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Radiative transfer validation study from the European Aqua Thermodynamic Experiment
Author(s) -
Newman Stuart M.,
Knuteson Robert. O.,
Zhou Daniel K.,
Larar Allen. M.,
Smith William L.,
Taylor Jonathan P.
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
quarterly journal of the royal meteorological society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.744
H-Index - 143
eISSN - 1477-870X
pISSN - 0035-9009
DOI - 10.1002/qj.382
Subject(s) - atmospheric infrared sounder , environmental science , troposphere , radiative transfer , stratosphere , water vapor , trace gas , meteorology , atmospheric sciences , atmospheric radiative transfer codes , satellite , atmospheric temperature , atmospheric sounding , remote sensing , geology , physics , quantum mechanics , astronomy
Abstract The European AQUA Thermodynamic Experiment (EAQUATE) brought together collocated hyperspectral measurements from the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) on NASA's Aqua satellite, as well as three airborne interferometers operating in the troposphere and stratosphere. Simultaneous observations of temperature, water vapour and trace gases have been used to constrain the atmospheric state, for validation of radiometric accuracy and radiative transfer modelling. The close agreement of observations with model spectra, in the 800–1200 cm −1 region, indicates that the accuracy of modelling AIRS spectra is sufficient for beneficial use of the data in operational weather forecasting. The variability of atmospheric water vapour was found to be a fundamental constraint in the modelling of the 1400–1600 cm −1 region, emphasising the requirement for a high density of observations in future validation campaigns. Copyright © Royal Meteorological Society and Crown Copyright, 2009.