Mesoscale Determination of Cloud-Top Height: Problems and Solutions.
Abstract
This report presents an overview of the problems dealing with the mesoscale determination of cloud-top height from the infrared imagery of the geostationary operational environmental satellites, the GOES series. Such problems as the blackbody assumption of clouds, the field ov view of the statellite radiometer, instrument response, the presence of overlying thin cirrus clouds, gaseous absorption in the 10.5 micrometer to 12.6 micrometer infrared band, and the temperature-height relationships within and without the cloud as well as some solutions are discussed. These problems reduce to one of finding the true cloud temperature. It is argued that computer simulation of various cloudy situations by solving the radiative transfer equation for a plane parallel inhomogeneous cloud atmosphere may prove ultimately to be less costly and more effective. (Author)
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Mar 01, 1977
- Accession Number
- ADA037954
Entities
People
- J. D. Horn
- Richard D. H. Low
Organizations
- United States Army Communications-Electronics Command