Test of far-infrared atmospheric spectroscopy using wide-band balloon-borne measurements of the upwelling radiance

Year: 2008

Authors: Bianchini G., Carli B., Cortesi U., Del Bianco S., Gai M., Palchetti L.

Autors Affiliation: Istituto di Fisica Applicata Nello Carrara-CNR, Via Madonna del Piano 10, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Italy

Abstract: The spectroscopy of the constituents of the Earth\’s atmosphere that are active in the far infrared spectral region, among which the water vapour is the main one, has been validated through the analysis of wide-band nadir-looking spectra acquired with the Radiation Explorer in the Far Infrared-Prototype for Applications and Development (REFIR-PAD) Fourier transform spectroradiometer. The spectra, covering from 100 to 1400 cm- 1 with a 0.475 cm- 1 unapodized resolution, were acquired during a balloon flight performed in a tropical region in 2005. Atmospheric variables, namely water vapour and temperature vertical profiles, were retrieved from the REFIR-PAD data, and the residuals of the fitting are here critically analysed for the search of systematic effects that can be ascribed to spectroscopic errors. In the spectral interval between 150 and 600 cm- 1 nosignificant inconsistency is detected between the residuals and the measurement uncertainty, proving the good quality of the radiative transfer model and of the HITRAN 2004 spectroscopic database. Significant difference are instead observed when the HITRAN 2000 database is used.

Journal/Review: JOURNAL OF QUANTITATIVE SPECTROSCOPY & RADIATIVE TRANSFER

Volume: 109 (6)      Pages from: 1030  to: 1042

More Information: Centre National d’Etudes Spatiales, CNES. – The authors thank C. Camy-Peyret, LPMAA-CNRS, France, the CNES balloon team (led by P. Chadoutaud), and the CNES gondola team (led by J. Evrard) for the support given to REFIR-PAD during the Brazilian field campaign. The authors are also grateful to R.R. Gamache and I.E. Gordon for useful discussion about the recent updates of the spectroscopic parameters.
KeyWords: Atmospheric radiation; Atmospheric temperature; Meteorological balloons; Radiative transfer; Radiometers; Water vapor, Atmospheric emission; Far-infrared atmospheric spectroscopy; Fourier transform spectroradiometer; Wide-band nadir-looking spectra, Spectroscopy, balloon observation; database; FTIR spectroscopy; measurement method; radiance; radiative transfer; temperature profile; upwelling; vertical profile; water vapor
DOI: 10.1016/j.jqsrt.2007.11.010

Citations: 15
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