AERIs for ARM: Accuracy and Applications

TLDR: In this paper, the authors presented the theoretical accuracy estimates of the AERI IR atmospheric emission measurements and demonstrated performance derived from data collected in the laboratory and in the field, respectively.

Abstract: Measurements from the atmospheric emitted radiance interferometer (AERI) are used within the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Program to improve our understanding of the atmospheric processes important for atmospheric radiation. One of the earliest ARM goals was the collection of high spectral resolution emission data for validation of radiative transfer model (RTM) calculations in the infrared (IR). Over the years, the list of applications of AERI data have grown to include remote sensing of atmospheric thermodynamic variables, atmospheric constituents, and surface properties. Fundamental to the success of these applications is the radiometric accuracy of the AERI IR atmospheric emission measurements. This paper presents the theoretical accuracy estimates of the AERI measurements and demonstrated performance derived from data collected in the laboratory and in the field.