Development of a Standard Maritime C2N Profile Using Satellite Measurements
Abstract
The Hufnagel-Valley (H-V) 5/7 model was developed to characterize optical turbulence (C2n ) as it varies with height over land. While the H-V 5/7 model is not meant to predict precise values, observations will likely be in a range close to the models prediction. H-V 5/7 is not suitable for modeling turbulence over the ocean, and to date no ocean pro les have been developed. The primary objective of this research is to develop a H-V-like standard maritime model of optical turbulence, and test its ability to accurately characterize C2n over a broad spatial and temporal range. Maritime temperature climatology data are obtained from the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) aboard NASA's Aqua satellite. Three standard models are proposed as alternatives to the H-V model. Results show that maritime pro les generally do not exhibit the surface spike in turbulence seen in H-V 5/7. Additionally, a strong latitudinal variation in the height of the C2n inflection associated with the tropopause is observed, motivating the need for separate models for polar and tropic regions.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Mar 01, 2015
- Accession Number
- ADA615226
Entities
People
- Gregory M. Anderson
Organizations
- Air Force Institute of Technology