Comparisons of brightness temperature measurements and calculations obtained during the spectral radiance experiment
- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Boulder, CO (United States)
- Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD (United States)
- Hughes STX Corp., Lanham, MD (United States)
In radiometric remote sensing of the atmosphere, the ability to calculate radiances from underlying state variables is fundamental. To infer temperature and water vapor profiles from satellite- or ground-based radiometers, one must determine cloud-free regions and then calculate clear-sky radiance emerging from the top of the earth`s atmosphere from the underlying profiles of temperature and water vapor. Equally important is the validation of the radiometric retrievals. Usually such validation is made by comparing retrievals with profiles derived from other sensors. Traditionally, such {open_quotes}forward model{close_quotes} calculations and validations have coupled radiosonde observations of the state variables with detailed absorption and radiative transfer models. However, for a variety of reasons, radiosonde moisture measurements are not always satisfactory, especially during low humidity conditions or when there are large horizontal or temporal gradients in the humidity structure. A recent alternative to radiosonde moisture measurements is Raman lidar. The Raman lidar provides humidity measurements with temporal and spatial resolution far superior to radiosonde measurements. In November-December 1991, a substantial number of remote sensor and in-situ instruments were operated together in Coffeyville, Kansas, during the First ISCCP Regional Experiment (FIRE) 11. Included in the suite of instruments were (1) the Environmental Technology Laboratory`s (ETL) three-channel microwave radiometer, (2) the NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center`s (GSFC) Raman lidar, (3) ETL`s radio acoustic sounding system (RASS), and (4) frequent research-quality radiosondes. The Raman lidar operated only at night, and this portion of the experiment focused on cloud-free conditions. In this presentation, we present results of simultaneous microwave radiometer measurements with collocated Raman lidar measurements of water vapor over 10 nights during the experiments.
- Research Organization:
- USDOE Office of Energy Research, Washington, DC (United States). Environmental Sciences Div.
- OSTI ID:
- 83178
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-940277-; ON: DE95009951; TRN: 95:003626-0037
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: Atmospheric radiation measurement science team meeting, Charleston, SC (United States), 28 Feb - 3 Mar 1994; Other Information: PBD: Apr 1995; Related Information: Is Part Of Proceedings of the Fourth Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Science Team Meeting; PB: 373 p.
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Water vapor measurements by Raman lidar during the ARM 1997 water vapor intensive observation period
Application of microwave radiometry to improving climate data records.