Showing papers on "Radiometer published in 1980"

On the use of earth radiation budget statistics for studies of clouds and climate

Abstract: Daily observations of albedo and outgoing terrestrial radiation derived from NOAA Scanning Radiometer measurements are used to relate cloudiness variations to regional features of the general circulation and to estimate the relative importance of the albedo and infrared effects of clouds on the net radiation balance of the earth on a regional basis. The results indicate that there are clear relationships between the variability in outgoing IR and features of the atmospheric circulation, which appear to be linked to changes in cloudiness. A method requiring only measurements of planetary albedo and total outgoing IR is devised to evaluate the relative importance of the albedo and IR effects of the current distribution of cloud for the net radiation balance of the earth. The results obtained from this method suggest that globally the effect on the radiation balance of the high albedo of clouds is two or more times greater than the effect of clouds in reducing outgoing IR, so that an increase in the...

The Seasat scanning multichannel microwave radiometer (SMMR): Instrument description and performance

Abstract: The scanning multichannel microwave radiometer (SMMR) is an imaging 5-frequency radiometer flown on the Seasat and Nimbus-7 earth satellites launched in 1978. It measures dual-polarized microwave radiances from the earth's atmosphere and surface, primarily for the purpose of deriving global and nearly all-weather measurements of sea surface temperature, wind speed, and atmospheric liquid water and water vapor. This paper describes the SMMR instrument and its calibration, antenna pattern measurements, and data processing procedures. Analysis of early data from the Seasat SMMR shows that the expected engineering performance in flight was achieved, and the measurement of sea surface temperature and wind speed with accuracies of 1.5 K and 2 m/s, respectively, may be achievable once the geophysical data processing algorithms and analysis have been completed.

The Effect of Changes in Cloud Amount on the Net Radiation at the Top of the Atmosphere

Abstract: Due to the opposing albedo and greenhouse effects of clouds, the possibility exists that the net radiation at the top of the earth-atmosphere system is, in the mean, insensitive to changes in cloud amount. If so, this would have important implications for climate studies. This question is examined with the use of data on the components of the radiation budget at the top of the atmosphere obtained from the processing of 45 months of scanning radiometer observations of the NOAA satellites. Year-to-year changes in monthly mean values of outgoing longwave radiation and albedo are analysed at a sample of geographic and climatic areas of the earth. By using the albedo changes as a measure of changes in cloud amount, it is possible to determined the sensitivity of the outgoing longwave radiation and the net radiation to changes in cloud amount. For each geographic/climatic area, the results indicate that the net radiation at the top of the atmosphere is sensitive to cloud amount changes and the sensitiv...

Initial solar irradiance determinations from nimbus 7 cavity radiometer measurements.

Abstract: Preliminary results from solar radiation measurements from the earth radiation budget experiment on the Nimbus 7 satellite yield a mean value of 1376.0 watts per square meter for the "solar constant" from 16 November 1978 to 15 May 1979. The observed variability (root-mean-square deviation) is +/- 0.73 watt per square meter (+/- 0.05 percent) for the period.

Microwave radiometer measurements of soil moisture content

Abstract: A unique set of radiometer measurements is presented, recorded during a 1000-h day and night monitoring of irrigated fields from fully saturated to completely dry. Radiometer measurements were recorded at 2.8-cm ( X -band) and 21.4-cm ( L -band) wavelengths for a range of incident angles from nadir to 50\deg . Soil moisture and soil temperature profile measurements were recorded to a depth of 15 cm. The test site was located in east-central Texas on a clay soil (Miller clay). Three bare-surface plots were used, each having a distinctly different surface roughness. Vegetated plots were also measured. The data quantify the sensitivity of microwave radiometer measurements to soil moisture variations, the effect of surface roughness on the measurement, and the influence of surface vegetation.

Infrared spectrometer for Voyager.

Abstract: The Voyager IR investigation is described, which uses a Michelson interferometer in the 180-2500/cm range, and a single-channel radiometer for the visible and near-IR, sharing a 50-cm diameter telescope. Emphasis is placed on the differences between the Voyager and the previous designs, including reductions in the field of view and in the noise equivalent spectral radiance of the instrument. Attention is given to the optical layout, the electronics module, power supply placement, thermal control heaters and flash heaters, data reduction, and calibration. A sample spectrum of Jupiter is also discussed.

A portable multiband radiometer for ground data collection in remote sensing

Abstract: . The design and calibration of a rugged, low-cost, portable multiband radiometer is described. The instrument measures simultaneously in four bands, the spectral coverage of each being determined by interchangeable absorption filters. Simple band-pass type radiometers are seen to be complementary to conventional spectroradiometers for ground data collection in remote sensing. They have the inherent advantages of portability and speed of operation which make them particularly suitable for fieldwork in areas of complex terrain. An example of the practical use of the instrument to measure the spectral reflectance of partially vegetated surfaces in an area of complex terrain in southern Italy is presented. The increased spectral and spatial resolution of second generation sensing systems will make remote sensing of complex areas more feasible and extensive ground-based spectral measurements in such areas are a necessary step to understanding and utilizing such remotely sensed data.

Microwave detection system

Abstract: The microwave system is employed for the detection of cancerous tumors and is particularly effective in the early detection of such tumors. The system is of the dual type, combining in a single unit a passive radiometer with an active microwave transmitter. The sensitive passive microwave radiometer is adapted to sense subsurface temperatures, coupled with a solid state microwave transmitter for providing localized heating of the subsurface tissue, thereby taking advantage of the differential heating due to vascular insufficiency associated with the thermal characteristics of tumors, thus highlighting and enhancing early detection of cancer. The radiometer frequency is preferably higher than the microwave heating frequency with the microwave radiometer operating in C band and the transmitter in L band. An applicator forms the means by which the system couples to the radiating or emitting surface including a simple TE1-0 mode aperture defined by a single-ridged waveguide.

Temperature and composition measurements from the l.r.i.r. and l.i.m.s. experiments on Nimbus 6 and 7

Abstract: The limb radiance inversion radiometer (LRIR) on Nimbus 6 was the first orbiting infrared limb scanner; it has four channels with which to determine temperature, O3, and H2O in the stratosphere and low mesosphere. The limb infrared monitor of the stratosphere (LIMS) is a similar six-channel instrument which was launched on Nimbus 7 in October 1978 in order to measure O3, H2O, NO2, and HNO3. The instrumentation and inversion techniques are briefly described, and the application of limb scanner data to the study of photochemical, dynamical, and transport problems is discussed.

Determination of the complex refractive index and size distribution of atmospheric particulates from bistatic‐monostatic lidar and solar radiometer measurements

Abstract: A method is presented for inferring both the size distribution and the complex refractive index of atmospheric particulates from combined bistatic-monostatic lidar and solar radiometer observations. The basic input measurements are spectral optical depths at several visible and near-infrared wavelengths as obtained with a solar radiometer and backscatter and angular scatter coefficients as obtained from a biostatic-monostatic lidar. The spectral optical depth measurements obtained from the radiometer are mathematically inverted to infer a columnar particulate size distribution. Advantage is taken of the fact that the shape of the size distribution obtained by inverting the particulate optical depth is relatively insensitive to the particle refractive index assumed in the inversion. Bistatic-monostatic angular scatter and backscatter lidar data are then processed to extract an optimum value for the particle refractive index subject to the constraint that the shape of the particulate size distribution be the same as that inferred from the solar radiometer data. Specifically, the scattering parameters obtained from the bistatic-monostatic lidar data are compared with corresponding theoretical computations made for various assumed refractive index values. That value which yields best agreement, in a weighted least squares sense, is selected as the optimal refractive index estimate. The results of this procedure applied to a set of simulated measurements as well as to measurements collected on two separate days are presented and discussed.

Remote infrared heterodyne radiometer measurements of atmospheric ammonia profiles

Abstract: An infrared heterodyne radiometer has been used to study the seasonal variation of the vertical distribution of atmospheric ammonia The ammonia profiles are inferred from high-resolution atmospheric solar transmittance measurements around the ammonia absorption feature at 92732323 kaysers The transmittance data are obtained from six IF channels with spectral resolutions ranging from 0067 to 033 kaysers Results from this study show a marked decrease in the tropospheric ammonia level with a decrease at ground level from approximately 10 ppb in March 1979 to 13 ppb in August 1979

The Seasat microwave instruments in historical perspective

Abstract: The history of research and development that led to the successful demonstration of the four microwave remote sensing instruments on Seasat (the scatterometer, radiometer, altimeter, and synthetic aperture radar (SAR)) is briefly reviewed in this paper.

Absolute brightness temperature measurements at 3.5-mm wavelength

Abstract: Careful observations have been made at 86.1 GHz to derive the absolute brightness temperatures of the Sun ( 7914 \pm 192 K), Venus ( 357.5 \pm 13.1 K), Jupiter ( 179.4 \pm 4.7 K), and Saturn ( 153.4 \pm 4.8 K) with a standard error of about three percent. This is a significant improvement in accuracy over previous results at millimeter wavelengths. A stable transmitter and novel superheterodyne receiver were constructed and used to determine the effective collecting area of the Millimeter Wave Observatory (MWO) 4.9-m antenna relative to a previously calibrated standard gain horn. The thermal scale was set by calibrating the radiometer with carefully constructed and tested hot and cold loads. The brightness temperatures may be used to establish an absolute calibration scale and to determine the antenna aperture and beam efficiencies of other radio telescopes at 3.5-mm wavelength.

Atmospheric corrections to passive microwave observations of the ocean

Abstract: Microwave observations of the ocean surface are contaminated to a greater or lesser degree by the overlying atmosphere. The principal components of the atmosphere contributing to this contamination are molecular oxygen, water vapor, and water droplets. By means of measurements at several well-chosen frequencies, these atmospheric parameters may be removed from ocean observations and themselves retrieved as a by-product. This is the basic concept of the Scanning Multifrequency Radiometer (SMMR). These corrections may be made by quasi-linear means to useful accuracies, even in the presence of moderate rain.

The Seasat scanning multichannel microwave radiometer (SMMR): Radiometric calibration algorithm development and performance

Abstract: Radiometric calibration algorithms for processing Seasat scanning multichannel microwave radiometer (SMMR) flight data are presented. An equation is derived which accounts for losses and reradiation in the microwave components and nonlinearities in the radiometer. The application of pre-launch calibration data to this derivation is described. A performance evaluation of the post-launch operation of the algorithm is presented, indicating temperature resolution of 0.63 K at 6.6 GHz and 1.39 K at 37 GHz.

Method and apparatus for instantaneous band ratioing in a reflectance radiometer

Abstract: A hand-held instrument is provided to compare information from selected infrared and visible bands in the 0.4 to 2.5 micrometer range, to perform ratioing via a dividing circuit (17) and to directly read out, via a display system (18), ratio values in a continuous digital display. The dual-beam, ratioing radiometer contains two optical trains (10, 12), each having two repeater lenses (L1a, L1b and L2a, L2b) and a cooled lead sulfide detector (D1, D2). One of the trains (10) is pivotal to facilitate measurements at distances ranging from about 1 meter to infinity. The optical trains are intersected by a set of two coaxially-mounted filter wheels (F1, F2), each containing up to five interference filters and slits to pass radiation filtered by the other. Filters with band passes as narrow as 0.01 micrometer are used in the region 0.4 to 2.5 micrometers. The total time for a calibration and measurement is only a few seconds. It is known from previous field studies using prior art devices, that materials, e.g., clay minerals, and carbonate minerals such as limestone, have unique spectral properties in the 2.0 to 2.5 micrometer region. Using properly chosen spectral filters, and ratioing the signals to remove the effect of topography on the brightness measured, the instrument can be used for real-time analysis of reflecting materials in the field. Other materials in the broader range of 0.4 to 2.5 micrometers (and even beyond) could be similarly identified once the reflectance spectrum of the material is established by any means.

Calibration of a satellite infrared radiometer

Abstract: The calibration procedure is described for a two-channel imaging radiometer on board the Heat Capacity Mapping Mission, a single sensor satellite in a near polar orbit. The Heat Capacity Mapping Radiometer measures radiation temperature and reflectivity with an instantaneous FOV of 600 m and a noise equivalent temperature of 0.4 K at 280 K in the thermal IR channel. Unexplained changes in the system during satellite launch were treated through comparison with surface/atmosphere data to force agreement. This necessitated an offset from the prelaunch calibration by 5.5 K. Later comparisons showed no difference. Possible explanations are described.

Microwave radar and radiometric remote sensing measurements of lake ice

Abstract: Simultaneous microwave radar and spectral radiometric data were collected over Lake Erie during March 1978. A theoretical development is presented which interprets the data collected at nadir in terms of changes in the ice thickness and the electromagnetic attenuation coefficient. The theory also addresses the failure of the spectral radiometer to determine ice thickness through observations of quarter wavelength excursions in the reflectivity. Radar data collected off-nadir showed a substantially different behavior compared to that collected near nadir. This difference is attributed to a change in propagation characteristics from quasi-specular return from the ice-water interface to scattering from the rough air-ice interface.

The estimation of rain from satellite‐borne microwave radiometers

Abstract: Recent advances in satellite-borne microwave radiometry have led to interest in their use for rainfall amount estimation. The potential accuracy of such techniques is investigated in detail, and is estimated to be about ±70% for rainfall rate estimates, even when many wavelengths are used. The effects of the low spatial and temporal resolution of the most recently launched microwave radiometer (on Nimbus 7) are also investigated, using radar-based computer simulations. The effects are shown to produce r.m.s. errors of ±200, ±310% respectively, yielding a total error of ±370% for independent processes.

Microwave signatures of the natural snow cover at Weissfluhjoch

Abstract: The natural snow cover on a high altitude alphine test site was monitored with a multi-frequency radiometer for more than three years Some measurements were also made with a 105 GHz scatterometer The microwave observations are supported by a large set of ground truth data From year to year a wide variation in the development of the snowpack above and below average was observed Typical microwave data are presented for the different snow conditions in view of the applicability as signatures for remote sensing

Microwave approaches in hydrology

Abstract: The microwave approaches for remote sensing of soil moisture centent, snowpack properties, surface water area, and the detection of precipitation over land are discussed. Both active (radar) and passive (radiometry) approaches are considered, and the advantages of microwave sensing are pointed out, including all-weather capability, especially at the longer wavelengths, and greater penetration depth with optical or infrared sensors. Results obtained from ground-based, aircraft, and spacecraft platforms show that microwave systems can monitor the moisture content in the surface soil layer (5 cm thick), and that passive microwave systems can discriminate between light and heavy snowcover, detect the presence of liquid water in the snow, and qualitatively estimate snow water equivalent.

The development of a stepped frequency microwave radiometer and its application to remote sensing of the Earth

Abstract: The design, development, application, and capabilities of a variable frequency microwave radiometer are described. This radiometer demonstrated the versatility, accuracy, and stability required to provide contributions to the geophysical understanding of ocean and ice processes. A closed-loop feedback method was used, whereby noise pulses were added to the received electromagnetic radiation to achieve a null balance in a Dicke switched radiometer. Stability was achieved through the use of a constant temperature enclosure around the low loss microwave front end. The Dicke reference temperature was maintained to an absolute accuracy of 0.1 K using a closed-loop proportional temperature controller. A microprocessor based digital controller operates the radiometer and records the data on computer compatible tapes. This radiometer exhibits an absolute accuracy of better than 0.5 K when the sensitivity is 0.1 K. The sensitivity varies between 0.0125 K and 1.25 K depending upon the bandwidth and integration time selected by the digital controller. Remote sensing experiments were conducted from an aircraft platform and the first radiometeric mapping of an ocean polar front; exploratory experiments to measure the thickness of lake ice; first discrimination between first year and multiyear ice below 10 GHz; and the first known measurements of frequency sensitive characteristics of sea ice.

Radiometer apparatus for air disturbance detection

Abstract: A radiometer apparatus is described that is particularly useful for detecting clear air turbulence by sensing infrared radiation. The radiometer includes optics for directing infrared radiation past a chopper, lens and infrared filter assembly to a radiation sensor which produces an analog output signal that is routed through an N-path filter unit and then demodulated and integrated by an averaging integrator to produce temperature indicative differences for determination of the presence of clear air turbulence in the area then being examined by the apparatus, the N-path unit and averaging intergrator providing a high signal to noise ratio. An automatic calibration unit is also provided to provide stability and reliability to the apparatus.

Power generating apparatus using radiant energy

Abstract: Power generating apparatus for conversion of radiant to mechanical or electrical energy utilizes radiometric drive rotors coupled to mechanical or electrical output devices; radiometer internal pressure regulating means controls output speed and power. Particular vane constructions enhance the radiometric effect.

Infrared viewer and spectral radiometer

Abstract: The invention provides a combined spectral radiometer and infrared viewer r use in the infrared and particularly the far infrared portion of the electromagnetic spectrum. A standard thermal viewer is modified by the addition of a temperature reference, a variable filter, a recording minicomputer and circuitry to intercouple these elements and synchronize their functions without impairing the use of the view in its normal make of operation.

The Effect of a Nonuniform Planetary Albedo on the Interpretation of Earth Radiation Budget Observations

Abstract: The flux density measured at satellite altitude with a fixed field of view radiometer differs from the true flux density reflected by the earth-atmosphere system within the field of view of the radiometer. This difference is due to angular response characteristics of the radiometer, solid angle effects due to geometry, and angular reflectance effects of the earth-atmosphere system. All of these effects lead to uncertainties in the interpretation of instantaneous earth radiation budget measurements. The differences between the true flux density and the measured flux density are shown to be significant when the field of view of the radiometer is large and when the atmosphere has a nonuniform, or spatially dependent, reflectance (albedo). A simulation experiment is described whereby the scene within the field of view of a nadir looking sensor is divided into a large number of equal area elements, each of which reflects radiation with one of two different reflectance models (corresponding to cloud-free and cloudy areas). The conditional mean values of the measured flux density, given values of the true flux density, are shown to differ significantly from the conditional means of the inverse problem, that of finding the mean value of the true flux density given a value for the measured flux density. The differences between the true flux density and the measured flux density are examined as a function of satellite altitude, field of view of the radiometer and solar zenith angle (including the effects of a terminator within the field of view) for both Lambertian and non-Lambertian reflectance models.

The Infrared Radiometer on the Sounder Probe of the Pioneer Venus Mission

Abstract: The functional aspects of the Large Probe Infrared Radiometer Instrument are presented taking into account the experiment's objective and the mission's constraints. The optical elements, including the detectors, are described and a brief review of the instrument's calibration is given.

Pioneer Venus Small Probes Net Flux Radiometer Experiment

Abstract: The University of Wisconsin net flux experiment on the Pioneer Venus mission investigated the distribution of radiative energy deposition and loss which drives atmospheric circulation on Venus. The instrument used an external sensor and a novel method of chopping to measure the net flux of solar and planetary radiation during descent through the thick Venus atmosphere. The sensor, consisting of a high temperature flux plate detector and protective diamond windows, was designed to make accurate flux measurements while exposed to the severe Venus environment.