F; Schlömer, S; Schütze, C

2018-02-03

During a controlled "back-production experiment" in October 2014 at the Ketzin pilot site, formerly injected CO 2 was retrieved from the storage formation and directly released to the atmosphere via a vent-off stack. Open-path Fourier transform infrared (OP FTIR) spectrometers, on-site meteorological parameter acquisition systems, and distributed CO 2 point sensors monitored gas dispersion processes in the near-surface part of the atmospheric boundary layer. The test site provides a complex and challenging mosaic-like surface setting for atmospheric monitoring which can also be found at other storage sites. The main aims of the atmospheric monitoring of this experiment were (1) to quantify temporal and spatial variations in atmospheric CO 2 concentrations around the emitting vent-off stack and (2) to test if and how atmospheric monitoring can cope with typical environmental and operational challenges. A low environmental risk was encountered during the whole CO 2 back-production experiment. The study confirms that turbulent wind conditions favor atmospheric mixing processes and are responsible for rapid dilution of the released CO 2 leading to decreased detectability at all sensors. In contrast, calm and extremely stable wind conditions (especially occurring during the night) caused an accumulation of gases in the near-ground atmospheric layer with the highest amplitudes in measured gas concentration. As an important benefit of OP FTIR spectroscopic measurements and their ability to detect multiple gas species simultaneously, emission sources could be identified to a much higher certainty. Moreover, even simulation models using simplified assumptions help to find suitable monitoring network designs and support data analysis for certain wind conditions in such a complex environment.

AIRS-only Product on Giovanni for Exploring Up-to-date AIRS Observation and Comparing with AIRS+AMSU Product

Science.gov (United States)

Ding, F.; Hearty, T. J., III; Theobald, M.; Vollmer, B.; Wei, J.

2017-12-01

The NASA Goddard Earth Sciences Data and Information Services Center (GES DISC) has been the home of processing, archiving, and distribution services for the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) mission since its launch in 2002 for the global observations of the atmospheric state. Giovanni, a web-based application developed by the GES DISC, provides a simple and intuitive way to visualize, analyze, and access vast amounts of Earth science remote sensing data without having to download the data. Most important variables, including temperature and humidity profiles, outgoing longwave radiation, cloud properties, and trace gases, from version 6 AIRS product are available on Giovanni. The AIRS is an instrument suite comprised of a hyperspectral infrared instrument AIRS and two multichannel microwave instruments, the Advanced Microwave Sounding Unit (AMSU) and the Humidity Sounder for Brazil (HSB). As the HSB ceased operation in very early stage of AIRS mission, the AIRS project operates two parallel retrieval algorithms: one using both IR and MW measurements (AIRS+AMSU) and the other using only IR measurements (AIRS-only) for the most time of the mission. The AIRS+AMSU product is better and the variables on Giovanni are from it. However, the generation of AIRS+AMSU product has been suspended since the AMSU instrument anomaly occurred in late 2016. To continue exploring up-to-date AIRS observations, the same set of variables from the AIRS-only product are added on Giovanni by the GES DSIC. This will also support the comparison of AIRS-only with AIRS+AMSU retrievals. In the presentation, we will demonstrate the visualization of AIRS-only product and the plots/statistics of comparison with AIRS+AMSU product using Giovanni.

The Northwest Infrared (NWIR) gas-phase spectral database of industrial and environmental chemicals: Recent updates

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Brauer, Carolyn S.; Johnson, Timothy J.; Blake, Thomas A.; Sharpe, Steven W.; Sams, Robert L.; Tonkyn, Russell G.

2014-05-22

With continuing improvements in both standoff- and point-sensing techniques, there is an ongoing need for high-quality infrared spectral databases. The Northwest Infrared Database (NWIR) contains quantitative, gas-phase infrared spectra of nearly 500 pure chemical species that can be used for a variety of applications such as atmospheric monitoring, biomass burning studies, etc. The data, recorded at 0.1 cm-1 resolution, are pressure broadened to one atmosphere (N2) in order to mimic atmospheric conditions. Each spectrum is a composite composed of multiple individual measurements. Recent updates to the database include over 60 molecules that are known or suspected biomass-burning effluents. Examples from this set of measurements will be presented and experimental details will be discussed in the context of the utility of NWIR for environmental applications.

Early results from the Infrared Astronomical Satellite

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Neugebauer, G.; Beichman, C.A.; Soifer, B.T.

1984-01-01

For 10 months the Infrared Astronomical Satellite (IRAS) provided astronomers with what might be termed their first view of the infrared sky on a clear, dark night. Without IRAS, atmospheric absorption and the thermal emission from both the atmosphere and Earthbound telescopes make the task of the infrared astronomer comparable to what an optical astronomer would face if required to work only on cloudy afternoons. IRAS observations are serving astronomers in the same manner as the photographic plates of the Palomar Observatory Sky Survey; just as the optical survey has been used by all astronomers for over three decades, as a source of quantitative information about the sky and as a roadmap for future observations, the results of IRAS will be studied for years to come. IRAS has demonstrated the power of infrared astronomy from space. Already, from a brief look at a miniscule fraction of the data available, we have learned much about the solar system, about nearby stars, about the Galaxy as a whole and about distant extragalactic systems. Comets are much dustier than previously thought. Solid particles, presumably the remnants of the star-formation process, orbit around Vega and other stars and may provide the raw material for planetary systems. Emission from cool interstellar material has been traced throughout the Galaxy all the way to the galactic poles. Both the clumpiness and breadth of the distribution of this material were previously unsuspected. The far-infrared sky away from the galactic plane has been found to be dominate by spiral galaxies, some of which emit more than 50% and as much as 98% of their energy in the infrared - an exciting and surprising revelation. The IRAS mission is clearly the pathfinder for future mission that, to a large extent, will be devoted to the discoveries revealed by IRAS. 8 figures

Analysis of auroral infrared emissions observed during the ELIAS experiment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

G. E. Caledonia

Full Text Available The ELIAS (Earth Limb Infrared Atmospheric Structure experiment was flown from the Poker Flat Research Range, Alaska in 1983 and successfully monitored visible and infrared emissions from an IBC III⁺ aurora. Measurements were performed in both staring and scanning modes over several hundred seconds. The data for short- and mid-wave infrared regions have been analyzed in terms of auroral excitation of the NO and NO⁺ vibrational bands. Auroral excitation efficiencies and kinetic implications are presented.

NASA SPoRT JPSS PG Activities in Alaska

Science.gov (United States)

Berndt, Emily; Molthan, Andrew; Fuell, Kevin; McGrath, Kevin; Smith, Matt; LaFontaine, Frank; Leroy, Anita; White, Kris

2018-01-01

SPoRT (NASA's Short-term Prediction Research and Transition Center) has collaboratively worked with Alaska WFOs (Weather Forecast Offices) to introduce RGB (Red/Green/Blue false color image) imagery to prepare for NOAA-20 (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, JPSS (Joint Polar Satellite System) series-20 satellite) VIIRS (Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite) and improve forecasting aviation-related hazards. Last R2O/O2R (Research-to-Operations/Operations-to-Research) steps include incorporating NOAA-20 VIIRS in RGB suite and fully transitioning client-side RGB processing to GINA (Geographic Information Network of Alaska) and Alaska Region. Alaska Region WFOs have been part of the successful R2O/O2R story to assess the use of NESDIS (National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service) Snowfall Rate product in operations. SPoRT introduced passive microwave rain rate and IMERG (Integrated Multi-satellitE Retrievals for GPM (Global Precipitation Measurement)) (IMERG) to Alaska WFOs for use in radar-void areas and assessing flooding potential. SPoRT has been part of the multi-organization collaborative effort to introduce Gridded NUCAPS (NOAA Unique CrIS/ATMS (Crosstrack Infrared Sounder/Advanced Technology Microwave Sounder) Processing System) to the Anchorage CWSU (Center Weather Service Unit) to assess Cold Air Aloft events, [and as part of NOAA's PG (Product Generation) effort].

Short-Term Prediction Research and Transition (SPoRT) Center: Transitioning Satellite Data to Operations

Science.gov (United States)

Zavodsky, Bradley

2012-01-01

The Short-term Prediction Research and Transition (SPoRT) Center located at NASA Marshall Space Flight Center has been conducting testbed activities aimed at transitioning satellite products to National Weather Service operational end users for the last 10 years. SPoRT is a NASA/NOAA funded project that has set the bar for transition of products to operational end users through a paradigm of understanding forecast challenges and forecaster needs, displaying products in end users decision support systems, actively assessing the operational impact of these products, and improving products based on forecaster feedback. Aiming for quality partnerships rather than a large quantity of data users, SPoRT has become a community leader in training operational forecasters on the use of up-and-coming satellite data through the use of legacy instruments and proxy data. Traditionally, SPoRT has supplied satellite imagery and products from NASA instruments such as the Moderate-resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) and the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS). However, recently, SPoRT has been funded by the GOES-R and Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS) Proving Grounds to accelerate the transition of selected imagery and products to help improve forecaster awareness of upcoming operational data from the Visible Infrared Imager Radiometer Suite (VIIRS), Cross-track Infrared Sounder (CrIS), Advanced Baseline Imager (ABI), and Geostationary Lightning Mapper (GLM). This presentation provides background on the SPoRT Center, the SPoRT paradigm, and some example products that SPoRT is excited to work with forecasters to evaluate.

Effect of the improvement of the HITRAN database on the radiative transfer calculation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Feng Xuan; Zhao Fengsheng; Gao Wenhua

2007-01-01

The line parameters of the HITRAN 2004 have been updated, as compared with the older editions (the 2000 edition and the 1996 edition). In order to know the effect of the modifications on radiative transfer calculation with high spectral resolution, comparison in optical depth and radiance spectrum have been given between different editions. Four infrared spectral regions are selected, and they cover the three bands of atmospheric infrared sounder (AIRS) and one of geosynchronous imaging fourier transform spectrometer (GIFTS). The comparison has shown that the relative difference between HITRAN 2000 and 2004 and that between HITRAN 1996 and 2004 is decreasing. But the maximal discrepancy between the latest two editions in some spectral intervals is over 1%. It is important to estimate the error of calculation with the line parameters correctly or one has to use the new edition of HITRAN

Photoacoustic Experimental System to Confirm Infrared Absorption Due to Greenhouse Gases

Science.gov (United States)

Kaneko, Fumitoshi; Monjushiro, Hideaki; Nishiyama, Masayoshi; Kasai, Toshio; Harris, Harold H.

2010-01-01

An experimental system for detecting infrared absorption using the photoacoustic (PA) effect is described. It is aimed for use at high-school level to illustrate the difference in infrared (IR) absorption among the gases contained in the atmosphere in connection with the greenhouse effect. The experimental system can be built with readily…

Scientific Payload Of The Emirates Mars Mission: Emirates Mars Infrared Spectrometer (Emirs) Overview.

Science.gov (United States)

Altunaiji, E. S.; Edwards, C. S.; Christensen, P. R.; Smith, M. D.; Badri, K. M., Sr.

2017-12-01

The Emirates Mars Mission (EMM) will launch in 2020 to explore the dynamics in the atmosphere of Mars on a global scale. EMM has three scientific instruments to an improved understanding of circulation and weather in the Martian lower and middle atmosphere. Two of the EMM's instruments, which are the Emirates eXploration Imager (EXI) and Emirates Mars Infrared Spectrometer (EMIRS) will focus on the lower atmosphere observing dust, ice clouds, water vapor and ozone. On the other hand, the third instrument Emirates Mars Ultraviolet Spectrometer (EMUS) will focus on both the thermosphere of the planet and its exosphere. The EMIRS instrument, shown in Figure 1, is an interferometric thermal infrared spectrometer that is jointly developed by Arizona State University (ASU) and Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC). It builds on a long heritage of thermal infrared spectrometers designed, built, and managed, by ASU's Mars Space Flight Facility, including the Thermal Emission Spectrometer (TES), Miniature Thermal Emission Spectrometer (Mini-TES), and the OSIRIS-REx Thermal Emission Spectrometer (OTES). EMIRS operates in the 6-40+ µm range with 5 cm-1 spectral sampling, enabled by a Chemical Vapor-Deposited (CVD) diamond beamsplitter and state of the art electronics. This instrument utilizes a 3×3 detector array and a scan mirror to make high-precision infrared radiance measurements over most of a Martian hemisphere. The EMIRS instrument is optimized to capture the integrated, lower-middle atmosphere dynamics over a Martian hemisphere and will capture 60 global images per week ( 20 images per orbit) at a resolution of 100-300 km/pixel. After processing through an atmospheric retrieval algorithm, EMIRS will determine the vertical temperature profiles to 50km altitude and measure the column integrated global distribution and abundances of key atmospheric parameters (e.g. dust, water ice (clouds) and water vapor) over the Martian day, seasons and year.

Systems engineering and analysis of electro-optical and infrared systems

CERN Document Server

Arrasmith, William Wolfgang

2015-01-01

Introduction to Electro-optic and Infrared (EO/IR) Systems Engineering?Radiation in the Visible and Infrared Parts of the Electromagnetic SpectrumRadiation SourcesThe Effect of the Atmosphere on Optical PropagationBasic OpticsOptical ModulationThe Detection of Optical RadiationNoise in the Optical Detection ProcessTechnical Performance Measures and Metrics of Optical DetectorsModern Detectors and their Measures of PerformanceThe Effects of Cooling on Optical Detector NoiseSignal and Image ProcessingElectro-Optic and Infrared Systems AnalysisLaser Imaging Systems?Spectral Imaging?LIDAR and LADA

Calculation of Precipitable Water for Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy Aircraft (SOFIA): Airplane in the Night Sky

Science.gov (United States)

Wen, Pey Chun; Busby, Christopher M.

2011-01-01

Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy, or SOFIA, is the new generation airborne observatory station based at NASA s Dryden Aircraft Operations Facility, Palmdale, CA, to study the universe. Since the observatory detects infrared energy, water vapor is a concern in the atmosphere due to its known capacity to absorb infrared energy emitted by astronomical objects. Although SOFIA is hoping to fly above 99% of water vapor in the atmosphere it is still possible to affect astronomical observation. Water vapor is one of the toughest parameter to measure in the atmosphere, several atmosphere modeling are used to calculate water vapor loading. The water vapor loading, or Precipitable water, is being calculated by Matlab along the planned flight path. Over time, these results will help SOFIA to plan flights to regions of lower water vapor loading and hopefully improve the imagery collection of these astronomical features.

Single-footprint retrievals of temperature, water vapor and cloud properties from AIRS

Science.gov (United States)

Irion, Fredrick W.; Kahn, Brian H.; Schreier, Mathias M.; Fetzer, Eric J.; Fishbein, Evan; Fu, Dejian; Kalmus, Peter; Wilson, R. Chris; Wong, Sun; Yue, Qing

2018-02-01

Single-footprint Atmospheric Infrared Sounder spectra are used in an optimal estimation-based algorithm (AIRS-OE) for simultaneous retrieval of atmospheric temperature, water vapor, surface temperature, cloud-top temperature, effective cloud optical depth and effective cloud particle radius. In a departure from currently operational AIRS retrievals (AIRS V6), cloud scattering and absorption are in the radiative transfer forward model and AIRS single-footprint thermal infrared data are used directly rather than cloud-cleared spectra (which are calculated using nine adjacent AIRS infrared footprints). Coincident MODIS cloud data are used for cloud a priori data. Using single-footprint spectra improves the horizontal resolution of the AIRS retrieval from ˜ 45 to ˜ 13.5 km at nadir, but as microwave data are not used, the retrieval is not made at altitudes below thick clouds. An outline of the AIRS-OE retrieval procedure and information content analysis is presented. Initial comparisons of AIRS-OE to AIRS V6 results show increased horizontal detail in the water vapor and relative humidity fields in the free troposphere above the clouds. Initial comparisons of temperature, water vapor and relative humidity profiles with coincident radiosondes show good agreement. Future improvements to the retrieval algorithm, and to the forward model in particular, are discussed.

Processing AIRS Scientific Data Through Level 3

Science.gov (United States)

Granger, Stephanie; Oliphant, Robert; Manning, Evan

2010-01-01

The Atmospheric Infra-Red Sounder (AIRS) Science Processing System (SPS) is a collection of computer programs, known as product generation executives (PGEs). The AIRS SPS PGEs are used for processing measurements received from the AIRS suite of infrared and microwave instruments orbiting the Earth onboard NASA's Aqua spacecraft. Early stages of the AIRS SPS development were described in a prior NASA Tech Briefs article: Initial Processing of Infrared Spectral Data (NPO-35243), Vol. 28, No. 11 (November 2004), page 39. In summary: Starting from Level 0 (representing raw AIRS data), the AIRS SPS PGEs and the data products they produce are identified by alphanumeric labels (1A, 1B, 2, and 3) representing successive stages or levels of processing. The previous NASA Tech Briefs article described processing through Level 2, the output of which comprises geo-located atmospheric data products such as temperature and humidity profiles among others. The AIRS Level 3 PGE samples selected information from the Level 2 standard products to produce a single global gridded product. One Level 3 product is generated for each day s collection of Level 2 data. In addition, daily Level 3 products are aggregated into two multiday products: an eight-day (half the orbital repeat cycle) product and monthly (calendar month) product.

Contribution of thermal infrared images on the understanding of the subsurface/atmosphere exchanges on Earth.

Science.gov (United States)

Lopez, Teodolina; Antoine, Raphaël; Baratoux, David; Rabinowicz, Michel

2017-04-01

High temporal resolution of space-based thermal infrared images (METEOSAT, MODIS) and the development of field thermal cameras have permitted the development of thermal remote sensing in Earth Sciences. Thermal images are influenced by many factors such as atmosphere, solar radiation, topography and physico-chemical properties of the surface. However, considering these limitations, we have discovered that thermal images can be used in order to better understand subsurface hydrology. In order to reduce as much as possible the impact of these perturbing factors, our approach combine 1) field observations and 2) numerical modelling of surface/subsurface thermal processes. Thermal images of the Piton de la Fournaise volcano (Réunion Island), acquired by hand, show that the Formica Leo inactive scoria cone and some fractures close to the Bory-Dolomieu caldera are always warmer, inducing a thermal difference with the surrounding of at least 5°C and a Self-Potential anomaly [1, 2]. Topography cannot explain this thermal behaviour, but Piton de la Fournaise is known as highly permeable. This fact allows the development of an air convection within the whole permeable structure volcanic edifice [2]. Cold air enters the base of the volcano, and exits warmer upslope, as the air is warmed by the geothermal flow [1,2]. Then, we have decided to understand the interaction between subsurface hydrogeological flows and the humidity in the atmosphere. In the Lake Chad basin, regions on both sides of Lake Chad present a different thermal behaviour during the diurnal cycle and between seasons [3]. We propose that this thermal behaviour can only be explained by lateral variations of the surface permeability that directly impact the process of evaporation/condensation cycle. These studies bring new highlights on the understanding of the exchanges between subsurface and the atmosphere, as the presence of a very permeable media and/or variations of the surface permeability may enhance or

A SEARCH FOR MAGNESIUM IN EUROPA'S ATMOSPHERE

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hörst, S. M.; Brown, M. E.

2013-01-01

Europa's tenuous atmosphere results from sputtering of the surface. The trace element composition of its atmosphere is therefore related to the composition of Europa's surface. Magnesium salts are often invoked to explain Galileo Near Infrared Mapping Spectrometer spectra of Europa's surface, thus magnesium may be present in Europa's atmosphere. We have searched for magnesium emission in the Hubble Space Telescope Faint Object Spectrograph archival spectra of Europa's atmosphere. Magnesium was not detected and we calculate an upper limit on the magnesium column abundance. This upper limit indicates that either Europa's surface is depleted in magnesium relative to sodium and potassium, or magnesium is not sputtered as efficiently resulting in a relative depletion in its atmosphere.

Satellite Sounder Data Assimilation for Improving Alaska Region Weather Forecast

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, Jiang; Stevens, E.; Zavodsky, B. T.; Zhang, X.; Heinrichs, T.; Broderson, D.

2014-01-01

Data assimilation has been demonstrated very useful in improving both global and regional numerical weather prediction. Alaska has very coarser surface observation sites. On the other hand, it gets much more satellite overpass than lower 48 states. How to utilize satellite data to improve numerical prediction is one of hot topics among weather forecast community in Alaska. The Geographic Information Network of Alaska (GINA) at University of Alaska is conducting study on satellite data assimilation for WRF model. AIRS/CRIS sounder profile data are used to assimilate the initial condition for the customized regional WRF model (GINA-WRF model). Normalized standard deviation, RMSE, and correlation statistic analysis methods are applied to analyze one case of 48 hours forecasts and one month of 24-hour forecasts in order to evaluate the improvement of regional numerical model from Data assimilation. The final goal of the research is to provide improved real-time short-time forecast for Alaska regions.

First 3D measurements of temperature fluctuations induced by gravity wave with the infrared limb imager GLORIA

Science.gov (United States)

Krisch, Isabell; Preusse, Peter; Ungermann, Jörn; Friedl-Vallon, Felix; Riese, Martin

2017-04-01

Gravity waves (GWs) are one of the most important coupling mechanisms in the atmosphere. They couple different compartments of the atmosphere. The GW-LCYCLE (Gravity Wave Life Cycle) project aims on studying the excitation, propagation, and dissipation of gravity waves. An aircraft campaign has been performed in winter 2015/2016, during which the first 3D tomographic measurements of GWs were performed with the infrared limb imager GLORIA (Gimballed Limb Observer for Radiance Imaging of the Atmosphere). GLORIA combines a classical Fourier Transform Spectrometer with a 2D detector array. The capability to image the atmosphere and thereby take several thousand spectra simultaneously improves the spatial sampling compared to conventional limb sounders by an order of magnitude. Furthermore GLORIA is able to pan the horizontal viewing direction and therefore measure the same volume of air under different angles. Due to these properties tomographic methods can be used to derive 3D temperature and tracer fields with spatial resolutions of better than 30km x 30km x 250m from measurements taken during circular flight patterns. Temperature distributions measured during a strong GW event on the 25.01.2016 during the GW-LCycle campaign over Iceland will be presented and analyzed for gravity waves. The three dimensional nature of the GLORIA measurements allows for the determination of the gravity wave momentum flux, including its horizontal direction. The calculated momentum fluxes rank this event under one of the strongest 1% observed in that latitude range in January 2016. The three dimensional wave vectors determined from the GLORIA measurements can be used for a ray tracing study with the Gravity wave Regional Or Global RAy Tracer (GROGRAT). Here 1D ray tracing, meaning solely vertical column propagation, as used by standard parameterizations in numerical weather prediction and climate models is compared to 4D ray tracing (spatially three dimensional with time varying

Response of the middle atmosphere to the geomagnetic storm of November 2004

Science.gov (United States)

Hocke, Klemens

2017-02-01

Ozone and temperature profiles of the satellite microwave limb sounder Aura/MLS are used for the derivation of the middle atmospheric response to the geomagnetic superstorm of 9 November 2004. We find a destruction of the tertiary ozone layer at 0.022 hPa (77 km) in the northern winter hemisphere lasting for about one week. This effect is surely due to the solar proton event (SPE) of November 2004. At the same time, the zonal mean temperature is enhanced by 5-10 K in the northern polar mesosphere. On the other hand, the zonal mean temperature is decreased by 5-10 K in the northern polar stratosphere. We do not think that the strong temperature perturbations are directly related to the SPE. It seems that the polar vortex was moved by the geomagnetic storm, and this vortex movement caused the strong temperature variations in the zonal mean. However, internal variability of temperature in the polar middle atmosphere in winter without any significant link to the geomagnetic storm cannot be excluded.

Infrared signature modelling of a rocket jet plume - comparison with flight measurements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rialland, V; Perez, P; Roblin, A; Guy, A; Gueyffier, D; Smithson, T

2016-01-01

The infrared signature modelling of rocket plumes is a challenging problem involving rocket geometry, propellant composition, combustion modelling, trajectory calculations, fluid mechanics, atmosphere modelling, calculation of gas and particles radiative properties and of radiative transfer through the atmosphere. This paper presents ONERA simulation tools chained together to achieve infrared signature prediction, and the comparison of the estimated and measured signatures of an in-flight rocket plume. We consider the case of a solid rocket motor with aluminized propellant, the Black Brant sounding rocket. The calculation case reproduces the conditions of an experimental rocket launch, performed at White Sands in 1997, for which we obtained high quality infrared signature data sets from DRDC Valcartier. The jet plume is calculated using an in-house CFD software called CEDRE. The plume infrared signature is then computed on the spectral interval 1900-5000 cm -1 with a step of 5 cm -1 . The models and their hypotheses are presented and discussed. Then the resulting plume properties, radiance and spectra are detailed. Finally, the estimated infrared signature is compared with the spectral imaging measurements. The discrepancies are analyzed and discussed. (paper)

Using Open and Interoperable Ways to Publish and Access LANCE AIRS Near-Real Time Data

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Peisheng; Lynnes, Christopher; Vollmer, Bruce; Savtchenko, Andrey; Theobald, Michael; Yang, Wenli

2011-01-01

The Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) Near-Real Time (NRT) data from the Land Atmosphere Near real-time Capability for EOS (LANCE) element at the Goddard Earth Sciences Data and Information Services Center (GES DISC) provides information on the global and regional atmospheric state, with very low temporal latency, to support climate research and improve weather forecasting. An open and interoperable platform is useful to facilitate access to, and integration of, LANCE AIRS NRT data. As Web services technology has matured in recent years, a new scalable Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA) is emerging as the basic platform for distributed computing and large networks of interoperable applications. Following the provide-register-discover-consume SOA paradigm, this presentation discusses how to use open-source geospatial software components to build Web services for publishing and accessing AIRS NRT data, explore the metadata relevant to registering and discovering data and services in the catalogue systems, and implement a Web portal to facilitate users' consumption of the data and services.

Physical inversion of the full IASI spectra: Assessment of atmospheric parameters retrievals, consistency of spectroscopy and forward modelling

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liuzzi, G.; Masiello, G.; Serio, C.; Venafra, S.; Camy-Peyret, C.

2016-01-01

Spectra observed by the Infrared Atmospheric Sounder Interferometer (IASI) have been used to assess both retrievals and the spectral quality and consistency of current forward models and spectroscopic databases for atmospheric gas line and continuum absorption. The analysis has been performed with thousands of observed spectra over sea surface in the Pacific Ocean close to the Mauna Loa (Hawaii) validation station. A simultaneous retrieval for surface temperature, atmospheric temperature, H_2O, HDO, O_3 profiles and gas average column abundance of CO_2, CO, CH_4, SO_2, N_2O, HNO_3, NH_3, OCS and CF_4 has been performed and compared to in situ observations. The retrieval system considers the full IASI spectrum (all 8461 spectral channels on the range 645–2760 cm"−"1). We have found that the average column amount of atmospheric greenhouse gases can be retrieved with a precision better than 1% in most cases. The analysis of spectral residuals shows that, after inversion, they are generally reduced to within the IASI radiometric noise. However, larger residuals still appear for many of the most abundant gases, namely H_2O, CH_4 and CO_2. The H_2O ν_2 spectral region is in general warmer (higher radiance) than observations. The CO_2ν_2 and N_2O/CO_2ν_3 spectral regions now show a consistent behavior for channels, which are probing the troposphere. Updates in CH_4 spectroscopy do not seem to improve the residuals. The effect of isotopic fractionation of HDO is evident in the 2500–2760 cm"−"1 region and in the atmospheric window around 1200 cm"−"1. - Highlights: • This is the first work that uses the full IASI spectrum. This aspect is new and unique. • Simultaneous retrieval of the average amount of CO_2, N_2O, CO, CH_4, SO_2, HNO_3, NH_3, OCS and CF_4, T, H_2O, HDO, O_3 profiles, and T_s. • Assessment of spectroscopy consistency over the full IASI spectrum (645 to 2760 cm"−"1). • Two-year record of IASI retrievals are available on request, compared

Brown carbon absorption in the red and near-infrared spectral region

Science.gov (United States)

Hoffer, András; Tóth, Ádám; Pósfai, Mihály; Eddy Chung, Chul; Gelencsér, András

2017-06-01

Black carbon (BC) aerosols have often been assumed to be the only light-absorbing carbonaceous particles in the red and near-infrared spectral regions of solar radiation in the atmosphere. Here we report that tar balls (a specific type of organic aerosol particles from biomass burning) do absorb red and near-infrared radiation significantly. Tar balls were produced in a laboratory experiment, and their chemical and optical properties were measured. The absorption of these particles in the range between 470 and 950 nm was measured with an aethalometer, which is widely used to measure atmospheric aerosol absorption. We find that the absorption coefficient of tar balls at 880 nm is more than 10 % of that at 470 nm. The considerable absorption of red and infrared light by tar balls also follows from their relatively low absorption Ångström coefficient (and significant mass absorption coefficient) in the spectral range between 470 and 950 nm. Our results support the previous finding that tar balls may play an important role in global warming. Due to the non-negligible absorption of tar balls in the near-infrared region, the absorption measured in the field at near-infrared wavelengths cannot solely be due to soot particles.

Copper patinas formed in different atmospheres and exposure times

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lobo, V.M.M.; Almeida, M.E.; Balmayor, M.; Tomas, H.M.L.R.

1998-01-01

Atmospheric corrosion products in copper samples, known as patinas, formed in industrial-marine, severe-marine and rural atmospheres exposed for 1,2,3, and 4 years, have been studied. The nature and structure of the products formed, characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and infrared spectrometry (FTIR) depend on the time of exposure and the type of atmosphere. Copper patinas have been extensively mentioned in the literature, but the structural nature of their compounds, which vary according to the time of exposure and types of atmospheres, is still not adequately described in the literature. In order to give a contribution to this area, copper panels were exposed for 1,2,3, and 4 years in different types of atmospheres representing situations commonly observed, and subsequently the patinas were studied by XRD and FTIR 150 mm x 1 mm copper panels from commercial copper were exposed to three different atmospheric conditions in Portugal: industrial-marine (Leixoes, near Oporto, highly industrialized city close to the Ocean, subject to SO 2 from refineries); rural (Pego, small village in rural environment). The panels, attached to the appropriate stands, in accordance with ISO 8565 (1), were exposed for periods of 1,2,3 and 4 years, adequately collected for laboratory analysis by infrared spectrometry (FTIR). (Author)

Rotational structure in molecular infrared spectra

CERN Document Server

di Lauro, Carlo

2013-01-01

Recent advances in infrared molecular spectroscopy have resulted in sophisticated theoretical and laboratory methods that are difficult to grasp without a solid understanding of the basic principles and underlying theory of vibration-rotation absorption spectroscopy. Rotational Structure in Molecular Infrared Spectra fills the gap between these recent, complex topics and the most elementary methods in the field of rotational structure in the infrared spectra of gaseous molecules. There is an increasing need for people with the skills and knowledge to interpret vibration-rotation spectra in many scientific disciplines, including applications in atmospheric and planetary research. Consequently, the basic principles of vibration-rotation absorption spectroscopy are addressed for contemporary applications. In addition to covering operational quantum mechanical methods, spherical tensor algebra, and group theoretical methods applied to molecular symmetry, attention is also given to phase conventions and their effe...

ARM Radiosondes for National Polar-Orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System Preparatory Project Validation Field Campaign Report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Borg, Lori [Univ. of Wisconsin, Madison, WI (United States); Tobin, David [Univ. of Wisconsin, Madison, WI (United States); Reale, Anthony [National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Washington, DC (United States); Knuteson, Robert [Univ. of Wisconsin, Madison, WI (United States); Feltz, Michelle [Univ. of Wisconsin, Madison, WI (United States); Liu, Mark [National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Washington, DC (United States); Holdridge, Donna J [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States); Mather, James [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)

2017-06-01

This IOP has been a coordinated effort involving the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Atmospheric Radiation (ARM) Climate Research Facility, the University of Wisconsin (UW)-Madison, and the JPSS project to validate SNPP NOAA Unique Combined Atmospheric Processing System (NUCAPS) temperature and moisture sounding products from the Cross-track Infrared Sounder (CrIS) and the Advanced Technology Microwave Sounder (ATMS). In this arrangement, funding for radiosondes was provided by the JPSS project to ARM. These radiosondes were launched coincident with the SNPP satellite overpasses (OP) at four of the ARM field sites beginning in July 2012 and running through September 2017. Combined with other ARM data, an assessment of the radiosonde data quality was performed and post-processing corrections applied producing an ARM site Best Estimate (BE) product. The SNPP targeted radiosondes were integrated into the NOAA Products Validation System (NPROVS+) system, which collocated the radiosondes with satellite products (NOAA, National Aeronautics and Space Administration [NASA], European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites [EUMETSAT], Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite [GOES], Constellation Observing System for Meteorology, Ionosphere, and Climate [COSMIC]) and Numerical Weather Prediction (NWP forecasts for use in product assessment and algorithm development. This work was a fundamental, integral, and cost-effective part of the SNPP validation effort and provided critical accuracy assessments of the SNPP temperature and water vapor soundings.

An extended Kalman-Bucy filter for atmospheric temperature profile retrieval with a passive microwave sounder

Science.gov (United States)

Ledsham, W. H.; Staelin, D. H.

1978-01-01

An extended Kalman-Bucy filter has been implemented for atmospheric temperature profile retrievals from observations made using the Scanned Microwave Spectrometer (SCAMS) instrument carried on the Nimbus 6 satellite. This filter has the advantage that it requires neither stationary statistics in the underlying processes nor linear production of the observed variables from the variables to be estimated. This extended Kalman-Bucy filter has yielded significant performance improvement relative to multiple regression retrieval methods. A multi-spot extended Kalman-Bucy filter has also been developed in which the temperature profiles at a number of scan angles in a scanning instrument are retrieved simultaneously. These multi-spot retrievals are shown to outperform the single-spot Kalman retrievals.

Aeolian system dynamics derived from thermal infrared data

Science.gov (United States)

Scheidt, Stephen Paul

Thermal infrared (TIR) remote-sensing and field-based observations were used to study aeolian systems, specifically sand transport pathways, dust emission sources and Saharan atmospheric dust. A method was developed for generating seamless and radiometrically accurate mosaics of thermal infrared data from the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) instrument. Using a combination of high resolution thermal emission spectroscopy results of sand samples and mosaic satellite data, surface emissivity was derived to map surface composition, which led to improvement in the understanding of sand accumulation in the Gran Desierto of northern Sonora, Mexico. These methods were also used to map sand transport pathways in the Sahara Desert, where the interaction between sand saltation and dust emission sources was explored. The characteristics and dynamics of dust sources were studied at White Sands, NM and in the Sahara Desert. At White Sands, an application was developed for studying the response of dust sources to surface soil moisture based on the relationship between soil moisture, apparent thermal inertia and the erosion potential of dust sources. The dynamics of dust sources and the interaction with sand transport pathways were also studied, focusing on the Bodele Depression of Chad and large dust sources in Mali and Mauritania. A dust detection algorithm was developed using ASTER data, and the spectral emissivity of observed atmospheric dust was related to the dust source area in the Sahara. At the Atmospheric Observatory (IZO) in Tenerife, Spain where direct measurement of the Saharan Air Layer could be made, the cycle of dust events occurring in July 2009 were examined. From the observation tower at the IZO, measurements of emitted longwave atmospheric radiance in the TIR wavelength region were made using a Forward Looking Infrared Radiometer (FLIR) handheld camera. The use of the FLIR to study atmospheric dust from the Saharan is a

Development of infrared Echelle spectrograph and mid-infrared heterodyne spectrometer on a small telescope at Haleakala, Hawaii for planetary observation

Science.gov (United States)

Sakanoi, Takeshi; Kasaba, Yasumasa; Kagitani, Masato; Nakagawa, Hiromu; Kuhn, Jeff; Okano, Shoichi

2014-08-01

We report the development of infrared Echelle spectrograph covering 1 - 4 micron and mid-infrared heterodyne spectrometer around 10 micron installed on the 60-cm telescope at the summit of Haleakala, Hawaii (alt.=3000m). It is essential to carry out continuous measurement of planetary atmosphere, such as the Jovian infrared aurora and the volcanoes on Jovian satellite Io, to understand its time and spatial variations. A compact and easy-to-use high resolution infrared spectrometer provide the good opportunity to investigate these objects continuously. We are developing an Echelle spectrograph called ESPRIT: Echelle Spectrograph for Planetary Research In Tohoku university. The main target of ESPRIT is to measure the Jovian H3+ fundamental line at 3.9 micron, and H2 nu=1 at 2.1 micron. The 256x256 pixel CRC463 InSb array is used. An appropriate Echelle grating is selected to optimize at 3.9 micron and 2.1 micron for the Jovian infrared auroral observations. The pixel scale corresponds to the atmospheric seeing (0.3 arcsec/pixel). This spectrograph is characterized by a long slit field-of-view of ~ 50 arcsec with a spectral resolution is over 20,000. In addition, we recently developed a heterodyne spectrometer called MILAHI on the 60 cm telescope. MILAHI is characterized by super high-resolving power (more than 1,500,000) covering from 7 - 13 microns. Its sensitivity is 2400 K at 9.6 micron with a MCT photo diode detector of which bandwidth of 3000 MHz. ESPRIT and MILAHI is planned to be installed on 60 cm telescope is planned in 2014.

IceBridge Atmospheric Chemistry L1B Data

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — The IceBridge Atmospheric Chemistry L1B Data set (ICHEM1B) contains measurements acquired over Antarctica using the AVOCET differential Non-Dispersive Infrared...

Infrared detectors for Earth observation

Science.gov (United States)

Barnes, K.; Davis, R. P.; Knowles, P.; Shorrocks, N.

2016-05-01

IASI (Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer), developed by CNES and launched since 2006 on the Metop satellites, is established as a major source of data for atmospheric science and weather prediction. The next generation - IASI NG - is a French national contribution to the Eumetsat Polar System Second Generation on board of the Metop second generation satellites and is under development by Airbus Defence and Space for CNES. The mission aim is to achieve twice the performance of the original IASI instrument in terms of sensitivity and spectral resolution. In turn, this places very demanding requirements on the infrared detectors for the new instrument. Selex ES in Southampton has been selected for the development of the infrared detector set for the IASI-NG instruments. The wide spectral range, 3.6 to 15.5 microns, is covered in four bands, each served by a dedicated detector design, with a common 4 x 4 array format of 1.3 mm square macropixels. Three of the bands up to 8.7 microns employ photovoltaic MCT (mercury cadmium telluride) technology and the very long wave band employs photoconductive MCT, in common with the approach taken between Airbus and Selex ES for the SEVIRI instrument on Second Generation Meteosat. For the photovoltaic detectors, the MCT crystal growth of heterojunction photodiodes is by the MOVPE technique (metal organic vapour phase epitaxy). Novel approaches have been taken to hardening the photovoltaic macropixels against localised crystal defects, and integrating transimpedance amplifiers for each macropixel into a full-custom silicon read out chip, which incorporates radiation hard design.

Uranus atmospheric dynamics and circulation

Science.gov (United States)

Allison, Michael; Beebe, Reta F.; Conrath, Barney J.; Hinson, David P.; Ingersoll, Andrew P.

1991-01-01

The observations, models, and theories relevant to the atmospheric dynamics and meteorology of Uranus are discussed. The available models for the large-scale heat transport and atmospheric dynamics as well as diagnostic interpretations of the Voyager data are reviewed. Some pertinent ideas and questions regarding the global circulation balance are considered, partly in comparison with other planetary atmospheres. The available data indicate atmospheric rotation at midlatitudes nearly 200 m/s faster than that of the planetary magnetic field. Analysis of the dynamical deformation of the shape and size of isobaric surfaces measured by the Voyager radio-occultation experiment suggests a subrotating equator at comparable altitudes. Infrared temperature retrievals above the cloud deck indicate a smaller equator-to-pole contrast than expected for purely radiative-convective equilibrium, but show local variations implying a latitudinally correlated decrease with altitude in the cloud-tracked wind.

Toward a standard line for use in multibeam echo sounder calibration

Science.gov (United States)

Weber, Thomas C.; Rice, Glen; Smith, Michael

2018-06-01

A procedure is suggested in which a relative calibration for the intensity output of a multibeam echo sounder (MBES) can be performed. This procedure identifies a common survey line (i.e., a standard line), over which acoustic backscatter from the seafloor is collected with multiple MBES systems or by the same system multiple times. A location on the standard line which exhibits temporal stability in its seafloor backscatter response is used to bring the intensity output of the multiple MBES systems to a common reference. This relative calibration procedure has utility for MBES users wishing to generate an aggregate seafloor backscatter mosaic using multiple systems, revisiting an area to detect changes in substrate type, and comparing substrate types in the same general area but with different systems or different system settings. The calibration procedure is demonstrated using three different MBES systems over 3 different years in New Castle, NH, USA.

Results from Evaluations of Gridded CrIS/ATMS Visualization for Operational Forecasting

Science.gov (United States)

Stevens, E.; Zavodsky, B.; Dostalek, J.; Berndt, E.; Hoese, D.; White, K.; Bowlan, M.; Gambacorta, A.; Wheeler, A.; Haisley, C.; Smith, N.

2017-12-01

For forecast challenges which require diagnosis of the three-dimensional atmosphere, current observations, such as radiosondes, may not offer enough information. Satellite data can help fill the spatial and temporal gaps between soundings. In particular, temperature and moisture retrievals from the NOAA-Unique Combined Atmospheric Processing System (NUCAPS), which combines infrared soundings from the Cross-track Infrared Sounder (CrIS) with the Advanced Technology Microwave Sounder (ATMS) to retrieve profiles of temperature and moisture. NUCAPS retrievals are available in a wide swath with approximately 45-km spatial resolution at nadir and a local Equator crossing time of 1:30 A.M./P.M. enabling three-dimensional observations at asynoptic times. This abstract focuses on evaluation of a new visualization for NUCAPS within the operational National Weather Service Advanced Weather Interactive Processing System (AWIPS) decision support system that allows these data to be viewed in gridded horizontal maps or vertical cross sections. Two testbed evaluations have occurred in 2017: a Cold Air Aloft (CAA) evaluation at the Alaska Center Weather Service Unit and a Convective Potential evaluation at the NOAA Hazardous Weather Testbed. For CAA, at high latitudes during the winter months, the air at altitudes used by passenger and cargo aircraft can reach temperatures cold enough (-65°C) to begin to freeze jet fuel, and Gridded NUCAPS visualization was shown to help fill in the spatial and temporal gaps in data-sparse areas across the Alaskan airspace by identifying the 3D spatial extent of cold air features. For convective potential, understanding the vertical distribution of temperature and moisture is also very important for forecasting the potential for convection related to severe weather such as lightning, large hail, and tornadoes. The Gridded NUCAPS visualization was shown to aid forecasters in understanding temperature and moisture characteristics at critical levels

Impact of advanced technology microwave sounder data in the NCMRWF 4D-VAR data assimilation system

Science.gov (United States)

Rani, S. Indira; Srinivas, D.; Mallick, Swapan; George, John P.

2016-05-01

This study demonstrates the added benefits of assimilating the Advanced Technology Microwave Sounder (ATMS) radiances from the Suomi-NPP satellite in the NCMRWF Unified Model (NCUM). ATMS is a cross-track scanning microwave radiometer inherited the legacy of two very successful instrument namely, Advanced Microwave Sounding Unit-A (AMSU-A) and Microwave Humidity Sounder (MHS). ATMS has 22 channels: 11 temperature sounding channels around 50-60 GHz oxygen band and 6 moisture sounding channels around the 183GHz water vapour band in addition to 5 channels sensitive to the surface in clear conditions, or to water vapour, rain, and cloud when conditions are not clear (at 23, 31, 50, 51 and 89 GHz). Before operational assimilation of any new observation by NWP centres it is standard practice to assess data quality with respect to NWP model background (short-forecast) fields. Quality of all channels is estimated against the model background and the biases are computed and compared against that from the similar observations. The impact of the ATMS data on global analyses and forecasts is tested by adding the ATMS data in the NCUM Observation Processing system (OPS) and 4D-Var variational assimilation (VAR) system. This paper also discusses the pre-operational numerical experiments conducted to assess the impact of ATMS radiances in the NCUM assimilation system. It is noted that the performance of ATMS is stable and it contributes to the performance of the model, complimenting observations from other instruments.

Evaluating the Contribution of NASA Remotely-Sensed Data Sets on a Convection-Allowing Forecast Model

Science.gov (United States)

Zavodsky, Bradley T.; Case, Jonathan L.; Molthan, Andrew L.

2012-01-01

The Short-term Prediction Research and Transition (SPoRT) Center is a collaborative partnership between NASA and operational forecasting partners, including a number of National Weather Service forecast offices. SPoRT provides real-time NASA products and capabilities to help its partners address specific operational forecast challenges. One challenge that forecasters face is using guidance from local and regional deterministic numerical models configured at convection-allowing resolution to help assess a variety of mesoscale/convective-scale phenomena such as sea-breezes, local wind circulations, and mesoscale convective weather potential on a given day. While guidance from convection-allowing models has proven valuable in many circumstances, the potential exists for model improvements by incorporating more representative land-water surface datasets, and by assimilating retrieved temperature and moisture profiles from hyper-spectral sounders. In order to help increase the accuracy of deterministic convection-allowing models, SPoRT produces real-time, 4-km CONUS forecasts using a configuration of the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model (hereafter SPoRT-WRF) that includes unique NASA products and capabilities including 4-km resolution soil initialization data from the Land Information System (LIS), 2-km resolution SPoRT SST composites over oceans and large water bodies, high-resolution real-time Green Vegetation Fraction (GVF) composites derived from the Moderate-resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) instrument, and retrieved temperature and moisture profiles from the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) and Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer (IASI). NCAR's Model Evaluation Tools (MET) verification package is used to generate statistics of model performance compared to in situ observations and rainfall analyses for three months during the summer of 2012 (June-August). Detailed analyses of specific severe weather outbreaks during the summer

Solving for the Surface: An Automated Approach to THEMIS Atmospheric Correction

Science.gov (United States)

Ryan, A. J.; Salvatore, M. R.; Smith, R.; Edwards, C. S.; Christensen, P. R.

2013-12-01

Here we present the initial results of an automated atmospheric correction algorithm for the Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) instrument, whereby high spectral resolution Thermal Emission Spectrometer (TES) data are queried to generate numerous atmospheric opacity values for each THEMIS infrared image. While the pioneering methods of Bandfield et al. [2004] also used TES spectra to atmospherically correct THEMIS data, the algorithm presented here is a significant improvement because of the reduced dependency on user-defined inputs for individual images. Additionally, this technique is particularly useful for correcting THEMIS images that have captured a range of atmospheric conditions and/or surface elevations, issues that have been difficult to correct for using previous techniques. Thermal infrared observations of the Martian surface can be used to determine the spatial distribution and relative abundance of many common rock-forming minerals. This information is essential to understanding the planet's geologic and climatic history. However, the Martian atmosphere also has absorptions in the thermal infrared which complicate the interpretation of infrared measurements obtained from orbit. TES has sufficient spectral resolution (143 bands at 10 cm-1 sampling) to linearly unmix and remove atmospheric spectral end-members from the acquired spectra. THEMIS has the benefit of higher spatial resolution (~100 m/pixel vs. 3x5 km/TES-pixel) but has lower spectral resolution (8 surface sensitive spectral bands). As such, it is not possible to isolate the surface component by unmixing the atmospheric contribution from the THEMIS spectra, as is done with TES. Bandfield et al. [2004] developed a technique using atmospherically corrected TES spectra as tie-points for constant radiance offset correction and surface emissivity retrieval. This technique is the primary method used to correct THEMIS but is highly susceptible to inconsistent results if great care in the

Validation of the CrIS fast physical NH3 retrieval with ground-based FTIR

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Dammers, E.; Shephard, M.W.; Palm, M.; Cady-Pereira, K.; Capps, S.; Lutsch, E.; Strong, K.; Hannigan, J.W.; Ortega, I.; Toon, G.C.; Stremme, W.; Grutter, M.; Jones, N.; Smale, D.; Siemons, J.; Hrpcek, K.; Tremblay, D.; Schaap, M.; Notholt, J.; Willem Erisman, J.

2017-01-01

Presented here is the validation of the CrIS (Cross-track Infrared Sounder) fast physical NH3 retrieval (CFPR) column and profile measurements using ground-based Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) observations. We use the total columns and profiles from seven FTIR sites in the Network for the

Analysis of Vertical Weighting Functions for Lidar Measurements of Atmospheric CO2 and O2

Science.gov (United States)

Kooi, S.; Mao, J.; Abshire, J. B.; Browell, E. V.; Weaver, C. J.; Kawa, S. R.

2011-12-01

Several NASA groups have developed integrated path differential absorption (IPDA) lidar approaches to measure atmospheric CO2 concentrations from space as a candidates for NASA's ASCENDS space mission. For example, the Goddard CO2 Sounder approach uses two pulsed lasers to simultaneously measure both CO2 and O2 absorption in the vertical path to the surface at a number of wavelengths across a CO2 line near 1572 nm and an O2 line doublet near 764 nm. The measurements of CO2 and O2 absorption allow computing their vertically weighted number densities and then their ratios for estimating CO2 concentration relative to dry air. Since both the CO2 and O2 densities and their absorption line-width decrease with altitude, the absorption response (or weighting function) varies with both altitude and absorption wavelength. We have used some standard atmospheres and HITRAN 2008 spectroscopy to calculate the vertical weighting functions for two CO2 lines near 1571 nm and the O2 lines near 764.7 and 1260 nm for candidate online wavelength selections for ASCENDS. For CO2, the primary candidate on-line wavelengths are 10-12 pm away from line center with the weighting function peaking in the atmospheric boundary layer to measure CO2 sources and sinks at the surface. Using another on-line wavelength 3-5 pm away from line center allows the weighting function to peak in the mid- to upper troposphere, which is sensitive to CO2 transport in the free atmosphere. The Goddard CO2 sounder team developed an airborne precursor version of a space instrument. During the summers of 2009, 2010 and 2011 it has participated in airborne measurement campaigns over a variety of different sites in the US, flying with other NASA ASCENDS lidar candidates along with accurate in-situ atmospheric sensors. All flights used altitude patterns with measurements at steps in altitudes between 3 and 13 km, along with spirals from 13 km altitude to near the surface. Measurements from in-situ sensors allowed an

Atmospheric Monitoring at the Site of the MAGIC Telescopes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Will Martin

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The MAGIC telescopes in La Palma, Canary Islands, measure the Cherenkov light emitted by gamma ray-induced extended air showers in the atmosphere. The good knowledge of the atmospheric parameters is important, both for the correct and safe operations of the telescopes, but also for subsequent data analysis. A weather station measures the state variables of the atmosphere, temperature, humidity and wind, an elastic Lidar system and an infrared pyrometer determine the optical transmission of the atmosphere. Using an AllSky camera, the cloud cover can be estimated. The measured values are completed by data from global atmospheric models based on numeric weather forecasts.

Evaluating the Impact of AIRS Observations on Regional Forecasts at the SPoRT Center

Science.gov (United States)

Zavodsky, Bradley

2011-01-01

NASA Short-term Prediction Research and Transition (SPoRT) Center collaborates with operational partners of different sizes and operational goals to improve forecasts using targeted projects and data sets. Modeling and DA activities focus on demonstrating utility of NASA data sets and capabilities within operational systems. SPoRT has successfully assimilated the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) radiance and profile data. A collaborative project is underway with the Joint Center for Satellite Data Assimilation (JCSDA) to use AIRS profiles to better understand the impact of AIRS radiances assimilated within Gridpoint Statistical Interpolation (GSI) in hopes of engaging the operational DA community in a reassessment of assimilation methodologies to more effectively assimilate hyperspectral radiances.

An automated baseline correction protocol for infrared spectra of atmospheric aerosols collected on polytetrafluoroethylene (Teflon) filters

Science.gov (United States)

Kuzmiakova, Adele; Dillner, Ann M.; Takahama, Satoshi

2016-06-01

A growing body of research on statistical applications for characterization of atmospheric aerosol Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) samples collected on polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) filters (e.g., Russell et al., 2011; Ruthenburg et al., 2014) and a rising interest in analyzing FT-IR samples collected by air quality monitoring networks call for an automated PTFE baseline correction solution. The existing polynomial technique (Takahama et al., 2013) is not scalable to a project with a large number of aerosol samples because it contains many parameters and requires expert intervention. Therefore, the question of how to develop an automated method for baseline correcting hundreds to thousands of ambient aerosol spectra given the variability in both environmental mixture composition and PTFE baselines remains. This study approaches the question by detailing the statistical protocol, which allows for the precise definition of analyte and background subregions, applies nonparametric smoothing splines to reproduce sample-specific PTFE variations, and integrates performance metrics from atmospheric aerosol and blank samples alike in the smoothing parameter selection. Referencing 794 atmospheric aerosol samples from seven Interagency Monitoring of PROtected Visual Environment (IMPROVE) sites collected during 2011, we start by identifying key FT-IR signal characteristics, such as non-negative absorbance or analyte segment transformation, to capture sample-specific transitions between background and analyte. While referring to qualitative properties of PTFE background, the goal of smoothing splines interpolation is to learn the baseline structure in the background region to predict the baseline structure in the analyte region. We then validate the model by comparing smoothing splines baseline-corrected spectra with uncorrected and polynomial baseline (PB)-corrected equivalents via three statistical applications: (1) clustering analysis, (2) functional group quantification

Nimbus-2 Level 2 Medium Resolution Infrared Radiometer (MRIR) V001

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — The Nimbus II Medium Resolution Infrared Radiometer (MRIR) was designed to measure electromagnetic radiation emitted and reflected from the earth and its atmosphere...

Geostationary satellite estimation of biomass burning in Amazonia during BASE-A

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Menzel, W.P.; Cutrim, E.C.; Prins, E.M.

1991-01-01

This chapter presents the results of using Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES) Visible Infrared Spin Scan Radiometer Atmospheric Sounder (VAS) infrared window (3.9 and 11.2 microns) data to monitor biomass burning several times per day in Amazonia. The technique of Matson and Dozier using two window channels was adapted to GOES VAS infrared data to estimate the size and temperature of fires associated with deforestation in the vicinity of Alta Floresta, Brazil, during the Biomass Burning Airborne and Spaceborne Experiment - Amazonia (BASE-A). Although VAS data do not offer the spatial resolution available with AVHRR data 97 km versus 1 km, respectively, this decreased resolution does not seem to hinder the ability of the VAS instrument to detect fires; in some cases it proves to be advantageous in that saturation does not occur as often. VAS visible data are additionally helpful in verifying that the hot spots sensed in the infrared are actually related to fires. Furthermore, the fire plumes can be tracked in time to determine their motion and extent. In this way, the GOES satellite offers a unique ability to monitor diurnal variations in fire activity and transport of related aerosols

Optical sensors for earth observation. Chikyu kansokuyo kogaku sensor

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ono, A [National Research Laboratory of Metrology, Tsukuba (Japan)

1991-10-10

Developments are made on an optical imager (ASTER) used to collect mainly images of land areas and an infrared sounder (IMG) to measure vertical air temperature distribution and vertical concentration distribution of specific gases, as satellite mounted sensors for earth observation. All the sensor characteristics of the ASTER comprising a visible near infrared radiometer, short wave infrared radiometer and thermal infrared radiometer are required to be capable of providing measurement, evaluation and assurance at the required accuracies during the entire life time. A problem to be solved is how to combine the on-ground calibration prior to launching, on-satellite calibration, and calibration between the test site and the sensors. The IMG is a Fourier transform spectroscopic infrared sounder, which is demanded of a high wave resolution over extended periods of time as well as a high radiation measuring capability. Also required are the level elevation of analysis algorithms to solve inverse problems from the observed radiation spectra, and the data base with high accuracy. 19 refs., 4 figs., 4 tabs.

S-NPP ATMS Instrument Prelaunch and On-Orbit Performance Evaluation

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Edward; Lyu, Cheng-Hsuan; Anderson, Kent; Leslie, Vincent R.; Blackwell, William J.

2014-01-01

The first of a new generation of microwave sounders was launched aboard the Suomi-National Polar-Orbiting Partnership satellite in October 2011. The Advanced Technology Microwave Sounder (ATMS) combines the capabilities and channel sets of three predecessor sounders into a single package to provide information on the atmospheric vertical temperature and moisture profiles that are the most critical observations needed for numerical weather forecast models. Enhancements include size/mass/power approximately one third of the previous total, three new sounding channels, the first space-based, Nyquist-sampled cross-track microwave temperature soundings for improved fusion with infrared soundings, plus improved temperature control and reliability. This paper describes the ATMS characteristics versus its predecessor, the advanced microwave sounding unit (AMSU), and presents the first comprehensive evaluation of key prelaunch and on-orbit performance parameters. Two-year on-orbit performance shows that the ATMS has maintained very stable radiometric sensitivity, in agreement with prelaunch data, meeting requirements for all channels (with margins of 40% for channels 1-15), and improvements over AMSU-A when processed for equivalent spatial resolution. The radiometric accuracy, determined by analysis from ground test measurements, and using on-orbit instrument temperatures, also shows large margins relative to requirements (specified as ATMS is especially important for this first proto-flight model unit of what will eventually be a series of ATMS sensors providing operational sounding capability for the U.S. and its international partners well into the next decade.

Simulation of the vibrational chemistry and the infrared signature induced by a Sprite streamer in the mesosphere

Science.gov (United States)

Romand, F.; Payan, S.; Croize, L.

2017-12-01

Since their first observation in 1989, effect of TLEs on the atmospheric composition has become an open and important question. The lack of suitable experimental data is a shortcoming that hampers our understanding of the physics and chemistry induced by these effects. HALESIS (High-Altitude Luminous Events Studied by Infrared Spectro-imagery) is a future experiment dedicated to the measurement of the atmospheric perturbation induced by a TLE in the minutes following its occurrence, from a stratospheric balloon flying at an altitude of 25 km to 40 km. This work aims to quantify the local chemical impact of sprites in the stratosphere and mesosphere. In this paper, we will present the development of a tool which simulates (i) the impact of a sprite on the vibrational chemistry, (ii) the resulting infrared signature and (iii) the propagation of this signature through the atmosphere to an observer. First the Non Local Thermodynamic Equilibrium populations of a background atmosphere were computed using SAMM2 code. The initial thermodynamic and chemical description of atmosphere comes from the Whole Atmosphere community Climate Model (WACCM). Then a perturbation was applied to simulate a sprite. Chemistry due to TLEs was computed using Gordillo-Vazquez kinetic model. Rate coefficients that depend on the electron energy distribution function were calculated from collision cross-section data by solving the electron Boltzmann equation (BE). Time evolutions of the species densities and of vibrational populations in the non-thermal plasma consecutive to sprite discharge were simulated using the computer code ZDPlasKin (S. Pancheshn et al.). Finally, the resulting infrared signatures were propagated from the disturbed area through the atmosphere to an instrument placed in a limb line of sight using a line by line radiative transfer model. We will conclude that sprite could produce a significant infrared signature that last a few tens of seconds after the visible flash.

PREDIKSI SEBARAN ASAP KEBAKARAN HUTAN/LAHAN MENGGUNAKAN WRF/CHEM (Studi Kasus: Tanggal 14 dan 20 Juni 2012, Pekanbaru-Riau

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Eko Heriyanto

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Penelitian ini bertujuan mengembangkan prediksi sebaran asap kebakaran hutan/lahan di wilayah Indonesia. Simulasi prediksi sebaran  asap (hindcast menggunakan model Weather Research and Forecasting with CHEMistry (WRF/CHEM pada kasus kebakaran hutan/lahan tanggal 14 dan 20 Juni 2012 di wilayah Pekanbaru-Riau. Dalam penelitian ini digunakan data luaran WRF resolusi 25 km dan emisi global . Hasil simulasi  konsentrasi Carbon Monoxide (CO luaran WRF/CHEM menggambarkan pola yang identik dengan hasil luaran Monitoring Atmospheric Composition and Climate (MACC-Reanalysis 1.10. Dilakukan juga analisis kualitatif terhadap hasil simulasi kedua model dengan citra satelit Aqua-Terra MODIS, NOAA-18, dan total column CO Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS dari NASA. Korelasi simulasi kedua model menunjukkan nilai yang baik antara 0.55 – 0.83. Secara umum dapat disimpulkan bahwa WRF/CHEM mampu mensimulasikan sebaran asap kebakaran hutan/lahan secara akurat. Hasil penelitian ini bisa menjadi salah satu langkah awal dalam pengembangan sistem peringatan dini sebaran asap kebakaran hutan/lahan di wilayah Indonesia.   This study aims to develop a predictive distribution of forest fire smoke/land in the territory of Indonesia. The simulation of smoke spread prediction (hindcast is using the Weather Research and Forecasting Model with CHEMistry (WRF/CHEM in the case of forest fires/land dated June 14, 2012 in Pekanbaru-Riau region. This study uses the WRF data output resolution 25 km and global emissions. Carbon Monoxide concentration simulation results (CO which is the WRF/CHEM output describes patterns that are identical to the results of Monitoring Atmospheric Composition and Climate (MACC-Reanalysis 1.1250 outcomes. a qualitative analysis of the results of the both simulation models with satellite imagery MODIS Aqua-Terra,NOAA-18 and the Total column CO Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (Airs from NASA has  been conducted as well. Both simulation models show a

Remote Sounding of the Earth's Atmospheric Limb From a Micro-Satellite Platform: a Feasibility Study of the ALTIUS Mission

Science.gov (United States)

Vrancken, D.; Paijmans, B.; Fussen, D.; Neefs, E.; Loodts, N.; Dekemper, E.; Vahellemont, F.; Devos, L.; Moelans, W.; Nevejans, D.; Schroeven-Deceuninck, H.; Bernaerts, D.; Zender, J.

2008-08-01

There is more and more interest in the understanding and the monitoring of the physics and chemistry of the Earth's atmosphere and its impact on the climate change. Currently a significantly high number of sounders provide the required data to monitor the changes in atmosphere composition, but a dramatic drop in operational atmosphere monitoring missions is expected around 2010. This drop is mainly visible in sounders capable of a high vertical resolution. Currently, instruments on ENVISAT and METOP provide relevant data but this is envisaged to be insufficient to ensure full spatial and temporal coverage and redundancy in the measurement data set. ALTIUS (Atmospheric Limb Tracker for the Investigation of the Upcoming Stratosphere) is a remote sounding experiment proposed by the Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy (BIRA/IASB) for which a feasibility study was initiated with BELSPO (Belgian Science Policy) and ESA support. The main objective of this study phase was to establish a mission concept, to define the required payload and to establish a satellite platform design. The study was led by the BIRA/IASB team and performed in close collaboration with OIP (payload developer) and Verhaert Space (spacecraft developer). The mission scenario includes bright limb observations in basically all directions, solar occultations around the terminator passages and star occultations during eclipse. These observation modes allow imaging the atmosphere with a high vertical resolution. The spacecraft will be operated in a 10:00 sun-synchronous orbit at an altitude of 695 km, allowing a 3-day revisit time. The envisaged payload for the ALTIUS mission is an imaging spectrometer, observing in the UV, the VIS and the NIR spectral ranges. For each spectral range, an AOTF (Acousto-Optical Tunable Filter) will permit to perform observations of selectable small wavelength domains. A typical set of 10 wavelengths will be recorded within 1 second. The different operational modes impose a

Atmospheric Radiation Measurement Program facilities newsletter, July 2001.; TOPICAL

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Holdridge, D. J.

2001-01-01

Global Warming and Methane-Global warming, an increase in Earth's near-surface temperature, is believed to result from the buildup of what scientists refer to as ''greenhouse gases.'' These gases include water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, ozone, perfluorocarbons, hydrofluoro-carbons, and sulfur hexafluoride. Greenhouse gases can absorb outgoing infrared (heat) radiation and re-emit it back to Earth, warming the surface. Thus, these gases act like the glass of a greenhouse enclosure, trapping infrared radiation inside and warming the space. One of the more important greenhouse gases is the naturally occurring hydrocarbon methane. Methane, a primary component of natural gas, is the second most important contributor to the greenhouse effect (after carbon dioxide). Natural sources of methane include wetlands, fossil sources, termites, oceans, fresh-waters, and non-wetland soils. Methane is also produced by human-related (or anthropogenic) activities such as fossil fuel production, coal mining, rice cultivation, biomass burning, water treatment facilities, waste management operations and landfills, and domesticated livestock operations (Figure 1). These anthropogenic activities account for approximately 70% of the methane emissions to the atmosphere. Methane is removed naturally from the atmosphere in three ways. These methods, commonly referred to as sinks, are oxidation by chemical reaction with tropospheric hydroxyl ion, oxidation within the stratosphere, and microbial uptake by soils. In spite of their important role in removing excess methane from the atmosphere, the sinks cannot keep up with global methane production. Methane concentrations in the atmosphere have increased by 145% since 1800. Increases in atmospheric methane roughly parallel world population growth, pointing to anthropogenic sources as the cause (Figure 2). Increases in the methane concentration reduce Earth's natural cooling efficiency by trapping more of the outgoing

Cloudless Atmospheres for Young Low-Gravity Substellar Objects

Science.gov (United States)

Tremblin, P.; Chabrier, G.; Baraffe, I.; Liu, Michael C.; Magnier, E. A.; Lagage, P.-O.; De Oliveira, C. Alves; Burgasser, A. J.; Amundsen, D. S.; Drummond, B.

2017-01-01

Atmospheric modeling of low-gravity (VL-G) young brown dwarfs remains challenging. The presence of very thick clouds is a possible source of this challenge, because of their extremely red near-infrared (NIR) spectra, but no cloud models provide a good fit to the data with a radius compatible with the evolutionary models for these objects. We show that cloudless atmospheres assuming a temperature gradient reduction caused by fingering convection provide a very good model to match the observed VL-G NIR spectra. The sequence of extremely red colors in the NIR for atmospheres with effective temperatures from approx. 2000 K down to approx. 1200 K is very well reproduced with predicted radii typical of young low-gravity objects. Future observations with NIRSPEC and MIRI on the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) will provide more constraints in the mid-infrared, helping to confirm or refute whether or not the NIR reddening is caused by fingering convection. We suggest that the presence or absence of clouds will be directly determined by the silicate absorption features that can be observed with MIRI. JWST will therefore be able to better characterize the atmosphere of these hot young brown dwarfs and their low-gravity exoplanet analogs.

Ground-based observations of exoplanet atmospheres

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Mooij, Ernst Johan Walter de

2011-01-01

This thesis focuses on the properties of exoplanet atmospheres. The results for ground-based near-infrared secondary eclipse observations of three different exoplanets, TrES-3b, HAT-P-1b and WASP-33b, are presented which have been obtained with ground-based telescopes as part of the GROUSE project.

1D-VAR Retrieval Using Superchannels

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Xu; Zhou, Daniel; Larar, Allen; Smith, William L.; Schluessel, Peter; Mango, Stephen; SaintGermain, Karen

2008-01-01

Since modern ultra-spectral remote sensors have thousands of channels, it is difficult to include all of them in a 1D-var retrieval system. We will describe a physical inversion algorithm, which includes all available channels for the atmospheric temperature, moisture, cloud, and surface parameter retrievals. Both the forward model and the inversion algorithm compress the channel radiances into super channels. These super channels are obtained by projecting the radiance spectra onto a set of pre-calculated eigenvectors. The forward model provides both super channel properties and jacobian in EOF space directly. For ultra-spectral sensors such as Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer (IASI) and the NPOESS Airborne Sounder Testbed Interferometer (NAST), a compression ratio of more than 80 can be achieved, leading to a significant reduction in computations involved in an inversion process. Results will be shown applying the algorithm to real IASI and NAST data.

Using AIRS retrievals in the WRF-LETKF system to improve regional numerical weather prediction

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Takemasa Miyoshi

2012-09-01

Full Text Available In addition to conventional observations, atmospheric temperature and humidity profile data from the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS Version 5 retrieval products are assimilated into the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF model, using the local ensemble transform Kalman filter (LETKF. Although a naive assimilation of all available quality-controlled AIRS retrieval data yields an inferior analysis, the additional enhancements of adaptive inflation and horizontal data thinning result in a general improvement of numerical weather prediction skill due to AIRS data. In particular, the adaptive inflation method is enhanced so that it no longer assumes temporal homogeneity of the observing network and allows for a better treatment of the temporally inhomogeneous AIRS data. Results indicate that the improvements due to AIRS data are more significant in longer-lead forecasts. Forecasts of Typhoons Sinlaku and Jangmi in September 2008 show improvements due to AIRS data.

Galileo infrared imaging spectroscopy measurements at venus

Science.gov (United States)

Carlson, R.W.; Baines, K.H.; Encrenaz, Th.; Taylor, F.W.; Drossart, P.; Kamp, L.W.; Pollack, James B.; Lellouch, E.; Collard, A.D.; Calcutt, S.B.; Grinspoon, D.; Weissman, P.R.; Smythe, W.D.; Ocampo, A.C.; Danielson, G.E.; Fanale, F.P.; Johnson, T.V.; Kieffer, H.H.; Matson, D.L.; McCord, T.B.; Soderblom, L.A.

1991-01-01

During the 1990 Galileo Venus flyby, the Near Infrared Mapping Spectrometer investigated the night-side atmosphere of Venus in the spectral range 0.7 to 5.2 micrometers. Multispectral images at high spatial resolution indicate substantial cloud opacity variations in the lower cloud levels, centered at 50 kilometers altitude. Zonal and meridional winds were derived for this level and are consistent with motion of the upper branch of a Hadley cell. Northern and southern hemisphere clouds appear to be markedly different. Spectral profiles were used to derive lower atmosphere abundances of water vapor and other species.

Atmospheric CH 4 and H 2 O Monitoring With Near-Infrared InGaAs Laser Diodes by the SDLA, a Balloonborne Spectrometer for Tropospheric and Stratospheric In Situ Measurements

Science.gov (United States)

Durry, Georges; Megie, Gerard

1999-12-01

The Spectrom tre Diodes Laser Accordables (SDLA), a balloonborne spectrometer devoted to the in situ measurement of CH 4 and H 2 O in the atmosphere that uses commercial distributed-feedback InGaAs laser diodes in combination with differential absorption spectroscopy, is described. Absorption spectra of CH 4 (in the 1.653- m region) and H 2 O (in the 1.393- m region) are simultaneously sampled at 1-s intervals by coupling with optical fibers of two near-infrared laser diodes to a Herriott multipass cell open to the atmosphere. Spectra of methane and water vapor in an altitude range of 1 to 31 km recorded during the recent balloon flights of the SDLA are presented. Mixing ratios with a precision error ranging from 5% to 10% are retrieved from the atmospheric spectra by a nonlinear least-squares fit to the spectral line shape in conjunction with in situ simultaneous pressure and temperature measurements.

The estimation of the atmospheric longwave radiation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Nowak, H.; Wit, de M.H.; Schellen, H.L.

1994-01-01

The paper presents a review of some models to calculate the intensity of the atmospheric longwave radiation upon horizontal plane. This radiation (called also thermal or infrared radiation) may have significant influence on the radiative balance and subseuquently on the thermal balance of the

The Zugspitze radiative closure experiment for quantifying water vapor absorption over the terrestrial and solar infrared – Part 3: Quantification of the mid- and near-infrared water vapor continuum in the 2500 to 7800 cm−1 spectral range under atmospheric conditions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. Reichert

2016-09-01

Full Text Available We present a first quantification of the near-infrared (NIR water vapor continuum absorption from an atmospheric radiative closure experiment carried out at the Zugspitze (47.42° N, 10.98° E; 2964 m a.s.l.. Continuum quantification is achieved via radiative closure using radiometrically calibrated solar Fourier transform infrared (FTIR absorption spectra covering the 2500 to 7800 cm−1 spectral range. The dry atmospheric conditions at the Zugspitze site (IWV 1.4 to 3.3 mm enable continuum quantification even within water vapor absorption bands, while upper limits for continuum absorption can be provided in the centers of window regions. Throughout 75 % of the 2500 to 7800 cm−1 spectral range, the Zugspitze results agree within our estimated uncertainty with the widely used MT_CKD 2.5.2 model (Mlawer et al., 2012. In the wings of water vapor absorption bands, our measurements indicate about 2–5 times stronger continuum absorption than MT_CKD, namely in the 2800 to 3000 cm−1 and 4100 to 4200 cm−1 spectral ranges. The measurements are consistent with the laboratory measurements of Mondelain et al. (2015, which rely on cavity ring-down spectroscopy (CDRS, and the calorimetric–interferometric measurements of Bicknell et al. (2006. Compared to the recent FTIR laboratory studies of Ptashnik et al. (2012, 2013, our measurements are consistent within the estimated errors throughout most of the spectral range. However, in the wings of water vapor absorption bands our measurements indicate typically 2–3 times weaker continuum absorption under atmospheric conditions, namely in the 3200 to 3400, 4050 to 4200, and 6950 to 7050 cm−1 spectral regions.

Optical/Infrared Signatures for Space-Based Remote Sensing

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Picard, R. H; Dewan, E. M; Winick, J. R; O'Neil, R. R

2007-01-01

... (mesosphere and thermosphere) in terms of the structure of the underlying medium. Advances in non-LTE radiative transfer and atmospheric waves and localized excitations are detailed, as well as analysis and modeling of the databases resulting from two groundbreaking space infrared experiments, DoD MSX/SPIRIT III and NASA TIMED/SABER.

Monolithic dual-band HgCdTe infrared detector structure

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Parish, G

1997-07-01

Full Text Available A monolithic HgCdTe photoconductive device structure is presented that is suitable for dual-band optically registered infrared photodetection in the two atmospheric transmission windows of 3-5 mu m and 8-12 mu m, which correspond to the mid...

Spectral solar irradiance and some optical properties for various polluted atmospheres

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jacovides, Constantinos P.; Asimakopoulos, Demosthenis N.; Steven, Michael D.

2000-01-01

Using ground-based spectroradiometric measurements taken over the Athens atmosphere during May 1995, the influence of gaseous pollutants and aerosol on the spectral radiant energy distribution was investigated. It was found that spectral measurements exhibited variations based on various polluted urban atmospheric conditions as determined via gaseous pollutants record analysis. The relative attenuations cause by gaseous pollutants and aerosol can exceed 27%, 17% and 16% in the global ultraviolet, visible and near-infrared portions of the solar spectrum respectively, as compared to 'background' values. In contrast, an enhancement of the near-infrared diffuse component by 66%, was observed, while in visible and ultraviolet bands the relative increases reached 54% and 21% respectively. Experimental total Rayleigh-corrected and spectral aerosol optical depths were retrieved, representing differences in polluted air over the Athens atmosphere. The diffuse component accounts for more than 80% of the total radiation field under high polluted atmosphere. The observed differences of solar radiation between the Athens center and at a nearby suburban site are a manifestation of contrasting air properties provided mainly by automotive traffic. (Author)

The Radiation Environment of Exoplanet Atmospheres

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jeffrey L. Linsky

2014-10-01

Full Text Available Exoplanets are born and evolve in the radiation and particle environment created by their host star. The host star’s optical and infrared radiation heats the exoplanet’s lower atmosphere and surface, while the ultraviolet, extreme ultraviolet and X-radiation control the photochemistry and mass loss from the exoplanet’s upper atmosphere. Stellar radiation, especially at the shorter wavelengths, changes dramatically as a host star evolves leading to changes in the planet’s atmosphere and habitability. This paper reviews the present state of our knowledge concerning the time-dependent radiation emitted by stars with convective zones, that is stars with spectral types F, G, K, and M, which comprise nearly all of the host stars of detected exoplanets.

Atmospheric reconnaissance of the habitable-zone Earth-sized planets orbiting TRAPPIST-1

Science.gov (United States)

de Wit, Julien; Wakeford, Hannah R.; Lewis, Nikole K.; Delrez, Laetitia; Gillon, Michaël; Selsis, Frank; Leconte, Jérémy; Demory, Brice-Olivier; Bolmont, Emeline; Bourrier, Vincent; Burgasser, Adam J.; Grimm, Simon; Jehin, Emmanuël; Lederer, Susan M.; Owen, James E.; Stamenković, Vlada; Triaud, Amaury H. M. J.

2018-03-01

Seven temperate Earth-sized exoplanets readily amenable for atmospheric studies transit the nearby ultracool dwarf star TRAPPIST-1 (refs 1,2). Their atmospheric regime is unknown and could range from extended primordial hydrogen-dominated to depleted atmospheres3-6. Hydrogen in particular is a powerful greenhouse gas that may prevent the habitability of inner planets while enabling the habitability of outer ones6-8. An atmosphere largely dominated by hydrogen, if cloud-free, should yield prominent spectroscopic signatures in the near-infrared detectable during transits. Observations of the innermost planets have ruled out such signatures9. However, the outermost planets are more likely to have sustained such a Neptune-like atmosphere10, 11. Here, we report observations for the four planets within or near the system's habitable zone, the circumstellar region where liquid water could exist on a planetary surface12-14. These planets do not exhibit prominent spectroscopic signatures at near-infrared wavelengths either, which rules out cloud-free hydrogen-dominated atmospheres for TRAPPIST-1 d, e and f, with significance of 8σ, 6σ and 4σ, respectively. Such an atmosphere is instead not excluded for planet g. As high-altitude clouds and hazes are not expected in hydrogen-dominated atmospheres around planets with such insolation15, 16, these observations further support their terrestrial and potentially habitable nature.

Atmospheric limb sounding with imaging FTS

Science.gov (United States)

Friedl-Vallon, Felix; Riese, Martin; Preusse, Peter; Oelhaf, Hermann; Fischer, Herbert

Imaging Fourier transform spectrometers in the thermal infrared are a promising new class of sensors for atmospheric science. The availability of fast and sensitive large focal plane arrays with appropriate spectral coverage in the infrared region allows the conception and construction of innovative sensors for Nadir and Limb geometry. Instruments in Nadir geometry have already reached prototype status (e.g. Geostationary Imaging Fourier Transform Spectrometer / U. Wisconsin and NASA) or are in Phase A study (infrared sounding mission on Meteosat third generation / ESA and EUMETSAT). The first application of the new technical possibilities to atmospheric limb sounding from space, the Imaging Michelson Interferometer for Passive Atmospheric Sounding (IMIPAS), is currently studied by industry in the context of preparatory work for the next set of ESA earth explorers. The scientific focus of the instrument is on the processes controlling the composition of the mid/upper troposphere and lower stratosphere. The instrument concept of IMIPAS has been conceived at the research centres Karlsruhe and J¨lich. The development of a precursor instrument (GLORIA-AB) at these research institutions u started already in 2005. The instrument will be able to fly on board of various airborne platforms. First scientific missions are planned for the second half of the year 2009 on board the new German research aircraft HALO. This airborne sensor serves its own scientific purpose, but it also provides a test bed to learn about this new instrument class and its peculiarities and to learn to exploit and interpret the wealth of information provided by a limb imaging IR Fourier transform spectrometer. The presentation will discuss design considerations and challenges for GLORIA-AB and put them in the context of the planned satellite application. It will describe the solutions found, present first laboratory figures of merit for the prototype instrument and outline the new scientific

Nimbus-4 Infrared Interferometer Spectrometer (IRIS) Level 1 Radiance Data V001

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — The Nimbus-4 Infrared Interferometer Spectrometer (IRIS) Level 1 Radiance Data contain thermal emissions of the Earth's atmosphere at wave numbers between 400 and...

Cryogenic implications of orbit selection of the Space Infrared Telescope Facility (SIRTF)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, J.H.; Brooke, W.F.; Maa, S.

1986-01-01

The Infrared Astronomical Satellite (IRAS) which completed the first all sky survey in the infrared demonstrated the tremendous advantage of space-based infrared astronomy. The ability to cool the telescope optics and focal plane to liquid helium temperatures and the absence of atmospheric disturbances which cause ''seeing'' effects resulted in the discovery of 250,000 IR sources and many interesting phenomena including dust clouds around Vega and the infrared ''cirrus'' at 100 μm. To realize the true benefit of space infrared astronomy, NASA is now studying the Space Infrared Telescope Facility, a long-life space-based observatory, to follow up on the survey results of IRAS. The choice of orbits is a critical program decision. The objective of this paper is to compare the performance of an all superfluid helium SIRTF system in the two possible orbit inclinations, polar orbit (99 0 ) and the low inclination orbit (28.5 0 )

Global CO emission estimates inferred from assimilation of MOPITT and IASI CO data, together with observations of O3, NO2, HNO3, and HCHO.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, X.; Jones, D. B. A.; Keller, M.; Jiang, Z.; Bourassa, A. E.; Degenstein, D. A.; Clerbaux, C.; Pierre-Francois, C.

2017-12-01

Atmospheric carbon monoxide (CO) emissions estimated from inverse modeling analyses exhibit large uncertainties, due, in part, to discrepancies in the tropospheric chemistry in atmospheric models. We attempt to reduce the uncertainties in CO emission estimates by constraining the modeled abundance of ozone (O3), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), nitric acid (HNO3), and formaldehyde (HCHO), which are constituents that play a key role in tropospheric chemistry. Using the GEOS-Chem four-dimensional variational (4D-Var) data assimilation system, we estimate CO emissions by assimilating observations of CO from the Measurement of Pollution In the Troposphere (MOPITT) and the Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer (IASI), together with observations of O3 from the Optical Spectrograph and InfraRed Imager System (OSIRIS) and IASI, NO2 and HCHO from the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI), and HNO3 from the Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS). Our experiments evaluate the inferred CO emission estimates from major anthropogenic, biomass burning and biogenic sources. Moreover, we also infer surface emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx = NO + NO2) and isoprene. Our results reveal that this multiple species chemical data assimilation produces a chemical consistent state that effectively adjusts the CO-O3-OH coupling in the model. The O3-induced changes in OH are particularly large in the tropics. Overall, our analysis results in a better constrained tropospheric chemical state.

Mid infrared lasers for remote sensing applications

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Walsh, Brian M., E-mail: brian.m.walsh@nasa.gov [NASA Langley Research Center, Hampton, VA 23681 (United States); Lee, Hyung R. [National Institute of Aerospace, Hampton, VA 23666 (United States); Barnes, Norman P. [Science Systems and Applications, Inc., Hampton, VA 23666 (United States)

2016-01-15

To accurately measure the concentrations of atmospheric gasses, especially the gasses with low concentrations, strong absorption features must be accessed. Each molecular species or constituent has characteristic mid-infrared absorption features by which either column content or range resolved concentrations can be measured. Because of these characteristic absorption features the mid infrared spectral region is known as the fingerprint region. However, as noted by the Decadal Survey, mid-infrared solid-state lasers needed for DIAL systems are not available. The primary reason is associated with short upper laser level lifetimes of mid infrared transitions. Energy gaps between the energy levels that produce mid-infrared laser transitions are small, promoting rapid nonradiative quenching. Nonradiative quenching is a multiphonon process, the more phonons needed, the smaller the effect. More low energy phonons are required to span an energy gap than high energy phonons. Thus, low energy phonon materials have less nonradiative quenching compared to high energy phonon materials. Common laser materials, such as oxides like YAG, are high phonon energy materials, while fluorides, chlorides and bromides are low phonon materials. Work at NASA Langley is focused on a systematic search for novel lanthanide-doped mid-infrared solid-state lasers using both quantum mechanical models (theoretical) and spectroscopy (experimental) techniques. Only the best candidates are chosen for laser studies. The capabilities of modeling materials, experimental challenges, material properties, spectroscopy, and prospects for lanthanide-doped mid-infrared solid-state laser devices will be presented. - Highlights: • We discuss mid infrared lasers and laser materials. • We discuss applications to remote sensing. • We survey the lanthanide ions in low phonon materials for potential. • We present examples of praseodymium mid infrared spectroscopy and laser design.

Spectral relationships for atmospheric correction. I. Validation of red and near infra-red marine reflectance relationships.

Science.gov (United States)

Goyens, C; Jamet, C; Ruddick, K G

2013-09-09

The present study provides an extensive overview of red and near infra-red (NIR) spectral relationships found in the literature and used to constrain red or NIR-modeling schemes in current atmospheric correction (AC) algorithms with the aim to improve water-leaving reflectance retrievals, ρw(λ), in turbid waters. However, most of these spectral relationships have been developed with restricted datasets and, subsequently, may not be globally valid, explaining the need of an accurate validation exercise. Spectral relationships are validated here with turbid in situ data for ρw(λ). Functions estimating ρw(λ) in the red were only valid for moderately turbid waters (ρw(λNIR) turbidity ranges presented in the in situ dataset. In the NIR region of the spectrum, the constant NIR reflectance ratio suggested by Ruddick et al. (2006) (Limnol. Oceanogr. 51, 1167-1179), was valid for moderately to very turbid waters (ρw(λNIR) turbid waters (ρw(λNIR) > 10(-2)). The results of this study suggest to use the red bounding equations and the polynomial NIR function to constrain red or NIR-modeling schemes in AC processes with the aim to improve ρw(λ) retrievals where current AC algorithms fail.

PROBING THE SOLAR ATMOSPHERE USING OSCILLATIONS OF INFRARED CO SPECTRAL LINES

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Penn, M. J.; Schad, T.; Cox, E.

2011-01-01

Oscillations were observed across the whole solar disk using the Doppler shift and line center intensity of spectral lines from the CO molecule near 4666 nm with the National Solar Observatory's McMath/Pierce solar telescope. Power, coherence, and phase spectra were examined, and diagnostic diagrams reveal power ridges at the solar global mode frequencies to show that these oscillations are solar p-modes. The phase was used to determine the height of formation of the CO lines by comparison with the IR continuum intensity phase shifts as measured in Kopp et al.; we find that the CO line formation height varies from 425 km μ > 0.5. The velocity power spectra show that while the sum of the background and p-mode power increases with height in the solar atmosphere as seen in previous work, the power in the p-modes only (background subtracted) decreases with height. The CO line center intensity weakens in regions of stronger magnetic fields, as does the p-mode oscillation power. Across most of the solar surface the phase shift is larger than the expected value of 90 0 for an adiabatic atmosphere. We fit the phase spectra at different disk positions with a simple atmospheric model to determine that the acoustic cutoff frequency is about 4.5 mHz with only small variations, but that the thermal relaxation frequency drops significantly from 2.7 to 0 mHz at these heights in the solar atmosphere.

Miniaturized multi channel infrared optical gas sensor system

Science.gov (United States)

Wöllenstein, Jürgen; Eberhardt, Andre; Rademacher, Sven; Schmitt, Katrin

2011-06-01

Infrared spectroscopy uses the characteristic absorption of the molecules in the mid infrared and allows the determination of the gases and their concentration. Especially by the absorption at longer wavelengths between 8 μm and 12 μm, the so called "fingerprint" region, the molecules can be measured with highest selectivity. We present an infrared optical filter photometer for the analytical determination of trace gases in the air. The challenge in developing the filter photometer was the construction of a multi-channel system using a novel filter wheel concept - which acts as a chopper too- in order to measure simultaneously four gases: carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, methane and ammonia. The system consists of a broadband infrared emitter, a long path cell with 1.7m optical path length, a filter wheel and analogue and digital signal processing. Multi channel filter photometers normally need one filter and one detector per target gas. There are small detection units with one, two or more detectors with integrated filters available on the market. One filter is normally used as reference at a wavelength without any cross-sensitivities to possible interfering gases (e.g. at 3.95 μm is an "atmospheric window" - a small spectral band without absorbing gases in the atmosphere). The advantage of a filter-wheel set-up is that a single IR-detector can be used, which reduces the signal drift enormously. Pyroelectric and thermopile detectors are often integrated in these kinds of spectrometers. For both detector types a modulation of the light is required and can be done - without an additional chopper - with the filter wheel.

Observations and Modeling of Thermal Structure in the Lower Atmosphere and the Upward Propagation of Tides into the Thermosphere

Science.gov (United States)

Wilson, R. J.; Kahre, M.

2017-01-01

Thermal tides are the atmospheric response to diurnally varying thermal forcing resulting from radiative and convective heat transfer from the surface and from aerosol and gaseous heating within the atmosphere. Tides include sun-synchronous (migrating) waves driven in response to solar heating and additional non-migrating waves resulting from longitudinal variations in the distributions of topography, dust aerosol and water ice clouds. The systematic spatial mapping of temperature over 5 Mars years by the Mars Climate Sounder (MCS) has yielded a well-defined climatology of seasonally-varying temperature structures in the lower atmosphere, from 5 to 80 km. Tide theory and Mars global circulation model (MGCM) simulations are a fruitful framework for relating temperature observations to thermal forcing by aerosol fields [1]. The analysis of density and temperature fields derived from MAVEN IUVS and NGIMS observations have revealed the presence of predominantly zonal wave 2 and 3 features at altitudes of 100-170 km that are almost certainly non-migrating tides propagating upward from the lower atmosphere [2,3]. In this presentation we will use the MCS climatology and MGCM simulations to relate the density variations seen by MAVEN with the seasonally varying tide activity in the lower atmosphere. Large amplitude perturbations in density are most sensitive to the tide components with the longest vertical wavelengths in temperature, which are well resolved in MCS observations.

Bias Correction for Assimilation of Retrieved AIRS Profiles of Temperature and Humidity

Science.gov (United States)

Blakenship, Clay; Zavodsky, Bradley; Blackwell, William

2014-01-01

The Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) is a hyperspectral radiometer aboard NASA's Aqua satellite designed to measure atmospheric profiles of temperature and humidity. AIRS retrievals are assimilated into the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model over the North Pacific for some cases involving "atmospheric rivers". These events bring a large flux of water vapor to the west coast of North America and often lead to extreme precipitation in the coastal mountain ranges. An advantage of assimilating retrievals rather than radiances is that information in partly cloudy fields of view can be used. Two different Level 2 AIRS retrieval products are compared: the Version 6 AIRS Science Team standard retrievals and a neural net retrieval from MIT. Before assimilation, a bias correction is applied to adjust each layer of retrieved temperature and humidity so the layer mean values agree with a short-term model climatology. WRF runs assimilating each of the products are compared against each other and against a control run with no assimilation. Forecasts are against ERA reanalyses.

Applications of airborne remote sensing in atmospheric sciences research

Science.gov (United States)

Serafin, R. J.; Szejwach, G.; Phillips, B. B.

1984-01-01

This paper explores the potential for airborne remote sensing for atmospheric sciences research. Passive and active techniques from the microwave to visible bands are discussed. It is concluded that technology has progressed sufficiently in several areas that the time is right to develop and operate new remote sensing instruments for use by the community of atmospheric scientists as general purpose tools. Promising candidates include Doppler radar and lidar, infrared short range radiometry, and microwave radiometry.

Phase Change Material for Temperature Control of Imager or Sounder on GOES Type Satellites in GEO

Science.gov (United States)

Choi, Michael K.

2014-01-01

This paper uses phase change material (PCM) in the scan cavity of an imager or sounder on satellites in geostationary orbit (GEO) to maintain the telescope temperature stable. When sunlight enters the scan aperture, solar heating causes the PCM to melt. When sunlight stops entering the scan aperture, the PCM releases the thermal energy stored to keep the components in the telescope warm. It has no moving parts or bimetallic springs. It reduces heater power required to make up the heat lost by radiation to space through the aperture. It is an attractive thermal control option to a radiator with a louver and a sunshade.

Cloud type comparisons of AIRS, CloudSat, and CALIPSO cloud height and amount

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

B. H. Kahn

2008-03-01

Full Text Available The precision of the two-layer cloud height fields derived from the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS is explored and quantified for a five-day set of observations. Coincident profiles of vertical cloud structure by CloudSat, a 94 GHz profiling radar, and the Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observation (CALIPSO, are compared to AIRS for a wide range of cloud types. Bias and variability in cloud height differences are shown to have dependence on cloud type, height, and amount, as well as whether CloudSat or CALIPSO is used as the comparison standard. The CloudSat-AIRS biases and variability range from −4.3 to 0.5±1.2–3.6 km for all cloud types. Likewise, the CALIPSO-AIRS biases range from 0.6–3.0±1.2–3.6 km (−5.8 to −0.2±0.5–2.7 km for clouds ≥7 km (<7 km. The upper layer of AIRS has the greatest sensitivity to Altocumulus, Altostratus, Cirrus, Cumulonimbus, and Nimbostratus, whereas the lower layer has the greatest sensitivity to Cumulus and Stratocumulus. Although the bias and variability generally decrease with increasing cloud amount, the ability of AIRS to constrain cloud occurrence, height, and amount is demonstrated across all cloud types for many geophysical conditions. In particular, skill is demonstrated for thin Cirrus, as well as some Cumulus and Stratocumulus, cloud types infrared sounders typically struggle to quantify. Furthermore, some improvements in the AIRS Version 5 operational retrieval algorithm are demonstrated. However, limitations in AIRS cloud retrievals are also revealed, including the existence of spurious Cirrus near the tropopause and low cloud layers within Cumulonimbus and Nimbostratus clouds. Likely causes of spurious clouds are identified and the potential for further improvement is discussed.

Infrared Signature Masking by Air Plasma Radiation

Science.gov (United States)

Kruger, Charles H.; Laux, C. O.

2001-01-01

This report summarizes the results obtained during a research program on the infrared radiation of air plasmas conducted in the High Temperature Gasdynamics Laboratory at Stanford University under the direction of Professor Charles H. Kruger, with Dr. Christophe O. Laux as Associate Investigator. The goal of this research was to investigate the masking of infrared signatures by the air plasma formed behind the bow shock of high velocity missiles. To this end, spectral measurements and modeling were made of the radiation emitted between 2.4 and 5.5 micrometers by an atmospheric pressure air plasma in chemical and thermal equilibrium at a temperature of approximately 3000 K. The objective was to examine the spectral emission of air species including nitric oxide, atomic oxygen and nitrogen lines, molecular and atomic continua, as well as secondary species such as water vapor or carbon dioxide. The cold air stream injected in the plasma torch contained approximately 330 parts per million of CO2, which is the natural CO2 concentration in atmospheric air at room temperatures, and a small amount of water vapor with an estimated mole fraction of 3.8x10(exp -4).

Infrared spectral observation of stars

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Komaki, Kazuo; Kodaira, Keiichi; Tanaka, W.; Suemoto, Zenzaburo

1976-01-01

The atmosphere of fixed stars must be studied in a supplementary way with both observation and theory. In case of low-temperature stars, however, there are difficulties in both two aspects. Under the situation, the multi-color measurement of the near infrared region was performed with a balloon telescope BAT-1 (the aperture of 15 cm) on June 17 and 18, 1975. For the red supergiant αSco, the data of light measurement was able to be obtained. (mori, K.)

Linear geologic structure and magic rock discrimination as determined from infrared data

Science.gov (United States)

Offield, T. W.; Rowan, L. C.; Watson, R. D.

1970-01-01

Color infrared photographs of the Beartooth Mountains, Montana show the distribution of mafic dikes and amphibolite bodies. Lineaments that cross grassy plateaus can be identified as dikes by the marked constrast between the dark rocks and the red vegetation. Some amphibolite bodies in granitic terrain can also be detected by infrared photography and their contacts can be accurately drawn due to enchanced contrast of the two types of rock in the near infrared. Reflectance measurements made in the field for amphibolite and granite show that the granite is 25% to 50% more reflective in the near infrared than in the visible region. Further enhancement is due to less atmospheric scattering than in the visible region. Thermal infrared images of the Mill Creek, Oklahoma test site provided information on geologic faults and fracture systems not obtainable from photographs. Subtle stripes that cross outcrop and intervening soil areas and which probably record water distribution are also shown on infrared photographs.

AMOS Seeing Quality Measurements.

Science.gov (United States)

1976-01-01

Measurement Atmosphere Turbulence Propagation Observatory Acoustic Sounder Maui Optical Station Astronomy Microthermal Probe TEAL BLUE Degradation...presence of the site structures. Instruments used were an acoustic sounder (to probe the altitudes of 100 to 1000 ft), fine- wire microthermal probes...responsibility during the experiment for the microthermal probes. The report itself, while compiled and edited at RADC, may be considered as coming from

THE OPTICAL AND NEAR-INFRARED TRANSMISSION SPECTRUM OF THE SUPER-EARTH GJ 1214b: FURTHER EVIDENCE FOR A METAL-RICH ATMOSPHERE

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bean, Jacob L.; Désert, Jean-Michel; Stalder, Brian; Berta, Zachory K.; Kabath, Petr; Seager, Sara; Miller-Ricci Kempton, Eliza; Homeier, Derek; Walsh, Shane; Seifahrt, Andreas

2011-01-01

We present an investigation of the transmission spectrum of the 6.5 M ⊕ planet GJ 1214b based on new ground-based observations of transits of the planet in the optical and near-infrared, and on previously published data. Observations with the VLT + FORS and Magellan + MMIRS using the technique of multi-object spectroscopy with wide slits yielded new measurements of the planet's transmission spectrum from 0.61 to 0.85 μm, and in the J, H, and K atmospheric windows. We also present a new measurement based on narrow-band photometry centered at 2.09 μm with the VLT + HAWKI. We combined these data with results from a reanalysis of previously published FORS data from 0.78 to 1.00 μm using an improved data reduction algorithm, and previously reported values based on Spitzer data at 3.6 and 4.5 μm. All of the data are consistent with a featureless transmission spectrum for the planet. Our K-band data are inconsistent with the detection of spectral features at these wavelengths reported by Croll and collaborators at the level of 4.1σ. The planet's atmosphere must either have at least 70% H 2 O by mass or optically thick high-altitude clouds or haze to be consistent with the data.

The WHISPER Relaxation Sounder and the CLUSTER Active Archive

Science.gov (United States)

Trotignon, J. G.; Décréau, P. M. E.; Rauch, J. L.; Vallières, X.; Rochel, A.; Kougblénou, S.; Lointier, G.; Facskó, G.; Canu, P.; Darrouzet, F.; Masson, A.

The Waves of HIgh frequency and Sounder for Probing of Electron density by Relaxation (WHISPER) instrument is part of the Wave Experiment Consortium (WEC) of the CLUSTER mission. With the help of the long double sphere antennae of the Electric Field and Wave (EFW) instrument and the Digital Wave Processor (DWP), it delivers active (sounding) and natural (transmitter off) electric field spectra, respectively from 4 to 82 kHz, and from 2 to 80 kHz. These frequency ranges have been chosen to include the electron plasma frequency, which is closely related to the total electron density, in most of the regions encountered by the CLUSTER spacecraft. Presented here is an overview of the WHISPER data products available in the CLUSTER Active Archive (CAA). The instrument and its performance are first recalled. The way the WHISPER products are obtained is then described, with particular attention being paid to the density determination. Both sounding and natural measurements are commonly used in this process, which depends on the ambient plasma regime. This is illustrated using drawings similar to the Bryant plots commonly used in the CLUSTER master science plan. These give a clear overview of typical density values and the parts of the orbits where they are obtained. More information on the applied software or on the quality/reliability of the density determination can also be highlighted.

Collision-Induced Infrared Absorption by Hydrogen-Helium gas mixtures at Thousands of Kelvin

Science.gov (United States)

Abel, Martin; Frommhold, Lothar; Li, Xiaoping; Hunt, Katharine L. C.

2010-10-01

The interaction-induced absorption by collisional pairs of H2 molecules is an important opacity source in the atmospheres of the outer planets and cool stars ^[1]. The emission spectra of cool white dwarf stars differ significantly in the infrared from the expected blackbody spectra of their cores, which is largely due to absorption by collisional H2--H2, H2--He, and H2--H complexes in the stellar atmospheres. Using quantum-chemical methods we compute the atmospheric absorption from hundreds to thousands of kelvin ^[2]. Laboratory measurements of interaction-induced absorption spectra by H2 pairs exist only at room temperature and below. We show that our results reproduce these measurements closely ^[2], so that our computational data permit reliable modeling of stellar atmosphere opacities even for the higher temperatures ^[2]. [1] L. Frommhold, Collision-Induced Absorption in Gases, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, New York, 1993 and 2006 [2] Xiaoping Li, Katharine L. C. Hunt, Fei Wang, Martin Abel, and Lothar Frommhold, ``Collision-Induced Infrared Absorption by Molecular Hydrogen Pairs at Thousands of Kelvin'', International Journal of Spectroscopy, vol. 2010, Article ID 371201, 11 pages, 2010. doi: 10.1155/2010/371201

Development of models for thermal infrared radiation above and within plant canopies

Science.gov (United States)

Paw u, Kyaw T.

1992-01-01

Any significant angular dependence of the emitted longwave radiation could result in errors in remotely estimated energy budgets or evapotranspiration. Empirical data and thermal infrared radiation models are reviewed in reference to anisotropic emissions from the plant canopy. The biometeorological aspects of linking longwave models with plant canopy energy budgets and micrometeorology are discussed. A new soil plant atmosphere model applied to anisotropic longwave emissions from a canopy is presented. Time variation of thermal infrared emission measurements is discussed.

Venus' night side atmospheric dynamics using near infrared observations from VEx/VIRTIS and TNG/NICS

Science.gov (United States)

Mota Machado, Pedro; Peralta, Javier; Luz, David; Gonçalves, Ruben; Widemann, Thomas; Oliveira, Joana

2016-10-01

We present night side Venus' winds based on coordinated observations carried out with Venus Express' VIRTIS instrument and the Near Infrared Camera (NICS) of the Telescopio Nazionale Galileo (TNG). With NICS camera, we acquired images of the continuum K filter at 2.28 μm, which allows to monitor motions at the Venus' lower cloud level, close to 48 km altitude. We will present final results of cloud tracked winds from ground-based TNG observations and from coordinated space-based VEx/VIRTIS observations.The Venus' lower cloud deck is centred at 48 km of altitude, where fundamental dynamical exchanges that help maintain superrotation are thought to occur. The lower Venusian atmosphere is a strong source of thermal radiation, with the gaseous CO2 component allowing radiation to escape in windows at 1.74 and 2.28 μm. At these wavelengths radiation originates below 35 km and unit opacity is reached at the lower cloud level, close to 48 km. Therefore, it is possible to observe the horizontal cloud structure, with thicker clouds seen silhouetted against the bright thermal background from the low atmosphere. By continuous monitoring of the horizontal cloud structure at 2.28 μm (NICS Kcont filter), it is possible to determine wind fields using the technique of cloud tracking. We acquired a series of short exposures of the Venus disk. Cloud displacements in the night side of Venus were computed taking advantage of a phase correlation semi-automated technique. The Venus apparent diameter at observational dates was greater than 32" allowing a high spatial precision. The 0.13" pixel scale of the NICS narrow field camera allowed to resolve ~3-pixel displacements. The absolute spatial resolution on the disk was ~100 km/px at disk center, and the (0.8-1") seeing-limited resolution was ~400 km/px. By co-adding the best images and cross-correlating regions of clouds the effective resolution was significantly better than the seeing-limited resolution. In order to correct for

Studies of planetary boundary layer by infrared thermal imagery

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Albina, Bogdan; Dimitriu, Dan Gheorghe, E-mail: dimitriu@uaic.ro; Gurlui, Silviu Octavian, E-mail: dimitriu@uaic.ro [Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iasi, Faculty of Physics, Atmosphere Optics, Spectroscopy and Lasers Laboratory, 11 Carol I Blvd., 700506 Iasi (Romania); Cazacu, Marius Mihai [Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iasi, Faculty of Physics, Atmosphere Optics, Spectroscopy and Lasers Laboratory, 11 Carol I Blvd., 700506 Iasi, Romania and Department of Physics, Gheorghe Asachi Technical University of Iasi, 59A Mangeron Blvd., 700 (Romania); Timofte, Adrian [Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iasi, Faculty of Physics, Atmosphere Optics, Spectroscopy and Lasers Laboratory, 11 Carol I Blvd., 700506 Iasi, Romania and National Meteorological Administration, Regional Forecast Center Bacau, 1 Cuza Voda Str., 60 (Romania)

2014-11-24

The IR camera is a relatively novel device for remote sensing of atmospheric thermal processes from the Planetary Boundary Layer (PBL) based on measurements of the infrared radiation. Infrared radiation is energy radiated by the motion of atoms and molecules on the surface of aerosols, when their temperature is more than absolute zero. The IR camera measures directly the intensity of radiation emitted by aerosols which is converted by an imaging sensor into an electric signal, resulting a thermal image. Every image pixel that corresponds to a specific radiance is pre-processed to identify the brightness temperature. The thermal infrared imaging radiometer used in this study, NicAir, is a precision radiometer developed by Prata et al. The device was calibrated for the temperature range of 270–320 K and using a calibration table along with image processing software, important information about variations in temperature can be extracted from acquired IR images. The PBL is the lowest layer of the troposphere where the atmosphere interacts with the ground surfaces. The importance of PBL lies in the fact that it provides a finite but varying volume in which pollutants can disperse. The aim of this paper is to analyze the PBL altitude and thickness variations over Iasi region using the IR imaging camera as well as its behavior from day to night and thermal processes occurring in PBL.

Atmospheric refraction effects on optical-infrared sensor performance in a littoral-maritime environment

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Fritz, P.; Moerman, M.M.; Jong, A.N.; Leeuw, G. de; Winkel, H.

2004-01-01

During a number of transmission experiments over littoral waters, quantitative measurements of atmospheric refraction phenomena were carried out to determine the range performance of optical–IR sensors. Examples of distortion and intensity gain generated by spatial variations of the atmospheric

Quantification of Atmospheric Formaldehyde by Near-Infrared Cavity Ring-Down Spectroscopy

Science.gov (United States)

Rella, C.; Hoffnagle, J.; Fleck, D.; Kim-Hak, D.

2017-12-01

Formaldehyde is an important species in atmospheric chemistry, especially in urban environments, where it is a decay product of methane and volatile hydrocarbons. It is also a toxic, carcinogenic compound that can contaminate ambient air from incomplete combustion, or outgassing of commercial products such as adhesives used to fabricate plywood or to affix indoor carpeting. Formaldehyde has a clearly resolved ro-vibrational absorption spectrum that is well-suited to optical analysis of formaldehyde concentration. We describe an instrument based on cavity ring-down spectroscopy for the quantitative analysis of formaldehyde concentration in ambient air. The instrument has a precision (1-sigma) of about 1 ppb at a measurement rate of 1 second, and provides measurements of less than 100 ppt with averaging. The instrument provides stable measurements (drift < 1 ppb) over long periods of time (days). The instrument has been ruggedized for mobile applications, and with a fast response time of a couple of seconds, it is suitable for ground-based vehicle deployments for fenceline monitoring of formaldehyde emissions. In addition, we report on ambient atmospheric measurements at a 10m urban tower, which demonstrate the suitability of the instrument for applications in atmospheric chemistry.

The infrared flux method and its use for study of α Boo, μ Her and β Dra; relation to the Vega 1.2-5 μm infrared excess

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Blackwell, D.E.; Booth, A.J.; Petford, A.D.; Leggett, S.K.; Mountain, C.M.; Selby, M.J.

1986-01-01

The effective temperatures of α Boo, μ Her, and β Dra are determined using the infrared flux method. The determinations are based on the high-quality spectrophotometric data obtained from an aircraft by previous authors, the new infrared calibration of Vega obtained from observations made at Tenerife between 1979 and 1983, the use of a Reticon spectrometer to determine the integrated fluxes in the region 370-950 nm, and the use of model atmospheres constructed with the previously developed MARCS code. (author)

Multi-wavelength search for complex molecules in Titan's Atmosphere

Science.gov (United States)

Nixon, C. A.; Cordiner, M. A.; Greathouse, T. K.; Richter, M.; Kisiel, Z.; Irwin, P. G.; Teanby, N. A.; Kuan, Y. J.; Charnley, S. B.

2017-12-01

Titan's atmosphere is one of the most complex astrochemical environments known: the photochemistry of methane and nitrogen, induced by solar UV and Saturn magnetospheric electron impacts, creates a bonanza of organic molecules like no other place in the solar system. Cassini has unveiled the first glimpses of Titan's chemical wonderland, but many gaps remain. In particular, interpreting the mass spectra of Titan's upper atmosphere requires external knowledge, to disentangle the signature of molecules from their identical-mass brethren. Cassini infrared spectroscopy with CIRS has helped to some extent, but is also limited by low spectral resolution. Potentially to the rescue, comes high-resolution spectroscopy from the Earth at infrared and sub-millimeter wavelengths, where molecules exhibit vibrational and rotational transitions respectively. In this presentation, we describe the quest to make new, unique identifications of large molecules in Titan's atmosphere, focusing specifically on cyclic molecules including N-heterocycles. This molecular family is of high astrobiological significance, forming the basic ring structure for DNA nucleobases. We present the latest spectroscopic observations of Titan from ALMA and NASA's IRTF telescope, discussing present findings and directions for future work.

Exploring the Effects of Clouds on Hot Jupiter Atmospheres

Science.gov (United States)

Robinson, Jenna; Line, Michael

2018-01-01

Secondary eclipse spectroscopy of transiting exoplanets allows us to probe the atmospheric properties on the daysides of tidally locked planets. Specifically, eclipse spectra combined with atmospheric retrieval models permit constraints on the molecular abundances and vertical thermal profiles of the planetary dayside. Eclipse spectra from HST WFC3 are typically interpreted assuming that all of the near infrared light is due solely to the thermal emission of the planet. However, recent evidence suggests that reflected stellar light from clouds on the planetary daysides might contaminate the near-IR spectrum. Here, we aim to explore how reflected light from clouds within in a simplified cloud framework will alter the shape of the near infrared spectra and how they will influence our determinations of dayside temperatures and abundances. Specifically, we will use atmospheric retrieval tools to determine the biases in abundances and temperature profiles if reflected light is not taken into account. We will explore the influence of reflected light on interpretation of WFC3 spectra of the well-observed exoplanets, HD209458b and WASP-43b. We will then investigate how reflected light in the near-IR will influence our interpretation of JWST spectra.

Infrared cross-sections and integrated band intensities of propylene: Temperature-dependent studies

KAUST Repository

Es-sebbar, Et-touhami; Alrefae, Majed; Farooq, Aamir

2014-01-01

intensities of propylene are essential for quantitative measurements and atmospheric modeling. We measured absolute IR cross-sections of propylene using Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) Spectroscopy over the wavenumber range of 400-6500cm-1 and at gas

Study of atmospheric air AC glow discharge using optical emission spectroscopy and near infrared diode laser cavity ringdown spectroscopy

Science.gov (United States)

Srivastava, Nimisha; Wang, Chuji; Dibble, Theodore S.

2008-11-01

AC glow discharges were generated in atmospheric pressure by applying high voltage AC in the range of 3500-15000 V to a pair of stainless steel electrodes separated by an air gap. The discharges were characterized by optical emission spectroscopy (OES) and continuous wave cavity ringdown spectroscopy (cw-CRDS). The electronic (Tex), vibrational (Tv), and rotational (Tr) temperatures were measured. Spectral stimulations of the emission spectra of several vibronic bands of the 2^nd positive system of N2, the 1^st negative system of N2^+, the (0,1,2,3-0) bands of NO (A-X), and the (0-0) band of OH (A-X), which were obtained under various plasma operating conditions, show that Tr, Tv, and Tex are in the ranges of 2000 - 3800, 3500 - 5000, and 6000 - 10500^ K, respectively. Emission spectra show that OH concentration increases while NO concentration decreases with an increase of electrode spacing. The absorption spectra of H2O and OH overtone in the near infrared (NIR) were measured by the cw-CRDS with a telecommunications diode laser at wavelength near 1515 nm.

Eight Year Climatologies from Observational (AIRS) and Model (MERRA) Data

Science.gov (United States)

Hearty, Thomas; Savtchenko, Andrey; Won, Young-In; Theobalk, Mike; Vollmer, Bruce; Manning, Evan; Smith, Peter; Ostrenga, Dana; Leptoukh, Greg

2010-01-01

We examine climatologies derived from eight years of temperature, water vapor, cloud, and trace gas observations made by the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) instrument flying on the Aqua satellite and compare them to similar climatologies constructed with data from a global assimilation model, the Modern Era Retrospective-Analysis for Research and Applications (MERRA). We use the AIRS climatologies to examine anomalies and trends in the AIRS data record. Since sampling can be an issue for infrared satellites in low earth orbit, we also use the MERRA data to examine the AIRS sampling biases. By sampling the MERRA data at the AIRS space-time locations both with and without the AIRS quality control we estimate the sampling bias of the AIRS climatology and the atmospheric conditions where AIRS has a lower sampling rate. While the AIRS temperature and water vapor sampling biases are small at low latitudes, they can be more than a few degrees in temperature or 10 percent in water vapor at higher latitudes. The largest sampling biases are over desert. The AIRS and MERRA data are available from the Goddard Earth Sciences Data and Information Services Center (GES DISC). The AIRS climatologies we used are available for analysis with the GIOVANNI data exploration tool. (see, http://disc.gsfc.nasa.gov).

ANALYTICAL MODELS OF EXOPLANETARY ATMOSPHERES. I. ATMOSPHERIC DYNAMICS VIA THE SHALLOW WATER SYSTEM

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Heng, Kevin [Center for Space and Habitability, University of Bern, Sidlerstrasse 5, CH-3012 Bern (Switzerland); Workman, Jared, E-mail: kevin.heng@csh.unibe.ch, E-mail: jworkman@coloradomesa.edu [Colorado Mesa University, 1260 Kennedy Avenue, Grand Junction, CO 81501 (United States)

2014-08-01

Within the context of exoplanetary atmospheres, we present a comprehensive linear analysis of forced, damped, magnetized shallow water systems, exploring the effects of dimensionality, geometry (Cartesian, pseudo-spherical, and spherical), rotation, magnetic tension, and hydrodynamic and magnetic sources of friction. Across a broad range of conditions, we find that the key governing equation for atmospheres and quantum harmonic oscillators are identical, even when forcing (stellar irradiation), sources of friction (molecular viscosity, Rayleigh drag, and magnetic drag), and magnetic tension are included. The global atmospheric structure is largely controlled by a single key parameter that involves the Rossby and Prandtl numbers. This near-universality breaks down when either molecular viscosity or magnetic drag acts non-uniformly across latitude or a poloidal magnetic field is present, suggesting that these effects will introduce qualitative changes to the familiar chevron-shaped feature witnessed in simulations of atmospheric circulation. We also find that hydrodynamic and magnetic sources of friction have dissimilar phase signatures and affect the flow in fundamentally different ways, implying that using Rayleigh drag to mimic magnetic drag is inaccurate. We exhaustively lay down the theoretical formalism (dispersion relations, governing equations, and time-dependent wave solutions) for a broad suite of models. In all situations, we derive the steady state of an atmosphere, which is relevant to interpreting infrared phase and eclipse maps of exoplanetary atmospheres. We elucidate a pinching effect that confines the atmospheric structure to be near the equator. Our suite of analytical models may be used to develop decisively physical intuition and as a reference point for three-dimensional magnetohydrodynamic simulations of atmospheric circulation.

Multispectral atmospheric mapping sensor of mesoscale water vapor features

Science.gov (United States)

Menzel, P.; Jedlovec, G.; Wilson, G.; Atkinson, R.; Smith, W.

1985-01-01

The Multispectral atmospheric mapping sensor was checked out for specified spectral response and detector noise performance in the eight visible and three infrared (6.7, 11.2, 12.7 micron) spectral bands. A calibration algorithm was implemented for the infrared detectors. Engineering checkout flights on board the ER-2 produced imagery at 50 m resolution in which water vapor features in the 6.7 micron spectral band are most striking. These images were analyzed on the Man computer Interactive Data Access System (McIDAS). Ground truth and ancillary data was accessed to verify the calibration.

Acceleration of Cooling of Ice Giants by Condensation in Early Atmospheres

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kurosaki, Kenji; Ikoma, Masahiro

2017-01-01

The present infrared brightness of a planet originates partly from the accretion energy that the planet gained during its formation and hence provides important constraints to the planet formation process. A planet cools down from a hot initial state to the present state by losing energy through radiative emission from its atmosphere. Thus, the atmospheric properties affect the planetary cooling rate. Previous theories of giant planet cooling assume that the atmospheric composition is unchanged throughout the evolution. Planet formation theories, however, suggest that the atmospheres especially of ice giants are rich in heavy elements in the early stages. These heavy elements include condensable species such as H 2 O, NH 3 , and CH 4 , which are expected to have a great impact on atmospheric temperature and thus on radiative emission through latent heat release. In this study we investigate the effect of such condensation on the planetary emission flux and quantify the impact on the cooling timescale. We then demonstrate that the latent heat of these species keeps the atmosphere hot and thus the emission flux high for billions of years, resulting in an acceleration of the cooling of ice giants. This sheds light on the long-standing problem that Uranus is much less bright than theoretically predicted and is different in brightness from Neptune in spite of the similarity in mass and radius. We also find that young ice giants with highly enriched atmospheres are much brighter in the mid-infrared than ice giants with non-enriched atmospheres. This provides important implications for future direct imaging of extrasolar ice giants.

Acceleration of Cooling of Ice Giants by Condensation in Early Atmospheres

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kurosaki, Kenji; Ikoma, Masahiro, E-mail: kurosaki.k@nagoya-u.jp, E-mail: ikoma@eps.s.u-tokyo.ac.jp [Department of Earth and Planetary Science, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033 (Japan)

2017-06-01

The present infrared brightness of a planet originates partly from the accretion energy that the planet gained during its formation and hence provides important constraints to the planet formation process. A planet cools down from a hot initial state to the present state by losing energy through radiative emission from its atmosphere. Thus, the atmospheric properties affect the planetary cooling rate. Previous theories of giant planet cooling assume that the atmospheric composition is unchanged throughout the evolution. Planet formation theories, however, suggest that the atmospheres especially of ice giants are rich in heavy elements in the early stages. These heavy elements include condensable species such as H{sub 2}O, NH{sub 3}, and CH{sub 4}, which are expected to have a great impact on atmospheric temperature and thus on radiative emission through latent heat release. In this study we investigate the effect of such condensation on the planetary emission flux and quantify the impact on the cooling timescale. We then demonstrate that the latent heat of these species keeps the atmosphere hot and thus the emission flux high for billions of years, resulting in an acceleration of the cooling of ice giants. This sheds light on the long-standing problem that Uranus is much less bright than theoretically predicted and is different in brightness from Neptune in spite of the similarity in mass and radius. We also find that young ice giants with highly enriched atmospheres are much brighter in the mid-infrared than ice giants with non-enriched atmospheres. This provides important implications for future direct imaging of extrasolar ice giants.

NEAR-INFRARED LINEAR POLARIZATION OF ULTRACOOL DWARFS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zapatero Osorio, M. R.; Bejar, V. J. S.; Rebolo, R.; Acosta-Pulido, J. A.; Manchado, A.; Pena Ramirez, K.; Goldman, B.; Caballero, J. A.

2011-01-01

We report on near-infrared J- and H-band linear polarimetric photometry of eight ultracool dwarfs (two late-M, five L0-L7.5, and one T2.5) with known evidence for photometric variability due to dust clouds, anomalous red infrared colors, or low-gravity atmospheres. The polarimetric data were acquired with the LIRIS instrument on the William Herschel Telescope. We also provide mid-infrared photometry in the interval 3.4-24 μm for some targets obtained with Spitzer and WISE, which has allowed us to confirm the peculiar red colors of five sources in the sample. We can impose modest upper limits of 0.9% and 1.8% on the linear polarization degree for seven targets with a confidence of 99%. Only one source, 2MASS J02411151-0326587 (L0), appears to be strongly polarized (P ∼ 3%) in the J band with a significance level of P/σ P ∼ 10. The likely origin of its linearly polarized light and rather red infrared colors may reside in a surrounding disk with an asymmetric distribution of grains. Given its proximity (66 ± 8 pc), this object becomes an excellent target for the direct detection of the disk.

Theoretical and experimental study on broadband terahertz atmospheric transmission characteristics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guo Shi-Bei; Zhong Kai; Wang Mao-Rong; Liu Chu; Xu De-Gang; Yao Jian-Quan; Xiao Yong; Wang Wen-Peng

2017-01-01

Broadband terahertz (THz) atmospheric transmission characteristics from 0 to 8 THz are theoretically simulated based on a standard Van Vleck–Weisskopf line shape, considering 1696 water absorption lines and 298 oxygen absorption lines. The influences of humidity, temperature, and pressure on the THz atmospheric absorption are analyzed and experimentally verified with a Fourier transform infrared spectrometer (FTIR) system, showing good consistency. The investigation and evaluation on high-frequency atmospheric windows are good supplements to existing data in the low-frequency range and lay the foundation for aircraft-based high-altitude applications of THz communication and radar. (paper)

Nighttime Infrared radiative cooling and opacity inferred by REMS Ground Temperature Sensor Measurements

Science.gov (United States)

Martín-Torres, Javier; Paz Zorzano, María; Pla-García, Jorge; Rafkin, Scot; Lepinette, Alain; Sebastián, Eduardo; Gómez-Elvira, Javier; REMS Team

2013-04-01

Due to the low density of the Martian atmosphere, the temperature of the surface is controlled primarily by solar heating, and infrared cooling to the atmosphere and space, rather than heat exchange with the atmosphere. In the absence of solar radiation the infrared (IR) cooling, and then the nighttime surface temperatures, are directly controlled by soil termal inertia and atmospheric optical thickness (τ) at infrared wavelengths. Under non-wind conditions, and assuming no processes involving latent heat changes in the surface, for a particular site where the rover stands the main parameter controlling the IR cooling will be τ. The minimal ground temperature values at a fixed position may thus be used to detect local variations in the total dust/aerosols/cloud tickness. The Ground Temperature Sensor (GTS) and Air Temperature Sensor (ATS) in the Rover Environmental Monitoring Station (REMS) on board the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) Curiosity rover provides hourly ground and air temperature measurements respectively. During the first 100 sols of operation of the rover, within the area of low thermal inertia, the minimal nightime ground temperatures reached values between 180 K and 190 K. For this season the expected frost point temperature is 200 K. Variations of up to 10 K have been observed associated with dust loading at Gale at the onset of the dust season. We will use these measurements together with line-by-line radiative transfer simulations using the Full Transfer By Optimized LINe-by-line (FUTBOLIN) code [Martín-Torres and Mlynczak, 2005] to estimate the IR atmospheric opacity and then dust/cloud coverage over the rover during the course of the MSL mission. Monitoring the dust loading and IR nightime cooling evolution during the dust season will allow for a better understanding of the influence of the atmosphere on the ground temperature and provide ground truth to models and orbiter measurements. References Martín-Torres, F. J. and M. G. Mlynczak

Optimal trajectory planning for a UAV glider using atmospheric thermals

Science.gov (United States)

Kagabo, Wilson B.

An Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Glider (UAV glider) uses atmospheric energy in its different forms to remain aloft for extended flight durations. This UAV glider's aim is to extract atmospheric thermal energy and use it to supplement its battery energy usage and increase the mission period. Given an infrared camera identified atmospheric thermal of known strength and location; current wind speed and direction; current battery level; altitude and location of the UAV glider; and estimating the expected altitude gain from the thermal, is it possible to make an energy-efficient based motivation to fly to an atmospheric thermal so as to achieve UAV glider extended flight time? For this work, an infrared thermal camera aboard the UAV glider takes continuous forward-looking ground images of "hot spots". Through image processing a candidate atmospheric thermal strength and location is estimated. An Intelligent Decision Model incorporates this information with the current UAV glider status and weather conditions to provide an energy-based recommendation to modify the flight path of the UAV glider. Research, development, and simulation of the Intelligent Decision Model is the primary focus of this work. Three models are developed: (1) Battery Usage Model, (2) Intelligent Decision Model, and (3) Altitude Gain Model. The Battery Usage Model comes from the candidate flight trajectory, wind speed & direction and aircraft dynamic model. Intelligent Decision Model uses a fuzzy logic based approach. The Altitude Gain Model requires the strength and size of the thermal and is found a priori.

Two-dimensional characterization of atmospheric profile retrievals from limb sounding observations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Worden, J.R.; Bowman, K.W.; Jones, D.B.

2004-01-01

Limb sounders measure atmospheric radiation that is dependent on atmospheric temperature and constituents that have a radial and angular distribution in Earth-centered coordinates. In order to evaluate the sensitivity of a limb retrieval to radial and angular distributions of trace gas concentrations, we perform and characterize one-dimensional (vertical) and two-dimensional (radial and angular) atmospheric profile retrievals. Our simulated atmosphere for these retrievals is a distribution of carbon monoxide (CO), which represents a plume off the coast of south-east Asia. Both the one-dimensional (1D) and two-dimensional (2D) limb retrievals are characterized by evaluating their averaging kernels and error covariances on a radial and angular grid that spans the plume. We apply this 2D characterization of a limb retrieval to a comparison of the 2D retrieval with the 1D (vertical) retrieval. By characterizing a limb retrieval in two dimensions the location of the air mass where the retrievals are most sensitive can be determined. For this test case the retrievals are most sensitive to the CO concentrations about 2 deg.latitude in front of the tangent point locations. We find the information content for the 2D retrieval is an order of magnitude larger and the degrees of freedom is about a factor of two larger than that of the 1D retrieval primarily because the 2D retrieval can estimate angular distributions of CO concentrations. This 2D characterization allows the radial and angular resolution as well as the degrees of freedom and information content to be computed for these limb retrievals. We also use the 2D averaging kernel to develop a strategy for validation of a limb retrieval with an in situ measurement

Appreciation of the traffic effects on the RST by infrared thermography

Science.gov (United States)

Khalifa, Abderrahmen; Marchetti, Mario; Buès, Michel

2014-09-01

Road surface temperature forecast is a key component of winter maintenance strategy in many developed countries. Numerical tools exist to help road managers to organize services and consequently to trigger de-icing operations. Forecasting strategies have been commonplace since the 1980s, and often based on numerical models. Traffic is one of the influencing parameters, specifically in urban areas. This work was undertaken to evaluate to which extent an accurate description of traffic might improve numerical model dedicated to road surface temperature forecasting. Two sets of experiments were run to detect and to quantify traffic effects on RST. First one consisted in driving above an infrared radiometer, a pyrgeometer and other atmospheric probes to measure the radiative contribution of a passing vehicle at various speeds. In the second set, an infrared camera was installed on a vehicle in an urban traffic flow. This camera was mounted on the roof and focused the pavement right behind the vehicle ahead, both circulating at the same speed. Infrared thermography indicated a fleeting contribution of traffic to RST. The temperature increase in circulated areas, with respect to uncirculated ones, does not last according to collected measurements. Measurements with atmospheric and radiometric probes provided elements to properly take into account traffic in a numerical model and to appreciate its contribution.

Estimation of wetland evapotranspiration in northern New York using infrared thermometry

Science.gov (United States)

Hwang, K.; Chandler, D. G.

2016-12-01

Evapotranspiration (ET) is an important component of the water budget and often regarded as a major water loss. In freshwater wetlands, cumulative annual ET can equal precipitation under well-watered conditions. Wetland ET is therefore an important control on contaminant and nutrient transport. Yet, quantification of wetland ET is challenged by complex surface characteristics, diverse plant species and density, and variations in wetland shape and size. As handheld infrared (IR) cameras have become available, studies exploiting the new technology have increased, especially in agriculture and hydrology. The benefits of IR cameras include (1) high spatial resolution, (2) high sample rates, (3) real-time imaging, (4) a constant viewing geometry, and (5) no need for atmosphere and cloud corrections. Compared with traditional methods, infrared thermometer is capable of monitoring at the scale of a small pond or localized plant community. This enables finer scale survey of heterogeneous land surfaces rather than strict dependence on atmospheric variables. Despite this potential, there has been a limited number of studies of ET and drought stress with IR cameras. In this study, the infrared thermometry-based method was applied to estimate ET over wetland plant species in St. Lawrence River Valley, NY. The results are evaluated with traditional methods to test applicability over multiple vegetation species in a same area.

An empirical line-by-line model for the infrared solar transmittance spectrum from 700 to 5000cm{sup -1}

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hase, F. [Institut fuer Meteorologie und Klimaforschung, Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe, Postfach 3640, D-76021 Karlsruhe (Germany)]. E-mail: frank.hase@imk.fzk.de; Demoulin, P. [Institut d' Astrophysique et de Geophysique, allee du VI aout, 17, batiment B5a, B-4000, Liege (Belgium); Sauval, A.J. [Observatoire Royal de Belgique, avenue circulaire, 3, B-1180, Bruxelles (Belgium); Toon, G.C. [Jet Propulsion Laboratory, 4800 Oak Grove Drive, Pasadena, CA 91109 (United States); Bernath, P.F. [Department of Chemistry, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ont., Canada N2L3G1 (Canada); Goldman, A. [Department of Physics, University of Denver, Denver, CO 80208 (United States); Hannigan, J.W. [Atmospheric Chemistry Division, National Center for Atmospheric Research, P.O. Box 3000, Boulder, CO 80303 (United States); Rinsland, C.P. [NASA Langley Research Center, Hampton, VA 23681-2199 (United States)

2006-12-15

An empirical line-by-line model for the infrared solar transmittance spectrum is presented. The model can be incorporated into radiative transfer codes to allow fast calculation of all relevant emission and absorption features in the solar spectrum in the mid-infrared region from 700 to 5000cm{sup -1}. The transmittance is modelled as a function of the diameter of the field-of-view centered on the solar disk: the line broadening due to solar rotation as well as center-to-limb variations in strength and width are taken into account for stronger lines. Applications of the model presented here are in the fields of terrestrial remote sensing in the mid-infrared spectral region when the sun is used as radiation source or scattered solar radiation contributes to the measured signal and in the fields of atmospheric radiative transfer algorithms which compute the propagation of infrared solar radiation in the terrestrial atmosphere.

The Impact of Upper Tropospheric Humidity from Microwave Limb Sounder on the Midlatitude Greenhouse Effect

Science.gov (United States)

Hu, Hua; Liu, W. Timothy

1998-01-01

This paper presents an analysis of upper tropospheric humidity, as measured by the Microwave Limb Sounder, and the impact of the humidity on the greenhouse effect in the midlatitudes. Enhanced upper tropospheric humidity and an enhanced greenhouse effect occur over the storm tracks in the North Pacific and North Atlantic. In these areas, strong baroclinic activity and the large number of deep convective clouds transport more water vapor to the upper troposphere, and hence increase greenhouse trapping. The greenhouse effect increases with upper tropospheric humidity in areas with a moist upper troposphere (such as areas over storm tracks), but it is not sensitive to changes in upper tropospheric humidity in regions with a dry upper troposphere, clearly demonstrating that there are different mechanisms controlling the geographical distribution of the greenhouse effect in the midlatitudes.

Transmission spectroscopy with the ACE-FTS infrared spectral atlas of Earth: A model validation and feasibility study

Science.gov (United States)

Schreier, Franz; Städt, Steffen; Hedelt, Pascal; Godolt, Mareike

2018-06-01

Infrared solar occultation measurements are well established for remote sensing of Earth's atmosphere, and the corresponding primary transit spectroscopy has turned out to be valuable for characterization of extrasolar planets. Our objective is an assessment of the detectability of molecular signatures in Earth's transit spectra. To this end, we take a limb sequence of representative cloud-free transmission spectra recorded by the space-borne ACE-FTS Earth observation mission (Hughes et al., ACE infrared spectral atlases of the Earth's atmosphere, JQSRT 2014) and combine these spectra to the effective height of the atmosphere. These data are compared to spectra modeled with an atmospheric radiative transfer line-by-line infrared code to study the impact of individual molecules, spectral resolution, the choice of auxiliary data, and numerical approximations. Moreover, the study serves as a validation of our infrared radiative transfer code. The largest impact is due to water, carbon dioxide, ozone, methane, nitrous oxide, nitrogen, nitric acid, oxygen, and some chlorofluorocarbons (CFC11 and CFC12). The effect of further molecules considered in the modeling is either marginal or absent. The best matching model has a mean residuum of 0.4 km and a maximum difference of 2 km to the measured effective height. For a quantitative estimate of visibility and detectability we consider the maximum change of the residual spectrum, the relative change of the residual norm, the additional transit depth, and signal-to-noise ratios for a JWST setup. In conclusion, our study provides a list of molecules that are relevant for modeling transmission spectra of Earth-like exoplanets and discusses the feasibility of retrieval.

Quantification of atmospheric formaldehyde by infrared absorption spectroscopy

Science.gov (United States)

Hoffnagle, John; Fleck, Derek; Rella, Chris; Kim-Hak, David

2017-04-01

Formaldehyde is a toxic, carcinogenic compound that can contaminate ambient air as a result of combustion or outgassing of commercial products such as adhesives used to fabricate plywood and to affix indoor carpeting. Like many small molecules, formaldehyde has an infrared absorption spectrum exhibiting bands of ro-vibrational transitions that are well resolved at low pressure and therefore well suited for optical analysis of formaldehyde concentration. We describe progress in applying cavity ring-down spectroscopy of the 2v5 band (the first overtone of the asymmetric C-H stretch, origin at 1770 nm) to the quantitative analysis of formaldehyde concentration in ambient air. Preliminary results suggest that a sensitivity of 1-2 ppb in a measurement interval of a few seconds, and 0.1-0.2 ppb in a few minutes, should be achievable with a compact, robust, and field-deployable instrument. Finally, we note that recent satellites monitoring snapshots of formaldehyde columns give insights into global formaldehyde production, migration and lifetime. The ability to monitor formaldehyde with a small and portable analyzer has the potential to aid in validation of these snapshots and to provide complementary data to show vertical dispersions with high spatial accuracy.

A Thermal Infrared Radiation Parameterization for Atmospheric Studies

Science.gov (United States)

Chou, Ming-Dah; Suarez, Max J.; Liang, Xin-Zhong; Yan, Michael M.-H.; Cote, Charles (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

This technical memorandum documents the longwave radiation parameterization developed at the Climate and Radiation Branch, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, for a wide variety of weather and climate applications. Based on the 1996-version of the Air Force Geophysical Laboratory HITRAN data, the parameterization includes the absorption due to major gaseous absorption (water vapor, CO2, O3) and most of the minor trace gases (N2O, CH4, CFCs), as well as clouds and aerosols. The thermal infrared spectrum is divided into nine bands. To achieve a high degree of accuracy and speed, various approaches of computing the transmission function are applied to different spectral bands and gases. The gaseous transmission function is computed either using the k-distribution method or the table look-up method. To include the effect of scattering due to clouds and aerosols, the optical thickness is scaled by the single-scattering albedo and asymmetry factor. The parameterization can accurately compute fluxes to within 1% of the high spectral-resolution line-by-line calculations. The cooling rate can be accurately computed in the region extending from the surface to the 0.01-hPa level.

Near-infrared water vapour self-continuum at close to room temperature

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ptashnik, I.V.; Petrova, T.M.; Ponomarev, Yu.N.; Shine, K.P.; Solodov, A.A.; Solodov, A.M.

2013-01-01

The gaseous absorption of solar radiation within near-infrared atmospheric windows in the Earth's atmosphere is dominated by the water vapour continuum. Recent measurements by Baranov et al. (2011) [17] in 2500 cm −1 (4 μm) window and by Ptashnik et al. (2011) [18] in a few near-infrared windows revealed that the self-continuum absorption is typically an order of magnitude stronger than given by the MT C KD continuum model prior to version 2.5. Most of these measurements, however, were made at elevated temperatures, which makes their application to atmospheric conditions difficult. Here we report new laboratory measurements of the self-continuum absorption at 289 and 318 K in the near-infrared spectral region 1300–8000 cm −1 , using a multipass 30 m base cell with total optical path 612 m. Our results confirm the main conclusions of the previous measurements both within bands and in windows. Of particular note is that we present what we believe to be the first near-room temperature measurement using Fourier Transform Spectrometry of the self-continuum in the 6200 cm −1 (1.6 μm) window, which provides tentative evidence that, at such temperatures, the water vapour continuum absorption may be as strong as it is in 2.1 μm and 4 μm windows and up to 2 orders of magnitude stronger than the MT C KD-2.5 continuum. We note that alternative methods of measuring the continuum in this window have yielded widely differing assessment of its strength, which emphasises the need for further measurements. -- Highlights: ► New lab measurements of the near-infrared water vapour self-continuum absorption. ► First room-temperature data on the self-continuum in the 1.6 μm window. ► In the 1.6 μm window the new data exceed MT C KD-2.5 model by 2 orders of magnitude

Collision-Induced Infrared Absorption by Collisional Complexes in Dense Hydrogen-Helium Gas Mixtures at Thousands of Kelvin

Science.gov (United States)

Abel, Martin; Frommhold, Lothar; Li, Xiaoping; Hunt, Katharine L. C.

2011-06-01

The interaction-induced absorption by collisional pairs of H{_2} molecules is an important opacity source in the atmospheres of the outer planets and cool stars. The emission spectra of cool white dwarf stars differ significantly in the infrared from the expected blackbody spectra of their cores, which is largely due to absorption by collisional H{_2}-H{_2}, H{_2}-He, and H{_2}-H complexes in the stellar atmospheres. Using quantum-chemical methods we compute the atmospheric absorption from hundreds to thousands of kelvin. Laboratory measurements of interaction-induced absorption spectra by H{_2} pairs exist only at room temperature and below. We show that our results reproduce these measurements closely, so that our computational data permit reliable modeling of stellar atmosphere opacities even for the higher temperatures. L. Frommhold, Collision-Induced Absorption in Gases, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, New York, 1993 and 2006 Xiaoping Li, Katharine L. C. Hunt, Fei Wang, Martin Abel, and Lothar Frommhold, "Collision-Induced Infrared Absorption by Molecular Hydrogen Pairs at Thousands of Kelvin", International Journal of Spectroscopy, vol. 2010, Article ID 371201, 11 pages, 2010. doi: 10.1155/2010/371201 M. Abel, L. Frommhold, X. Li, and K. L. C. Hunt, "Collision-induced absorption by H{_2} pairs: From hundreds to thousands of Kelvin," J. Phys. Chem. A, published online, DOI: 10.1021/jp109441f L. Frommhold, M. Abel, F. Wang, M. Gustafsson, X. Li, and K. L. C. Hunt, "Infrared atmospheric emission and absorption by simple molecular complexes, from first principles", Mol. Phys. 108, 2265, 2010

NOAA JPSS Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) Sensor Data Record (SDR) from IDPS

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — Sensor Data Records (SDRs), or Level 1b data, from the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) are the calibrated and geolocated radiance and reflectance...

Haze heats Pluto's atmosphere yet explains its cold temperature.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Xi; Strobel, Darrell F; Imanaka, Hiroshi

2017-11-15

Pluto's atmosphere is cold and hazy. Recent observations have shown it to be much colder than predicted theoretically, suggesting an unknown cooling mechanism. Atmospheric gas molecules, particularly water vapour, have been proposed as a coolant; however, because Pluto's thermal structure is expected to be in radiative-conductive equilibrium, the required water vapour would need to be supersaturated by many orders of magnitude under thermodynamic equilibrium conditions. Here we report that atmospheric hazes, rather than gases, can explain Pluto's temperature profile. We find that haze particles have substantially larger solar heating and thermal cooling rates than gas molecules, dominating the atmospheric radiative balance from the ground to an altitude of 700 kilometres, above which heat conduction maintains an isothermal atmosphere. We conclude that Pluto's atmosphere is unique among Solar System planetary atmospheres, as its radiative energy equilibrium is controlled primarily by haze particles instead of gas molecules. We predict that Pluto is therefore several orders of magnitude brighter at mid-infrared wavelengths than previously thought-a brightness that could be detected by future telescopes.

Navigation Signal Disturbances by Multipath Propagation - Scaled Measurements with a Universal Channel Sounder Architecture

Science.gov (United States)

Geise, Robert; Neubauer, Bjoern; Zimmer, Georg

2015-11-01

The performance of navigation systems is always reduced by unwanted multipath propagation. This is especially of practical importance for airborne navigation systems like the instrument landing system (ILS) or the VHF omni directional radio range (VOR). Nevertheless, the quantitative analysis of corresponding, potentially harmful multipath propagation disturbances is very difficult due to the large parameter space. Experimentally difficulties arise due to very expensive, real scale measurement campaigns and numerical simulation techniques still have shortcomings which are briefly discussed. In this contribution a new universal approach is introduced on how to measure very flexibly multipath propagation effects for arbitrary navigation systems using a channel sounder architecture in a scaled measurement environment. Two relevant scenarios of multipath propagation and the impact on navigation signals are presented. The first describes disturbances of the ILS due to large taxiing aircraft. The other example shows the influence of rotating wind turbines on the VOR.

Spatial noise-aware temperature retrieval from infrared sounder data

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Malmgren-Hansen, David; Laparra, Valero; Nielsen, Allan Aasbjerg

2017-01-01

Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Minimum Noise Fraction (MNF) for dimensionality reduction, and study the compactness and information content of the extracted features. Assessment of the results is done on a big dataset covering many spatial and temporal situations. PCA is widely used...... for these purposes but our analysis shows that one can gain significant improvements of the error rates when using MNF instead. In our analysis we also investigate the relationship between error rate improvements when including more spectral and spatial components in the regression model, aiming to uncover the trade...

Usefulness of the infrared heterodyne radiometer in remote sensing of atmospheric pollutants.

Science.gov (United States)

Menzies, R. T.; Shumate, M. S.

1971-01-01

The application of narrow-band optical receivers to the problem of sensing atmospheric pollution is discussed. The emission/absorption lines of many major atmospheric pollutant molecules overlap the operating frequency bands of CO2 laser and CO laser heterodyne receivers. Several remote pollution sensing systems which are based upon utilization of these spectral overlaps are described, and an analysis of their potential is presented. The possibility of using other lasers (e.g.: the PbSnTe tunable diode laser) as local oscillators is also considered. Results of laboratory experiments with a CO2 laser heterodyne radiometer are presented.

Instrument for the detection of meteors in the infrared

Science.gov (United States)

Svedhem, H.; Koschny, D.; Ter Haar, J.

2014-07-01

The flux of interplanetary particles in the size range 2 mm to 20 m is poorly constrained due to insufficient data --- the larger bodies may be observed remotely by ground-based or space-based telescopes and the smaller particles are measured by in-situ impact detectors in space or by meteor cameras from ground. An infrared video rate imager in Earth orbit would enable a systematic characterization for an extended period, day and night, of the flux in this range by monitoring the bright meteor/fireball generated during atmospheric entry. Due to the low flux of meteoroids in this range a very large detector is required. With this method a large portion of the Earth atmosphere is in fact used as a huge detector. Such an instrument has never flown in Earth orbit. The only sensors of a similar kind fly on US defense satellites for monitoring launches of ballistic missiles. The data from these sensors, however, is largely inaccessible to scientists. The knowledge on emission of light by meteors/bolides at infrared wavelengths is very limited while it can be suspected that the continuum emission from meteors/bolides have stronger emission at infrared wavelengths than in the visible due to the likely low temperatures of these events. At the same time line emission is dominating over the continuum in the visible so it is not clear how this will compare with the continuum in the infrared. We have developed a bread-board version of an IR video rate camera, the SPOSH-IR. The instrument is based on an earlier technology development, SPOSH --- Smart Panoramic Optical Sensor Head, for operation in the visible range, but with the sensor replaced by a cooled IR detector and new infrared optics. The earlier work has proven the concept of the instrument and of automatic detection of meteors/bolides in the visible wavelength range. The new hardware has been built by Jena-Optronik, Jena, Germany and has been tested during several meteor showers in the Netherlands and at ESA's OGS

Processing Near-Infrared Imagery of the Orion Heatshield During EFT-1 Hypersonic Reentry

Science.gov (United States)

Spisz, Thomas S.; Taylor, Jeff C.; Gibson, David M.; Kennerly, Steve; Osei-Wusu, Kwame; Horvath, Thomas J.; Schwartz, Richard J.; Tack, Steven; Bush, Brett C.; Oliver, A. Brandon

2016-01-01

The Scientifically Calibrated In-Flight Imagery (SCIFLI) team captured high-resolution, calibrated, near-infrared imagery of the Orion capsule during atmospheric reentry of the EFT-1 mission. A US Navy NP-3D aircraft equipped with a multi-band optical sensor package, referred to as Cast Glance, acquired imagery of the Orion capsule's heatshield during a period when Orion was slowing from approximately Mach 10 to Mach 7. The line-of-sight distance ranged from approximately 65 to 40 nmi. Global surface temperatures of the capsule's thermal heatshield derived from the near-infrared intensity measurements complemented the in-depth (embedded) thermocouple measurements. Moreover, these derived surface temperatures are essential to the assessment of the thermocouples' reliance on inverse heat transfer methods and material response codes to infer the surface temperature from the in-depth measurements. The paper describes the image processing challenges associated with a manually-tracked, high-angular rate air-to-air observation. Issues included management of significant frame-to-frame motions due to both tracking jerk and jitter as well as distortions due to atmospheric effects. Corrections for changing sky backgrounds (including some cirrus clouds), atmospheric attenuation, and target orientations and ranges also had to be made. The image processing goal is to reduce the detrimental effects due to motion (both sensor and capsule), vibration (jitter), and atmospherics for image quality improvement, without compromising the quantitative integrity of the data, especially local intensity (temperature) variations. The paper will detail the approach of selecting and utilizing only the highest quality images, registering several co-temporal image frames to a single image frame to the extent frame-to-frame distortions would allow, and then co-adding the registered frames to improve image quality and reduce noise. Using preflight calibration data, the registered and averaged

Cine: Line excitation by infrared fluorescence in cometary atmospheres

Science.gov (United States)

de Val-Borro, Miguel; Cordiner, Martin A.; Milam, Stefanie N.; Charnley, Steven B.

2017-03-01

CINE is a Python module for calculating infrared pumping efficiencies that can be applied to the most common molecules found in cometary comae such as water, hydrogen cyanide or methanol. Excitation by solar radiation of vibrational bands followed by radiative decay to the ground vibrational state is one of the main mechanisms for molecular excitation in comets. This code calculates the effective pumping rates for rotational levels in the ground vibrational state scaled by the heliocentric distance of the comet. Line transitions are queried from the latest version of the HITRAN spectroscopic repository using the astroquery affiliated package of astropy. Molecular data are obtained from the LAMDA database. These coefficients are useful for modeling rotational emission lines observed in cometary spectra at sub-millimeter wavelengths. Combined with computational methods to solve the radiative transfer equations based, e.g., on the Monte Carlo algorithm, this model can retrieve production rates and rotational temperatures from the observed emission spectrum.

The Greenhouse Effect - Re-examination of the Impact of an Increase in Carbon Dioxide in the Atmosphere

Science.gov (United States)

Underwood, T. G.

2017-12-01

Examination of the radiation budget at the surface of the Earth shows that there are three factors affecting the surface temperature; the amount of solar radiation absorbed by the atmosphere and by the surface respectively, and the amount of leakage of infrared radiation emitted from the surface directly into space. If there were no leakage, the upwelling infrared radiation from the Earth's surface would be equal to the incoming solar radiation absorbed by the atmosphere plus twice the solar radiation absorbed by the surface. This results from the summation of a sequence of equal upward and downward re-emissions of infrared radiation absorbed by the atmosphere following the initial absorption of solar radiation. At current levels of solar absorption, this would result in total upwelling radiation of approximately 398.6 W/m2, or a maximum surface temperature of 16.4°C. Allowing for leakage of infrared radiation through the atmospheric window, the resulting emission from the Earth's surface is reduced to around 396 W/m2, corresponding to the current average global surface temperature of around 15.9°C. Absorption of solar and infrared radiation by greenhouse gases is determined by the absorption bands for the respective gases and their concentrations. Absorption of incoming solar radiation is largely by water vapor and ozone, and an increase in absorption would reduce not increase the surface temperature. Moreover, it is probable that all emitted infrared radiation that can be absorbed by greenhouse gases, primarily water vapor, with a small contribution from carbon dioxide and ozone, is already fully absorbed, and the leakage of around 5.5 % corresponds to the part of the infrared red spectrum that is not absorbed by greenhouse gases. The carbon dioxide absorption bands, which represent a very small percentage of the infrared spectrum, are most likely fully saturated. In these circumstances, increased concentrations of greenhouse gases, and carbon dioxide in

Versatile silicon-waveguide supercontinuum for coherent mid-infrared spectroscopy

Science.gov (United States)

Nader, Nima; Maser, Daniel L.; Cruz, Flavio C.; Kowligy, Abijith; Timmers, Henry; Chiles, Jeff; Fredrick, Connor; Westly, Daron A.; Nam, Sae Woo; Mirin, Richard P.; Shainline, Jeffrey M.; Diddams, Scott

2018-03-01

Laser frequency combs, with their unique combination of precisely defined spectral lines and broad bandwidth, are a powerful tool for basic and applied spectroscopy. Here, we report offset-free, mid-infrared frequency combs and dual-comb spectroscopy through supercontinuum generation in silicon-on-sapphire waveguides. We leverage robust fabrication and geometrical dispersion engineering of nanophotonic waveguides for multi-band, coherent frequency combs spanning 70 THz in the mid-infrared (2.5 μm-6.2 μm). Precise waveguide fabrication provides significant spectral broadening with engineered spectra targeted at specific mid-infrared bands. We characterize the relative-intensity-noise of different bands and show that the measured levels do not pose any limitation for spectroscopy applications. Additionally, we use the fabricated photonic devices to demonstrate dual-comb spectroscopy of a carbonyl sulfide gas sample at 5 μm. This work forms the technological basis for applications such as point sensors for fundamental spectroscopy, atmospheric chemistry, trace and hazardous gas detection, and biological microscopy.

Versatile silicon-waveguide supercontinuum for coherent mid-infrared spectroscopy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nima Nader

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Laser frequency combs, with their unique combination of precisely defined spectral lines and broad bandwidth, are a powerful tool for basic and applied spectroscopy. Here, we report offset-free, mid-infrared frequency combs and dual-comb spectroscopy through supercontinuum generation in silicon-on-sapphire waveguides. We leverage robust fabrication and geometrical dispersion engineering of nanophotonic waveguides for multi-band, coherent frequency combs spanning 70 THz in the mid-infrared (2.5 μm–6.2 μm. Precise waveguide fabrication provides significant spectral broadening with engineered spectra targeted at specific mid-infrared bands. We characterize the relative-intensity-noise of different bands and show that the measured levels do not pose any limitation for spectroscopy applications. Additionally, we use the fabricated photonic devices to demonstrate dual-comb spectroscopy of a carbonyl sulfide gas sample at 5 μm. This work forms the technological basis for applications such as point sensors for fundamental spectroscopy, atmospheric chemistry, trace and hazardous gas detection, and biological microscopy.

Quantitative infrared and near-infrared gas-phase spectra for pyridine: Absolute intensities and vibrational assignments

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Johnson, T. J.; Aker, P. M.; Scharko, N. K.; Williams, S. D.

2018-02-01

Using vetted methods for generating quantitative absorption reference data, broadband infrared and near-infrared spectra (total range 11,000 – 600 cm-1) of pyridine vapor were recorded at 0.1 cm-1 spectral resolution, with the analyte thermostatted at 298 K and pressure-broadened to 1 atmosphere using N2 ballast gas. The quantitative spectrum is reported for the first time, and we have re-assigned some of the 27 fundamental modes. Fundamental assignments were confirmed by IR vapor phase band shapes, FT-Raman measurements and comparison with previous analyses. For the 760-Torr vapor-phase IR data several bands show resolved peaks (Q-branches). We have also assigned for the first time hundreds of combination and overtone bands in the mid- and near-IR. All assignments were made via comparison to theoretically calculated frequencies and intensities: The frequencies were computed with Gaussian03 with the anharmonic option, using MP2 and the ccpvtz basis set. The intensities were taken from a VSCF calculation in GAMESS using Hartree-Fock (for overtones and combination bands) or from the harmonic MP2 for fundamentals. Overtone and combination band harmonic and anharmonic frequencies, as well as intensities were also calculated using the CFOUR program. It is seen in the NIR spectrum near 6000 cm-1 that the very strong bands arise from the C-H first overtones, whereas only much weaker bands are observed for combination bands of C-H stretching modes. Certain features are discussed for their potential utility for atmospheric monitoring.

Meteorological research studies at Jervis Bay, Australia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Clark, G.H.; Bendun, E.O.K.

1974-07-01

A climatological study of the winds and temperature from the Jervis Bay region which commenced in October 1970 has shown the presence of a coastal sea breeze and secondary bay breeze circulation system. In an attempt to define the influence of the Murray's Beach site on the local atmospheric dispersion, special smoke plume photography studies were conducted in the lower atmosphere. In June 1972 a meteorological acoustic sounding research programme was initiated at the Jervis Bay settlement. The aims of the research are to calibrate the sounder in terms of surface wind, turbulence and temperature measurements pertinent to a description of the lower atmospheric dispersion potential. Preliminary results on six months' data have shown encouraging correlations between the acoustic sounder patterns and particularly the wind direction turbulence traces. (author)

SciDAC's Earth System Grid Center for Enabling Technologies Semiannual Progress Report October 1, 2010 through March 31, 2011

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Williams, Dean N. [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)

2011-04-02

Laboratory (ORNL), Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory (PMEL)/NOAA, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI), and University of Southern California, Information Sciences Institute (USC/ISI). All ESG-CET work is accomplished under DOE open-source guidelines and in close collaboration with the project's stakeholders, domain researchers, and scientists. Through the ESG project, the ESG-CET team has developed and delivered a production environment for climate data from multiple climate model sources (e.g., CMIP (IPCC), CESM, ocean model data (e.g., Parallel Ocean Program), observation data (e.g., Atmospheric Infrared Sounder, Microwave Limb Sounder), and analysis and visualization tools) that serves a worldwide climate research community. Data holdings are distributed across multiple sites including LANL, LBNL, LLNL, NCAR, and ORNL as well as unfunded partners sites such as the Australian National University (ANU) National Computational Infrastructure (NCI), the British Atmospheric Data Center (BADC), the Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory/NOAA, the Max Planck Institute for Meteorology (MPI-M), the German Climate Computing Centre (DKRZ), and NASA/JPL. As we transition from development activities to production and operations, the ESG-CET team is tasked with making data available to all users who want to understand it, process it, extract value from it, visualize it, and/or communicate it to others. This ongoing effort is extremely large and complex, but it will be incredibly valuable for building 'science gateways' to critical climate resources (such as CESM, CMIP5, ARM, NARCCAP, Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS), etc.) for processing the next IPCC assessment report. Continued ESG progress will result in a production-scale system that will empower scientists to attempt new and exciting data exchanges, which could ultimately lead to breakthrough climate science discoveries.

Improved Satellite Techniques for Monitoring and Forecasting the Transition of Hurricanes to Extratropical Storms

Science.gov (United States)

Folmer, Michael; Halverson, Jeffrey; Berndt, Emily; Dunion, Jason; Goodman, Steve; Goldberg, Mitch

2014-01-01

The Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites R-Series (GOES-R) and Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS) Satellite Proving Grounds have introduced multiple proxy and operational products into operations over the last few years. Some of these products have proven to be useful in current operations at various National Weather Service (NWS) offices and national centers as a first look at future satellite capabilities. Forecasters at the National Hurricane Center (NHC), Ocean Prediction Center (OPC), NESDIS Satellite Analysis Branch (SAB) and the NASA Hurricane and Severe Storms Sentinel (HS3) field campaign have had access to a few of these products to assist in monitoring extratropical transitions of hurricanes. The red, green, blue (RGB) Air Mass product provides forecasters with an enhanced view of various air masses in one complete image to help differentiate between possible stratospheric/tropospheric interactions, moist tropical air masses, and cool, continental/maritime air masses. As a compliment to this product, a new Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) and Cross-track Infrared Sounder (CrIS) Ozone product was introduced in the past year to assist in diagnosing the dry air intrusions seen in the RGB Air Mass product. Finally, a lightning density product was introduced to forecasters as a precursor to the new Geostationary Lightning Mapper (GLM) that will be housed on GOES-R, to monitor the most active regions of convection, which might indicate a disruption in the tropical environment and even signal the onset of extratropical transition. This presentation will focus on a few case studies that exhibit extratropical transition and point out the usefulness of these new satellite techniques in aiding forecasters forecast these challenging events.

ATMOSPHERIC RETRIEVAL FOR SUPER-EARTHS: UNIQUELY CONSTRAINING THE ATMOSPHERIC COMPOSITION WITH TRANSMISSION SPECTROSCOPY

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Benneke, Bjoern; Seager, Sara

2012-01-01

We present a retrieval method based on Bayesian analysis to infer the atmospheric compositions and surface or cloud-top pressures from transmission spectra of exoplanets with general compositions. In this study, we identify what can unambiguously be determined about the atmospheres of exoplanets from their transmission spectra by applying the retrieval method to synthetic observations of the super-Earth GJ 1214b. Our approach to inferring constraints on atmospheric parameters is to compute their joint and marginal posterior probability distributions using the Markov Chain Monte Carlo technique in a parallel tempering scheme. A new atmospheric parameterization is introduced that is applicable to general atmospheres in which the main constituent is not known a priori and clouds may be present. Our main finding is that a unique constraint of the mixing ratios of the absorbers and two spectrally inactive gases (such as N 2 and primordial H 2 + He) is possible if the observations are sufficient to quantify both (1) the broadband transit depths in at least one absorption feature for each absorber and (2) the slope and strength of the molecular Rayleigh scattering signature. A second finding is that the surface pressure or cloud-top pressure can be quantified if a surface or cloud deck is present at low optical depth. A third finding is that the mean molecular mass can be constrained by measuring either the Rayleigh scattering slope or the shapes of the absorption features, thus enabling one to distinguish between cloudy hydrogen-rich atmospheres and high mean molecular mass atmospheres. We conclude, however, that without the signature of molecular Rayleigh scattering—even with robustly detected infrared absorption features (>10σ)—there is no reliable way to tell from the transmission spectrum whether the absorber is a main constituent of the atmosphere or just a minor species with a mixing ratio of X abs < 0.1%. The retrieval method leads us to a conceptual picture

Optical remote sensing of properties and concentrations of atmospheric trace constituents

Science.gov (United States)

Vladutescu, Daniela Viviana

The effect of human activities on the global climate may lead to large disturbances of the economic, social and political circumstances in the middle and long term. Understanding the dynamics of the Earth's climate is therefore of high importance and one of the major scientific challenges of our time. The estimation of the contribution of the Earth's climate system components needs observation and continuous monitoring of various atmospheric physical and chemical parameters. Temperature, water vapor and greenhouse gases concentration, aerosol and clouds loads, and atmospheric dynamics are parameters of particular importance in this respect. The quantification of the anthropogenic influence on the dynamics of these above-mentioned parameters is of crucial importance nowadays but still affected by significant uncertainties. In the present context of these huge uncertainties in our understanding of how these different atmospheric compounds contribute to the radiative forcing, a significant part of my research interest is related to the following topics: (1) Development of lidar (Light Detection and Ranging)-based remote sensing techniques for monitoring atmospheric compounds and processes; (2) Aerosols hygroscopic properties and atmospheric modeling; (3) Water vapor mixing ratio and relative humidity estimation in the troposphere; (4) Characterization of the long-range transported aerosols; (5) Ambient gases detection using Fourier Transform Interferometers (FTIR); (6) Design of inexpensive Fabry Perot Interferometer for visible and near infrared for land and ocean surface remote sensing applications. The lidar-based remote sensing measurement techniques for the monitoring of climate change parameters where implemented at the City College of the City University of New York (CCNY/CUNY) LIDAR station and are presented in the second section of the paper. The geographical location of the CCNY lidar station is 40.86N, -73.86W. Among the lidar retrievals one important

Infrared laser spectroscopic trace gas sensing

Science.gov (United States)

Sigrist, Markus

2016-04-01

Chemical sensing and analyses of gas samples by laser spectroscopic methods are attractive owing to several advantages such as high sensitivity and specificity, large dynamic range, multi-component capability, and lack of pretreatment or preconcentration procedures. The preferred wavelength range comprises the fundamental molecular absorption range in the mid-infared between 3 and 15 μm, whereas the near-infrared range covers the (10-100 times weaker) higher harmonics and combination bands. The availability of near-infrared and, particularly, of broadly tunable mid-infrared sources like external cavity quantum cascade lasers (EC-QCLs), interband cascade lasers (ICLs), difference frequency generation (DFG), optical parametric oscillators (OPOs), recent developments of diode-pumped lead salt semiconductor lasers, of supercontinuum sources or of frequency combs have eased the implementation of laser-based sensing devices. Sensitive techniques for molecular absorption measurements include multipass absorption, various configurations of cavity-enhanced techniques such as cavity ringdown (CRD), or of photoacoustic spectroscopy (PAS) including quartz-enhanced (QEPAS) or cantilever-enhanced (CEPAS) techniques. The application requirements finally determine the optimum selection of laser source and detection scheme. In this tutorial talk I shall discuss the basic principles, present various experimental setups and illustrate the performance of selected systems for chemical sensing of selected key atmospheric species. Applications include an early example of continuous vehicle emission measurements with a mobile CO2-laser PAS system [1]. The fast analysis of C1-C4 alkanes at sub-ppm concentrations in gas mixtures is of great interest for the petrochemical industry and was recently achieved with a new type of mid-infrared diode-pumped piezoelectrically tuned lead salt vertical external cavity surface emitting laser (VECSEL) [2]. Another example concerns measurements on short

Effects of varying environmental conditions on emissivity spectra of bulk lunar soils: Application to Diviner thermal infrared observations of the Moon

Science.gov (United States)

Donaldson Hanna, K. L.; Greenhagen, B. T.; Patterson, W. R.; Pieters, C. M.; Mustard, J. F.; Bowles, N. E.; Paige, D. A.; Glotch, T. D.; Thompson, C.

2017-02-01

Currently, few thermal infrared measurements exist of fine particulate (samples (e.g. minerals, mineral mixtures, rocks, meteorites, and lunar soils) measured under simulated lunar conditions. Such measurements are fundamental for interpreting thermal infrared (TIR) observations by the Diviner Lunar Radiometer Experiment (Diviner) onboard NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter as well as future TIR observations of the Moon and other airless bodies. In this work, we present thermal infrared emissivity measurements of a suite of well-characterized Apollo lunar soils and a fine particulate (sample as we systematically vary parameters that control the near-surface environment in our vacuum chamber (atmospheric pressure, incident solar-like radiation, and sample cup temperature). The atmospheric pressure is varied between ambient (1000 mbar) and vacuum (radiation is varied between 52 and 146 mW/cm2, and the sample cup temperature is varied between 325 and 405 K. Spectral changes are characterized as each parameter is varied, which highlight the sensitivity of thermal infrared emissivity spectra to the atmospheric pressure and the incident solar-like radiation. Finally spectral measurements of Apollo 15 and 16 bulk lunar soils are compared with Diviner thermal infrared observations of the Apollo 15 and 16 sampling sites. This comparison allows us to constrain the temperature and pressure conditions that best simulate the near-surface environment of the Moon for future laboratory measurements and to better interpret lunar surface compositions as observed by Diviner.

WATER FORMATION IN THE UPPER ATMOSPHERE OF THE EARLY EARTH

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fleury, Benjamin; Carrasco, Nathalie; Marcq, Emmanuel; Vettier, Ludovic; Määttänen, Anni, E-mail: benjamin.fleury@latmos.ipsl.fr [Université Versailles St-Quentin, Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ. Paris 06, CNRS/INSU, LATMOS-IPSL, 11 Boulevard d’Alembert, F-78280 Guyancourt (France)

2015-07-10

The water concentration and distribution in the early Earth's atmosphere are important parameters that contribute to the chemistry and the radiative budget of the atmosphere. If the atmosphere above the troposphere is generally considered as dry, photochemistry is known to be responsible for the production of numerous minor species. Here we used an experimental setup to study the production of water in conditions simulating the chemistry above the troposphere of the early Earth with an atmospheric composition based on three major molecules: N{sub 2}, CO{sub 2}, and H{sub 2}. The formation of gaseous products was monitored using infrared spectroscopy. Water was found as the major product, with approximately 10% of the gas products detected. This important water formation is discussed in the context of the early Earth.

Infrared

Science.gov (United States)

Vollmer, M.

2013-11-01

techniques such as attenuated total reflectance [6]. The two final papers deal with what seem to be wholly different scientific fields [7, 8]. One paper describes SOFIA, an aeroplane-based astronomical observatory covering the whole IR range [7], while the other represents a small review of the quite new topic of terahertz physics at the upper end of the IR spectral range, from around 30 µm to 3 mm wavelength, and its many applications in science and industry [8]. Although artificially separated, all these fields use similar kinds of detectors, similar kinds of IR sources and similar technologies, while the instruments use the same physical principles. We are convinced that the field of infrared physics will develop over the next decade in the same dynamic way as during the last, and this special issue may serve as starting point for regular submissions on the topic. At any rate, it shines a light on this fascinating and many-faceted subject, which started more than 200 years ago. References [1] Mangold K, Shaw J A and Vollmer M 2013 The physics of near-infrared photography Eur. J. Phys. 34 S51-71 [2] Vollmer M and Möllmann K-P 2013 Characterization of IR cameras in student labs Eur. J. Phys. 34 S73-90 [3] Ibarra-Castanedo C, Tarpani J R and Maldague X P V 2013 Nondestructive testing with thermography Eur. J. Phys. 34 S91-109 [4] Shaw J A and Nugent P W 2013 Physics principles in radiometric infrared imaging of clouds in the atmosphere Eur. J. Phys. 34 S111-21 [5] Möllmann K-P and Vollmer M 2013 Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy in physics laboratory courses Eur. J. Phys. 34 S123-37 [6] Heise H M, Fritzsche J, Tkatsch H, Waag F, Karch K, Henze K, Delbeck S and Budde J 2013 Recent advances in mid- and near-infrared spectroscopy with applications for research and teaching, focusing on petrochemistry and biotechnology relevant products Eur. J. Phys. 34 S139-59 [7] Krabbe A, Mehlert D, Röser H-P and Scorza C 2013 SOFIA, an airborne observatory for infrared astronomy

Analysis of the SIAM Infrared Acquisition System

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Varnado, S.G.

1974-02-01

This report describes and presents the results of an analysis of the performance of the infrared acquisition system for a Self-Initiated Antiaircraft Missile (SIAM). A description of the optical system is included, and models of target radiant intensity, atmospheric transmission, and background radiance are given. Acquisition probabilities are expressed in terms of the system signal-to-noise ratio. System performance against aircraft and helicopter targets is analyzed, and background discrimination techniques are discussed. 17 refs., 22 figs., 6 tabs.

Land and Atmosphere Near-Real-Time Capability for Earth Observing System

Science.gov (United States)

Murphy, Kevin J.

2011-01-01

LANCE (Land, Atmosphere Near-Real-Time Capability for EOS) in 2009. LANCE consists of special processing elements, co-located with selected EOSDIS data centers and processing facilities. A primary goal of LANCE is to bring multiple near-real-time systems under one umbrella, offering commonality in data access, quality control, and latency. LANCE now processes and distributes data from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS), Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer Earth Observing System (AMSR-E), Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS) and Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) instruments within 3 hours of satellite observation. The Rapid Response System and the Fire Information for Resource Management System (FIRMS) capabilities will be incorporated into LANCE in 2011. LANCE maintains a central website to facilitate easy access to data and user services. LANCE products are extensively tested and compared with science products before being made available to users. Each element also plans to implement redundant network, power and server infrastructure to ensure high availability of data and services. Through the user registration system, users are informed of any data outages and when new products or services will be available for access. Building on a significant investment by NASA in developing science algorithms and products, LANCE creates products that have a demonstrated utility for applications requiring near-real-time data. From lower level data products such as calibrated geolocated radiances to higher-level products such as sea ice extent, snow cover, and cloud cover, users have integrated LANCE data into forecast models and decision support systems. The table above shows the current near-real-time product categories by instrument. The ESDIS Project continues to improve the LANCE system and use the experience gained through practice to seek adjustments to improve the quality and performance of the system. For example, an

Handling Qualities Flight Testing of the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA)

Science.gov (United States)

Glaser, Scott T.; Strovers, Brian K.

2011-01-01

Airborne infrared astronomy has a long successful history, albeit relatively unknown outside of the astronomy community. A major problem with ground based infrared astronomy is the absorption and scatter of infrared energy by water in the atmosphere. Observing the universe from above 40,000 ft puts the observation platform above 99% of the water vapor in the atmosphere, thereby addressing this problem at a fraction of the cost of space based systems. The Stratospheric Observatory For Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) aircraft is the most ambitious foray into the field of airborne infrared astronomy in history. Using a 747SP (The Boeing Company, Chicago, Illinois) aircraft modified with a 2.5m telescope located in the aft section of the fuselage, the SOFIA endeavors to provide views of the universe never before possible and at a fraction of the cost of space based systems. The modification to the airplane includes moveable doors and aperture that expose the telescope assembly. The telescope assembly is aimed and stabilized using a multitude of on board systems. This modification has the potential to cause aerodynamic anomalies that could induce undesired forces either at the cavity itself or indirectly due to interference with the empennage, both of which could cause handling qualities issues. As a result, an extensive analysis and flight test program was conducted from December 2009 through March 2011. Several methods, including a Lower Order Equivalent Systems analysis and pilot assessment, were used to ascertain the effects of the modification. The SOFIA modification was found to cause no adverse handling qualities effects and the aircraft was cleared for operational use. This paper discusses the history and modification to the aircraft, development of test procedures and analysis, results of testing and analysis, lessons learned for future projects and justification for operational certification.

InSAR atmospheric correction using Himawari-8 Geostationary Meteorological Satellite

Science.gov (United States)

Kinoshita, Y.; Nimura, T.; Furuta, R.

2017-12-01

The atmospheric delay effect is one of the limitations for the accurate surface displacement detection by Synthetic Aperture Radar Interferometry (InSAR). Many previous studies have attempted to mitigate the neutral atmospheric delay in InSAR (e.g. Jolivet et al. 2014; Foster et al. 2006; Kinoshita et al. 2013). Hanssen et al. (2001) investigated the relationship between the 27 hourly observations of GNSS precipitable water vapor (PWV) and the infrared brightness temperature derived from visible satellite imagery, and showed a good correlation. Here we showed a preliminary result of the newly developed method for the neutral atmospheric delay correction using the Himawari-8 Japanese geostationary meteorological satellite data. The Himawari-8 satellite is the Japanese state-of-the-art geostationary meteorological satellite that has 16 observation channels and has spatial resolutions of 0.5 km (visible) and 2.0 km (near-infrared and infrared) with an time interval of 2.5 minutes around Japan. To estimate the relationship between the satellite brightness temperature and the atmospheric delay amount. Since the InSAR atmospheric delay is principally the same as that in GNSS, we at first compared the Himawari-8 data with the GNSS zenith tropospheric delay data derived from the Japanese dense GNSS network. The comparison of them showed that the band with the wavelength of 6.9 μm had the highest correlation to the GNSS observation. Based on this result, we developed an InSAR atmospheric delay model that uses the Himawari-8 6.9 μm band data. For the model validation, we generated InSAR images from the ESA's C-band Sentinel-1 SLC data with the GAMMA SAR software. We selected two regions around Tokyo and Sapporo (both in Japan) as the test sites because of the less temporal decorrelation. The validation result showed that the delay model reasonably estimate large scale phase variation whose spatial scale was on the order of over 20 km. On the other hand, phase variations of

NOAA JPSS Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) Aerosol Detection Environmental Data Record (EDR) from NDE

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — This dataset contains a high quality operational Environmental Data Record (EDR) of suspended matter from the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS)...

Use of Fourier transforms for asynoptic mapping: Applications to the Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite microwave limb sounder

Science.gov (United States)

Elson, Lee S.; Froidevaux, Lucien

1993-01-01

Fourier analysis has been applied to data obtained from limb viewing instruments on the Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite. A coordinate system rotation facilitates the efficient computation of Fourier transforms in the temporal and longitudinal domains. Fields such as ozone (O3), chlorine monoxide (ClO), temperature, and water vapor have been transformed by this process. The transforms have been inverted to provide maps of these quantities at selected times, providing a method of accurate time interpolation. Maps obtained by this process show evidence of both horizontal and vertical transport of important trace species such as O3 and ClO. An examination of the polar regions indicates that large-scale planetary variations are likely to play a significant role in transporting midstratospheric O3 into the polar regions. There is also evidence that downward transport occurs, providing a means of moving O3 into the polar vortex at lower altitudes. The transforms themselves show the structure and propagation characteristics of wave variations.

A fast infrared radiative transfer model for overlapping clouds

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Niu Jianguo; Yang Ping; Huang Hunglung; Davies, James E.; Li Jun; Baum, Bryan A.; Hu, Yong X.

2007-01-01

A fast infrared radiative transfer model (FIRTM2) appropriate for application to both single-layered and overlapping cloud situations is developed for simulating the outgoing infrared spectral radiance at the top of the atmosphere (TOA). In FIRTM2 a pre-computed library of cloud reflectance and transmittance values is employed to account for one or two cloud layers, whereas the background atmospheric optical thickness due to gaseous absorption can be computed from a clear-sky radiative transfer model. FIRTM2 is applicable to three atmospheric conditions: (1) clear-sky (2) single-layered ice or water cloud, and (3) two simultaneous cloud layers in a column (e.g., ice cloud overlying water cloud). Moreover, FIRTM2 outputs the derivatives (i.e., Jacobians) of the TOA brightness temperature with respect to cloud optical thickness and effective particle size. Sensitivity analyses have been carried out to assess the performance of FIRTM2 for two spectral regions, namely the longwave (LW) band (587.3-1179.5 cm -1 ) and the short-to-medium wave (SMW) band (1180.1-2228.9 cm -1 ). The assessment is carried out in terms of brightness temperature differences (BTD) between FIRTM2 and the well-known discrete ordinates radiative transfer model (DISORT), henceforth referred to as BTD (F-D). The BTD (F-D) values for single-layered clouds are generally less than 0.8 K. For the case of two cloud layers (specifically ice cloud over water cloud), the BTD (F-D) values are also generally less than 0.8 K except for the SMW band for the case of a very high altitude (>15 km) cloud comprised of small ice particles. Note that for clear-sky atmospheres, FIRTM2 reduces to the clear-sky radiative transfer model that is incorporated into FIRTM2, and the errors in this case are essentially those of the clear-sky radiative transfer model

FORMATION OF ORGANIC MOLECULES AND WATER IN WARM DISK ATMOSPHERES

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Najita, Joan R.; Ádámkovics, Máté; Glassgold, Alfred E.

2011-01-01

Observations from Spitzer and ground-based infrared spectroscopy reveal significant diversity in the molecular emission from the inner few AU of T Tauri disks. We explore theoretically the possible origin of this diversity by expanding on our earlier thermal-chemical model of disk atmospheres. We consider how variations in grain settling, X-ray irradiation, accretion-related mechanical heating, and the oxygen-to-carbon ratio can affect the thermal and chemical properties of the atmosphere at 0.25-40 AU. We find that these model parameters can account for many properties of the detected molecular emission. The column density of the warm (200-2000 K) molecular atmosphere is sensitive to grain settling and the efficiency of accretion-related heating, which may account, at least in part, for the large range in molecular emission fluxes that have been observed. The dependence of the atmospheric properties on the model parameters may also help to explain trends that have been reported in the literature between molecular emission strength and mid-infrared color, stellar accretion rate, and disk mass. We discuss whether some of the differences between our model results and the observations (e.g., for water) indicate a role for vertical transport and freezeout in the disk midplane. We also discuss how planetesimal formation in the outer disk (beyond the snowline) may imprint a chemical signature on the inner few AU of the disk and speculate on possible observational tracers of this process.

FORMATION OF ORGANIC MOLECULES AND WATER IN WARM DISK ATMOSPHERES

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Najita, Joan R. [National Optical Astronomy Observatory, 950 N. Cherry Avenue, Tucson, AZ 85719 (United States); Adamkovics, Mate; Glassgold, Alfred E. [Astronomy Department, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720 (United States)

2011-12-20

Observations from Spitzer and ground-based infrared spectroscopy reveal significant diversity in the molecular emission from the inner few AU of T Tauri disks. We explore theoretically the possible origin of this diversity by expanding on our earlier thermal-chemical model of disk atmospheres. We consider how variations in grain settling, X-ray irradiation, accretion-related mechanical heating, and the oxygen-to-carbon ratio can affect the thermal and chemical properties of the atmosphere at 0.25-40 AU. We find that these model parameters can account for many properties of the detected molecular emission. The column density of the warm (200-2000 K) molecular atmosphere is sensitive to grain settling and the efficiency of accretion-related heating, which may account, at least in part, for the large range in molecular emission fluxes that have been observed. The dependence of the atmospheric properties on the model parameters may also help to explain trends that have been reported in the literature between molecular emission strength and mid-infrared color, stellar accretion rate, and disk mass. We discuss whether some of the differences between our model results and the observations (e.g., for water) indicate a role for vertical transport and freezeout in the disk midplane. We also discuss how planetesimal formation in the outer disk (beyond the snowline) may imprint a chemical signature on the inner few AU of the disk and speculate on possible observational tracers of this process.

Far infrared supplement: Catalog of infrared observations, second edition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gezari, D.Y.; Schmitz, M.; Mead, J.M.

1988-08-01

The Far Infrared Supplement: Catalog of Infrared Observations summarizes all infrared astronomical observations at far infrared wavelengths (5 to 1000 microns) published in the scientific literature from 1965 through 1986. The Supplement list contain 25 percent of the observations in the full Catalog of Infrared Observations (CIO), and essentially eliminates most visible stars from the listings. The Supplement is thus more compact than the main catalog, and is intended for easy reference during astronomical observations. The Far Infrared Supplement (2nd Edition) includes the Index of Infrared Source Positions and the Bibliography of Infrared Astronomy for the subset of far infrared observations listed

Research on infrared radiation characteristics of Pyromark1200 high-temperature coating

Science.gov (United States)

Song, Xuyao; Huan, Kewei; Dong, Wei; Wang, Jinghui; Zang, Yanzhe; Shi, Xiaoguang

2014-11-01

Pyromark 1200 (Tempil Co, USA), which is a type of high-temperature high-emissivity coating, is silicon-based with good thermal radiation performance. Its stably working condition is at the temperature range 589~922 K thus a wide range of applications in industrial, scientific research, aviation, aerospace and other fields. Infrared emissivity is one of the most important factors in infrared radiation characteristics. Data on infrared spectral emissivity of Pyromark 1200 is in shortage, as well as the reports on its infrared radiation characteristics affected by its spray painting process, microstructure and thermal process. The results of this research show that: (1) The coating film critical thickness on the metal base is 10μm according to comparison among different types of spray painting process, coating film thickness, microstructure, which would influence the infrared radiation characteristics of Pyromark 1200 coating. The infrared spectral emissivity will attenuate when the coating film thickness is lower or much higher than that. (2) Through measurements, the normal infrared radiation characteristics is analyzed within the range at the temperature range 573~873 K under normal atmospheric conditions, and the total infrared spectral emissivity of Pyromark 1200 coating is higher than 0.93 in the 3~14 μm wavelength range. (3) The result of 72-hour aging test at the temperature 673 K which studied the effect of thermal processes on the infrared radiation characteristics of the coating shows that the infrared spectral emissivity variation range is approximately 0.01 indicating that Pyromark 1200 coating is with good stability. Compared with Nextel Velvet Coating (N-V-C) which is widely used in optics field, Pyromark 1200 high-temperature coating has a higher applicable temperature and is more suitable for spraying on the material surface which is in long-term operation under high temperature work conditions and requires high infrared spectral emissivity.

White Dwarfs in the UKIRT Infrared Deep Sky Survey Data Release 9

Science.gov (United States)

Tremblay, P.-E.; Leggett, S. K.; Lodieu, N.; Freytag, B.; Bergeron, P.; Kalirai, J. S.; Ludwig, H.-G.

2014-06-01

We have identified 8 to 10 new cool white dwarfs from the Large Area Survey (LAS) Data Release 9 of the United Kingdom InfraRed Telescope (UKIRT) Infrared Deep Sky Survey (UKIDSS). The data set was paired with the Sloan Digital Sky Survey to obtain proper motions and a broad ugrizYJHK wavelength coverage. Optical spectroscopic observations were secured at Gemini Observatory and confirm the degenerate status for eight of our targets. The final sample includes two additional white dwarf candidates with no spectroscopic observations. We rely on improved one-dimensional model atmospheres and new multi-dimensional simulations with CO5BOLD to review the stellar parameters of the published LAS white dwarf sample along with our additional discoveries. Most of the new objects possess very cool atmospheres with effective temperatures below 5000 K, including two pure-hydrogen remnants with a cooling age between 8.5 and 9.0 Gyr, and tangential velocities in the range 40 km s-1 3.0 and 5.0 Gyr. These white dwarfs could be disk remnants with a very high velocity or former halo G stars. We also compare the LAS sample with earlier studies of very cool degenerates and observe a similar deficit of helium-dominated atmospheres in the range 5000 < T eff (K) < 6000. We review the possible explanations for the spectral evolution from helium-dominated toward hydrogen-rich atmospheres at low temperatures.

Atmospheric Research 2016 Technical Highlights

Science.gov (United States)

Platnick, Steven

2017-01-01

Atmospheric research in the Earth Sciences Division (610) consists of research and technology development programs dedicated to advancing knowledge and understanding of the atmosphere and its interaction with the climate of Earth. The Divisions goals are to improve understanding of the dynamics and physical properties of precipitation, clouds, and aerosols; atmospheric chemistry, including the role of natural and anthropogenic trace species on the ozone balance in the stratosphere and the troposphere; and radiative properties of Earth's atmosphere and the influence of solar variability on the Earth's climate. Major research activities are carried out in the Mesoscale Atmospheric Processes Laboratory, the Climate and Radiation Laboratory, the Atmospheric Chemistry and Dynamics Laboratory, and the Wallops Field Support Office. The overall scope of the research covers an end-to-end process, starting with the identification of scientific problems, leading to observation requirements for remote-sensing platforms, technology and retrieval algorithm development; followed by flight projects and satellite missions; and eventually, resulting in data processing, analyses of measurements, and dissemination from flight projects and missions. Instrument scientists conceive, design, develop, and implement ultraviolet, infrared, optical, radar, laser, and lidar technology to remotely sense the atmosphere. Members of the various laboratories conduct field measurements for satellite sensor calibration and data validation, and carry out numerous modeling activities. These modeling activities include climate model simulations, modeling the chemistry and transport of trace species on regional-to-global scales, cloud resolving models, and developing the next-generation Earth system models. Satellite missions, field campaigns, peer-reviewed publications, and successful proposals are essential at every stage of the research process to meeting our goals and maintaining leadership of the

Infrared emission high spectral resolution atlas of the stratospheric limb

Science.gov (United States)

Maguire, William C.; Kunde, Virgil G.; Herath, Lawrence W.

1989-01-01

An atlas of high resolution infrared emission spectra identifies a number of gaseous atmospheric features significant to stratospheric chemistry in the 770-900/cm and 1100-1360/cm regions at six zenith angles from 86.7 to 95.1 deg. A balloon-borne Michelson interferometer was flown to obtain about 0.03/cm resolution spectra. Two 10/cm extracts are presented here.

Mid-infrared photoacoustic spectroscopy for atmospheric NO2 measurements

Science.gov (United States)

Lassen, Mikael; Lamard, Laurent; Balslev-Harder, David; Peremans, Andre; Petersen, Jan C.

2018-02-01

A photoacoustic (PA) sensor for spectroscopic measurements of NO2-N2 at ambient pressure and temperature is demonstrated. The PA sensor is pumped resonantly by a nanosecond pulsed single-mode mid-infrared (MIR) optical parametric oscillator (OPO). Spectroscopic measurements of NO2-N2 in the 3.25 μm to 3.55 μm wavelength region with a resolution bandwidth of 5 cm-1 and with a single shot detection limit of 1.6 ppmV (μmol/mol) is demonstrated. The measurements were conducted with a constant flow rate of 300 ml/min, thus demonstrating the suitability of the gas sensor for real time trace gas measurements. The acquired spectra is compared with data from the Hitran database and good agreement is found. An Allan deviation analysis shows that the detection limit at optimum integration time for the PAS sensor is 14 ppbV (nmol/mol) at 170 seconds of integration time, corresponding to a normalized noise equivalent absorption (NNEA) coefficient of 3.3×10-7 W cm-1 Hz-1/2.

NOAA JPSS Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) Snow Cover Environmental Data Record (EDR) from NDE

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — This dataset contains a high quality operational Environmental Data Record (EDR) of snow cover from the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) instrument...

NOAA JPSS Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) Smoothed Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) from NDE

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — The Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) Smoothed Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) from NDE is a weekly product derived from the VIIRS...

A New Inversion Routine to Produce Vertical Electron-Density Profiles from Ionospheric Topside-Sounder Data

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Yongli; Benson, Robert F.

2011-01-01

Two software applications have been produced specifically for the analysis of some million digital topside ionograms produced by a recent analog-to-digital conversion effort of selected analog telemetry tapes from the Alouette-2, ISIS-1 and ISIS-2 satellites. One, TOPIST (TOPside Ionogram Scalar with True-height algorithm) from the University of Massachusetts Lowell, is designed for the automatic identification of the topside-ionogram ionospheric-reflection traces and their inversion into vertical electron-density profiles Ne(h). TOPIST also has the capability of manual intervention. The other application, from the Goddard Space Flight Center based on the FORTRAN code of John E. Jackson from the 1960s, is designed as an IDL-based interactive program for the scaling of selected digital topside-sounder ionograms. The Jackson code has also been modified, with some effort, so as to run on modern computers. This modification was motivated by the need to scale selected ionograms from the millions of Alouette/ISIS topside-sounder ionograms that only exist on 35-mm film. During this modification, it became evident that it would be more efficient to design a new code, based on the capabilities of present-day computers, than to continue to modify the old code. Such a new code has been produced and here we will describe its capabilities and compare Ne(h) profiles produced from it with those produced by the Jackson code. The concept of the new code is to assume an initial Ne(h) and derive a final Ne(h) through an iteration process that makes the resulting apparent-height profile fir the scaled values within a certain error range. The new code can be used on the X-, O-, and Z-mode traces. It does not assume any predefined profile shape between two contiguous points, like the exponential rule used in Jackson s program. Instead, Monotone Piecewise Cubic Interpolation is applied in the global profile to keep the monotone nature of the profile, which also ensures better smoothness

The NPOESS Preparatory Project (NPP) Science Data Segment (SDS) Data Depository and Distribution Element (SD3E) System Architecture

Science.gov (United States)

Ho, Evelyn L.; Schweiss, Robert J.

2008-01-01

The National Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System (NPOESS), the U.S. Government's future low-Earth orbiting satellite system, will monitor global weather and environmental conditions. Serving as a risk reduction for NPOESS, the NPOESS Preparatory Project (NPP) will provide remotely sensed atmospheric, land, ocean, ozone, and sounder data that will serve the meteorological and global climate change scientific communities. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) NPP Science Data Segment's (SDS) primary role is to independently assess the quality of the NPP science and environmental data records for their ability to support climate research. The SDS is composed of nine elements; an input element that receives data from the operational agencies and acts as a buffer, a calibration analysis element, five elements devoted to measurement based quality assessment, an element used to test algorithmic improvements, and an element that provides overall science direction. Each element requires a set of sensor specific science data products for their evaluation. There are four NPP sensors that will be flown on the NPP observatory. They are the Visible Infrared Imagining Radiometer Suite (VIIRS), the Advanced Technology Microwave Sounder (ATMS), the Cross-Track Infrared Sounder (CrIS), and the Ozone Mapper/Profiler Suite (OMPS). It is estimated that these four sensors combined will make daily data requests for approximately six terabytes of NPP science products from the operational data providers. As a result, issues associated with duplicate data requests, data transfers of large volumes of diverse products, and data transfer failures raised concerns with respect to the network traffic and bandwidth consumption. Therefore, a central data broker system for receiving and buffering data requests and data products for the SDS was developed. The data element for this system is called the SDS Data Depository and Distribution Element (SD3E). It

Infrared signatures for remote sensing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McDowell, R.S.; Sharpe, S.W.; Kelly, J.F.

1994-04-01

PNL's capabilities for infrared and near-infrared spectroscopy include tunable-diode-laser (TDL) systems covering 300--3,000 cm -1 at 2 laser. PNL also has a beam expansion source with a 12-cm slit, which provides a 3-m effective path for gases at ∼10 K, giving a Doppler width of typically 10 MHz; and long-path static gas cells (to 100 m). In applying this equipment to signatures work, the authors emphasize the importance of high spectral resolution for detecting and identifying atmospheric interferences; for identifying the optimum analytical frequencies; for deriving, by spectroscopic analysis, the molecular parameters needed for modeling; and for obtaining data on species and/or bands that are not in existing databases. As an example of such spectroscopy, the authors have assigned and analyzed the C-Cl stretching region of CCl 4 at 770--800 cm -1 . This is an important potential signature species whose IR absorption has remained puzzling because of the natural isotopic mix, extensive hot-band structure, and a Fermi resonance involving a nearby combination band. Instrument development projects include the IR sniffer, a small high-sensitivity, high-discrimination (Doppler-limited) device for fence-line or downwind monitoring that is effective even in regions of atmospheric absorption; preliminary work has achieved sensitivities at the low-ppb level. Other work covers trace species detection with TDLs, and FM-modulated CO 2 laser LIDAR. The authors are planning a field experiment to interrogate the Hanford tank farm for signature species from Rattlesnake Mountain, a standoff of ca. 15 km, to be accompanied by simultaneous ground-truthing at the tanks

Aqua AIRS L2 Cloud-Cleared Infrared Radiances (AIRS+AMSU+HSB) V006

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — This product is similar to AIRI2CCF. However, it contains science retrievals that use the Humidity Sounder for Brazil (HSB). Because the HSB instrument lived only...

NOAA JPSS Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) Cloud Mask Environmental Data Record (EDR) from NDE

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — This data set contains a high quality Environmental Data Record (EDR) of cloud masks from the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) instrument onboard...

Troc: a proposed tropospheric sounder for chemistry and climate

Science.gov (United States)

Camy-Peyret, C.

TROC has been submitted to ESA in the last call for proposals of the Earth Explorer Opportunity Missions and its focus is on tropospheric composition and chemistry-climate interactions. The mission objectives of TROC cover four research subjects. Global tropospheric chemistry: perform global measurements from space of tropospheric composition in order to improve our understanding and to constrain models of tropospheric chemistry with emphasis on tropospheric ozone. Pollution: establish the impact of mega cities of industrialised or developing countries by monitoring their pollution plumes. Biomass burning: monitor the chemical species and aerosols injected in the free troposphere during major burning episodes in the intertropical region as well as by major forest fires at other latitudes. Chemistry-climate interactions: quantify on a global scale the distributions and the sources of greenhouse gases like CO2, CH4, O3, N2O and the CFCs. Contribute to demonstration studies for monitoring from space how Montreal and Kyoto protocols are enforced as far as human impacts on atmospheric chemistry and climate are concerned. To fulfil these objectives, passive remote sensing of the troposphere has been selected as the best compromise between technical maturity and multi-species coverage. The main elements of TROC are a Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) instrument and an ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) spectrometer, both operating in the downward-looking geometry with a 10 km diameter footprint at nadir. An ``intelligent'' pointing mirror coupled to an infrared imager is used to optimise day/night sounding down to the surface. The FTIR instrument covers at 0.1 cm-1 apodised spectral resolution 3 bands from 14 to 3.3 μ m in thermal emission and one band in solar reflected light around 2.3 μ m. The UV-vis instrument covers the regions 290-490 nm (1 nm resolution) and 520-1030 nm (2.5 nm resolution) with 43 array detectors (2 bands × 2 polarizations) in reflected

Aerosol extinction profiles at 525 nm and 1020 nm derived from ACE imager data: comparisons with GOMOS, SAGE II, SAGE III, POAM III, and OSIRIS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

F. Vanhellemont

2008-04-01

Full Text Available The Canadian ACE (Atmospheric Chemistry Experiment mission is dedicated to the retrieval of a large number of atmospheric trace gas species using the solar occultation technique in the infrared and UV/visible spectral domain. However, two additional solar disk imagers (at 525 nm and 1020 nm were added for a number of reasons, including the retrieval of aerosol and cloud products. In this paper, we present first comparison results for these imager aerosol/cloud optical extinction coefficient profiles, with the ones derived from measurements performed by 3 solar occultation instruments (SAGE II, SAGE III, POAM III, one stellar occultation instrument (GOMOS and one limb sounder (OSIRIS. The results indicate that the ACE imager profiles are of good quality in the upper troposphere/lower stratosphere, although the aerosol extinction for the visible channel at 525 nm contains a significant negative bias at higher altitudes, while the relative differences indicate that ACE profiles are almost always too high at 1020 nm. Both problems are probably related to ACE imager instrumental issues.

Preliminary feasibility analysis of a pressure modulator radiometer for remote sensing of tropospheric constituents

Science.gov (United States)

Orr, H. D., III; Rarig, P. L.

1981-01-01

A pressure modulator radiometer operated in a nadir viewing mode from the top of a midlatitude summer model of the atmosphere was theoretically studied for monitoring the mean volumetric mixing ratio of carbon monoxide in the troposphere. The mechanical characteristics of the instrument on the Nimbus 7 stratospheric and mesospheric sounder experiment are assumed and CO is assumed to be the only infrared active constituent. A line by line radiative transfer computer program is used to simulate the upwelling radiation reaching the top of the atmosphere. The performance of the instrument is examined as a function of the mean pressure in and the length of the instrument gas correlation cell. Instrument sensitivity is described in terms of signal to noise ratio for a 10 percent change in CO mixing ratio. Sensitivity to mixing ratio changes is also studied. It is concluded that tropospheric monitoring requires a pressure modulator drive having a larger swept volume and producing higher compression ratios at higher mean cell pressures than the Nimbus 7 design.

Impact of AIRS radiance in the NCUM 4D-VAR assimilation system

Science.gov (United States)

Srinivas, Desamsetti; Indira Rani, S.; Mallick, Swapan; George, John P.; Sharma, Priti

2016-04-01

The hyperspectral radiances from Atmospheric InfraRed Sounder (AIRS), on board NASA-AQUA satellite, have been processed through the Observation Processing System (OPS) and assimilated in the Variational Assimilation (VAR) System of NCMRWF Unified Model (NCUM). Numerical experiments are conducted in order to study the impact of the AIRS radiance in the NCUM analysis and forecast system. NCMRWF receives AIRS radiance from EUMETCAST through MOSDAC. AIRS is a grating spectrometer having 2378 channels covering the thermal infrared spectrum between 3 and 15 μm. Out of 2378 channels, 324 channels are selected for assimilation according to the peaking of weighting function and meteorological importance. According to the surface type and day-night conditions, some of the channels are not assimilated in the VAR. Observation Simulation Experiments (OSEs) are conducted for a period of 15 days to see the impact of AIRS radiances in NCUM. Statistical parameters like bias and RMSE are calculated to see the real impact of AIRS radiances in the assimilation system. Assimilation of AIRS in the NCUM system reduced the bias and RMSE in the radiances from instruments onboard other satellites. The impact of AIRS is clearly seen in the hyperspectral radiances like IASI and CrIS and also in infrared (HIRS) and microwave (AMSU, ATMS, etc.) sensors.

Triton: Scattering models and surface/atmosphere constraints

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thompson, W.R.

1989-01-01

Modeling of Triton's spectrum indicates a bright scattering layer of optical depth τ≅3 overlying an optically deep layer of CH 4 with high absorption and little scattering. UV absorption in the spectrum indicates τ≅0.3 of red-yellow haze, although some color may also arise from complex organics partially visible on the surface. An analysis of this and other (spectro)photometric evidence indicates that Triton most likely has a bright surface, which was partially visible in 1977-1980. Geometric albedo p=0.62 +0.18 -0.12 , radius r = 1480 ± 180 km, and temperature T = 48 ± 6 K. With scattering optical depths of 0.3-3 and ∼1-10 mb of N 2 , a Mars-like atmospheric density and surface visibility pertain. Imaging with the 0.62μm CH 4 filter of the Voyager 2 wide angle camera could show ∼20% contrast between the average surface and clean exposures of CH 4 ice (which is not limited to the polar caps). Low far-infrared atmospheric opacity will in principle allow the detection of thermal gradients in the surface caused by optically transmitting but infrared opaque CH 4 and N 2 ice

AMOS Phase IV Annual Report

Science.gov (United States)

1980-06-01

Microthermal Probe System; 2) Acoustic Sounder; 3) Star Sensor; and i 4) Seeing Monitor. Thý in ..ru. cn.tat -ion, much of it one-of-a-kind prototype...profiles of C 2 N2 3) Acoustic Sounder: an instrument that measures C to 300 m altitude; 4) Microthermal Probes: two systems, consisting of three 2...atmospheric program produced - 146 - Y- MICROTHERMAL NICRPHMERI-AL PROBES (3) _j PPRBES (3) WIND SPEED & WIND SPEED & DIRECTION ---- I- DIRECTION

Assessing the ability to derive rates of polar middle-atmospheric descent using trace gas measurements from remote sensors

Science.gov (United States)

Ryan, Niall J.; Kinnison, Douglas E.; Garcia, Rolando R.; Hoffmann, Christoph G.; Palm, Mathias; Raffalski, Uwe; Notholt, Justus

2018-02-01

We investigate the reliability of using trace gas measurements from remote sensing instruments to infer polar atmospheric descent rates during winter within 46-86 km altitude. Using output from the Specified Dynamics Whole Atmosphere Community Climate Model (SD-WACCM) between 2008 and 2014, tendencies of carbon monoxide (CO) volume mixing ratios (VMRs) are used to assess a common assumption of dominant vertical advection of tracers during polar winter. The results show that dynamical processes other than vertical advection are not negligible, meaning that the transport rates derived from trace gas measurements do not represent the mean descent of the atmosphere. The relative importance of vertical advection is lessened, and exceeded by other processes, during periods directly before and after a sudden stratospheric warming, mainly due to an increase in eddy transport. It was also found that CO chemistry cannot be ignored in the mesosphere due to the night-time layer of OH at approximately 80 km altitude. CO VMR profiles from the Kiruna Microwave Radiometer and the Microwave Limb Sounder were compared to SD-WACCM output, and show good agreement on daily and seasonal timescales. SD-WACCM CO profiles are combined with the CO tendencies to estimate errors involved in calculating the mean descent of the atmosphere from remote sensing measurements. The results indicate errors on the same scale as the calculated descent rates, and that the method is prone to a misinterpretation of the direction of air motion. The true rate of atmospheric descent is seen to be masked by processes, other than vertical advection, that affect CO. We suggest an alternative definition of the rate calculated using remote sensing measurements: not as the mean descent of the atmosphere, but as an effective rate of vertical transport for the trace gas under observation.

Near 7-day response of ocean bottom pressure to atmospheric surface pressure and winds in the northern South China Sea

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Kun; Zhu, Xiao-Hua; Zhao, Ruixiang

2018-02-01

Ocean bottom pressures, observed by five pressure-recording inverted echo sounders (PIESs) from October 2012 to July 2014, exhibit strong near 7-day variability in the northern South China Sea (SCS) where long-term in situ bottom pressure observations are quite sparse. This variability was strongest in October 2013 during the near two years observation period. By joint analysis with European Center for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) data, it is shown that the near 7-day ocean bottom pressure variability is closely related to the local atmospheric surface pressure and winds. Within a period band near 7 days, there are high coherences, exceeding 95% significance level, of observed ocean bottom pressure with local atmospheric surface pressure and with both zonal and meridional components of the wind. Ekman pumping/suction caused by the meridional component of the wind in particular, is suggested as one driving mechanism. A Kelvin wave response to the near 7-day oscillation would propagate down along the continental slope, observed at the Qui Nhon in the Vietnam. By multiple and partial coherence analyses, we find that local atmospheric surface pressure and Ekman pumping/suction show nearly equal influence on ocean bottom pressure variability at near 7-day periods. A schematic diagram representing an idealized model gives us a possible mechanism to explain the relationship between ocean bottom pressure and local atmospheric forcing at near 7-day periods in the northern SCS.

Statistical properties of visible and infrared beams retroreflected through a turbulent atmosphere

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Slatkine, M.; Bensimon, D.; Englander, A.; Shtrikman, S.; Treves, D.

1980-01-01

Statistical properties of HeNe and CO 2 laser beams retroreflected through a turbulent atmosphere are investigated experimentally for round paths of 1 km and 12 km. Both heterodyne and direct detection are used

Gerard Kuiper and the Infrared Detector

Science.gov (United States)

Sears, Derek

2013-10-01

The life and contributions of Gerard Kuiper have been documented by Dale Cruikshank in his National Academy of Sciences biography. I will argue that particularly important in this eventful life was Kuiper's war time experiences. Kuiper's wartime role evolved as the war unfolded, but towards the end he was charged by the US military with reporting German progress with war-related technologies and the activities of scientists under Nazi control. He interviewed a great many scientists, including his own PhD mentor (Ejnar Hertzsprung), and when Kuiper was the only person available, he interviewed concentration-camp victims. He carried briefing sheets that identified the technologies being sought by the allies and the major fraction of these involved infrared equipment. He sent back to the USA boxes of documents, and large amounts of equipment, and he stressed to the military his interest in these for his own research. It seems very likely that in this way an effective PbS infrared detector, so critical to Kuiper's career and the future of planetary science, came to the USA and to Robert Cashman's laboratory at Northwestern University. As the war was winding down, Cashman and Kuiper worked together to develop a practical infrared spectrometer for astronomical use. Within months, Kuiper discovered the C02 atmospheres on Mars and Venus.