Atmospheric Optical Propagation Comparisons during MAGAT-80.

Abstract

There are three atmospheric processes responsible for the degradation of the transmission of optical images and electro-optical energy: aerosol extinction, molecular absorption, and turbulent distortion, (scintillation and beam wander). As a part of the Marine Aerosol Generation and Transport experiment (MAGAT-80), light transmission characteristics (refractive-index structure function parameter, C sub N squared, and total extinction coefficient, alpha) were measured optically on a 13.3 km path across Monterey Bay. C sub N squared and alpha can also be calculated from micrometeorological data (aerosol spectra, turbulence and mean meteorological parameters). This report is a compilation of the preliminary analysis of path-averaged (aircraft) and midpoint (ship) micrometeorological data, including calculations of the relevant optical parameters for comparison with the optical measurements. (Author)

Open PDF

Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Nov 01, 1980
Accession Number
ADA097274

Entities

People

  • Christopher W. Fairall
  • Gordon E. Schacher
  • Kenneth L. Davidson

Organizations

  • Naval Postgraduate School

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Air Platforms
  • Ground and Sea Platforms
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Aircrafts
  • Coefficients
  • Distortion
  • Extinction
  • Light Transmission
  • Measurement
  • Meteorology
  • Military Research
  • Optical Images
  • Optical Properties
  • Optics
  • Physics
  • Refractive Index
  • Research Facilities
  • Scattering
  • Turbulence
  • Water Vapor

Fields of Study

  • Environmental science
  • Physics

Readers

  • Aerosol Science/Aerosol Physics
  • Approximation Theory.
  • Ocean-Atmosphere Mesoscale Modeling, Data Assimilation, and Flux Boundary Layers