A Sensitivity Analysis of Upwelling Radiances in the 3-5 micrometers Region as a Function of Atmospheric Conditions
Abstract
Under the direction of the Remote Sensing Branch of the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL), SPARTA, Inc. calculated upwelling ground-to-space radiances and kernel functions for model atmospheres under different viewing and atmospheric conditions. These sensitivity calculations were then used by NRL personnel in a feasibility study which examined the possibility of obtaining information about atmospheric constituents from a remote sensing platform as it looks through the atmosphere at a source of a known blackbody temperature. In the current sensitivity study, upwelling radiances were calculated for selected bandpasses in the 3-5 micrometers region (1920-3330 1/cm). The results indicated that upwelling radiances are governed by the blackbody temperature at the surface. The impacts of the carbon dioxide profile, sensor platform altitude, surface visibility, and solar contributions (day/night variations) are small or insignificant. The impact of the water vapor profile depends on where in the atmosphere the perturbations exist, the surface blackbody temperature, the viewing angle, and the sensor bandpass. Broadband kernel functions generally peak in the 2-4 km altitude region. Upwelling radiance, 3-5 micrometers Radiance, Sensitivity analysis, Impact of water vapor profile
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jun 17, 1994
- Accession Number
- ADA283678
Entities
People
- David R. Longtin
- John R. Hummel