Atmospheric Propagation Analysis -Gotland, Sweden
Abstract
Many new high resolution thermal imaging systems are being produced for the U.S. Navy which will operate primarily in the coastal warfare regions. Submarines and small coastal boat platforms present an optical imaging geometry along a horizontal path only a few meters off the surface of the ocean. It has been found that little or no spectral data exists on the atmospheric transmission which can be expected in the marine atmospheric boundary layer (MABL) for this special imaging geometry. Some broad band transmission data has been collected at 3-5 and 8-12 mm. It has been found that the atmospheric propagation models such as LOWTRAN 7 and MODTRAN do not adequately model the broad band data in this region of the atmosphere and so are also questionable at higher spectral resolutions. Higher spectral resolution data or accurate modeling capability is necessary as system designers attempt to band optimize for certain atmospheric conditions and targets. As a result of this data and model deficiency, the Atmospheric Propagation Analysis (APA) program was developed at Naval Command, Control and Ocean Surveillance Center, Research, Development, Technology and Evaluation Division (NRaD) in San Diego. The APA program conducts spectral measurements of atmospheric transmission in the thermal infrared across a horizontal path over the ocean surface.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Sep 30, 1997
- Accession Number
- ADA633999
Entities
People
- Rowena Carlson
Organizations
- Naval Information Warfare Systems Command