Showing papers by "Fred A. Best published in 1995"

Atmospheric emitted radiance interferometer: Status and water vapor continuum results

Abstract: Accurate and spectrally detailed observations of the thermal emission from radiatively important atmospheric gases, aerosols, and clouds are now being provided to the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) database by the Atmospheric Emitted Radiance Interferometer (AERI) prototype at the Southern Great Plains Cloud and Radiation Testbed (CART) site. Spectra over the range from 520 to 3000 cm{sup -1} (3 to 19 microns) with a resolution of 0.5 cm{sup -1} are collected every 10 minutes. The observed spectra will be used for many diverse functions, including: identifying and eliminating absolute errors in calculated spectra for known atmospheric states; evaluating and improving cloud radiation calculations; characterizing the distribution and evolution of effective cloud radiative properties; studying the state parameter changes associated with the formation, evolution, and dissipation of clouds. Further very detailed spectral information (up to 0.003 cm{sup -1}) is also being collected at CART from the Solar Radiance Transmission Interferometer (SORTI) prototype on clear days. The emission observations of the AERI and the absorption observations of the SORTI will be combined to enhance the spectroscopic and gas profiling information from each. The SORTI is discussed in the Murcray 1994 Science Team paper (this document). This paper deals exclusively with the AERI andmore » includes a brief description of the instrument deployment status and a recent spectroscopic result making use of AERI data. The general nature of the AERI spectra and the instrument design have been discussed in the 1993 ARM Science Team paper and in several conference publications.« less