A Study of Stratospheric Emitters Based on Infrared Radiometersonde Measurements
Abstract
Analysis of downward-directed infrared irradiances measured in the lower stratosphere indicated that reasonable limits on the gaseous components of the atmosphere were not able to account for the irradiances observed between 14 and 24 km. Additional emitters were therefore assumed to exist at these altitudes. Information on the spatial and temporal distributions of the stratospheric emitter was obtained from an analysis of some 400 measurements taken during the 1962-1967 period. The results indicate that while this phenomenon is global in scope, it is most evident in the tropics at altitudes between 15 and 18 km. Time series of daily radiometersonde ascents carried out during the Line Islands Experiment indicated that the emitter has a high persistence in the tropics. A series of synoptic-scale ascents made over the central United States on one night indicated that the emitter has a great variability in the mid-latitudes. No long-term trends in the concentration of the emitter in the tropics or in the mid-latitudes could be determined.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Aug 01, 1971
- Accession Number
- AD0729764
Entities
People
- James A. Weinman
- Serhij Pilipowskyj