In the frame of TOPAS (Tropospheric OPtical Absorption Spectroscopy), an EURO-TRAC subproject supported by the Belgian State - Prime Minister’s Service - Science Policy Office and the ”Fond National de la Recherche Scientique”, a long path (788 m) absorption system has been constructed on the urban site of the campus of the Université Libre de Bruxelles. It consists of a Xenon high pressure emission source connected to a 30 cm Cassegrain type telescope. A parabolic mirror placed at a distance of 394 m reflects the light back into a similar telescope connected to a high resolution Fourier Transform spectrometer BRUKER IFS120HR. The two telescopes are mounted on alignment devices and the external mirror is equipped with a driving system operated from the laboratory. This system has been in operation since October 1990. Absorption structures of O2, O3, NO2 and SO2 have been observed in the UV region (25000-45000 cm-1). The spectra are recorded at a dispersion of 8 cm-1.
{"title":"Detection of Minor Tropospheric Constituents using Fourier Transform Spectroscopy","authors":"M. Carleer, R. Colin, A. Vandaele, P. Simon","doi":"10.1364/orsa.1991.owe19","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1364/orsa.1991.owe19","url":null,"abstract":"In the frame of TOPAS (Tropospheric OPtical Absorption Spectroscopy), an EURO-TRAC subproject supported by the Belgian State - Prime Minister’s Service - Science Policy Office and the ”Fond National de la Recherche Scientique”, a long path (788 m) absorption system has been constructed on the urban site of the campus of the Université Libre de Bruxelles. It consists of a Xenon high pressure emission source connected to a 30 cm Cassegrain type telescope. A parabolic mirror placed at a distance of 394 m reflects the light back into a similar telescope connected to a high resolution Fourier Transform spectrometer BRUKER IFS120HR. The two telescopes are mounted on alignment devices and the external mirror is equipped with a driving system operated from the laboratory. This system has been in operation since October 1990. Absorption structures of O2, O3, NO2 and SO2 have been observed in the UV region (25000-45000 cm-1). The spectra are recorded at a dispersion of 8 cm-1.","PeriodicalId":320202,"journal":{"name":"Optical Remote Sensing of the Atmosphere","volume":"33 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2018-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"130787924","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
P. Simon, M. Mazière, L. Delbouille, G. Roland, S. Godin, K. Künzi, J. Noë, P. Woods
Measurements of the trends in ozone and other stratospheric trace species require a coordinated scientific effort in establishing ground based observations coupled with satellite measurements in order to quantitatively detect early changes in stratospheric composition and structure and to improve the understanding of short term processes needed to validate either long term observations or model simulations.
{"title":"Stratospheric Monitoring Stations in Europe","authors":"P. Simon, M. Mazière, L. Delbouille, G. Roland, S. Godin, K. Künzi, J. Noë, P. Woods","doi":"10.1364/orsa.1990.thc2","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1364/orsa.1990.thc2","url":null,"abstract":"Measurements of the trends in ozone and other stratospheric trace species require a coordinated scientific effort in establishing ground based observations coupled with satellite measurements in order to quantitatively detect early changes in stratospheric composition and structure and to improve the understanding of short term processes needed to validate either long term observations or model simulations.","PeriodicalId":320202,"journal":{"name":"Optical Remote Sensing of the Atmosphere","volume":"49 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2017-06-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"127099797","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
M. Riese, R. Spang, P. Preusse, M. Ern, M. Jarisch, D. Offermann, K. Grossmann
The distribution of trace gases in the middle atmosphere results from the interplay of photochemistry and dynamics. More and more refined 3-D models of the atmosphere as well as local soundings by balloons and rockets reveal an atmosphere which is highly structured horizonatally, vertically, and in time. The spatial dimensions of such structures span the wide range from global scale planetary waves to local turbulence. Today's remote sensing satellites generally exhibit a good spatial resolution when vertical scales are considered. In the horizontal plane, however, their resolution is limited to the distance between two adjacent orbits. In order to improve the spatial resolution and to detect and analyse small scale structures the experiment CRISTA is planned.
{"title":"CRyogenic Infrared Spectrometers and Telescopes for the Atmosphere - CRISTA","authors":"M. Riese, R. Spang, P. Preusse, M. Ern, M. Jarisch, D. Offermann, K. Grossmann","doi":"10.1029/1998JD100047","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1029/1998JD100047","url":null,"abstract":"The distribution of trace gases in the middle atmosphere results from the interplay of photochemistry and dynamics. More and more refined 3-D models of the atmosphere as well as local soundings by balloons and rockets reveal an atmosphere which is highly structured horizonatally, vertically, and in time. The spatial dimensions of such structures span the wide range from global scale planetary waves to local turbulence. Today's remote sensing satellites generally exhibit a good spatial resolution when vertical scales are considered. In the horizontal plane, however, their resolution is limited to the distance between two adjacent orbits. In order to improve the spatial resolution and to detect and analyse small scale structures the experiment CRISTA is planned.","PeriodicalId":320202,"journal":{"name":"Optical Remote Sensing of the Atmosphere","volume":"64 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1999-07-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"130985138","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 1998-10-28DOI: 10.1364/orsa.1997.otub.5
M. Hofstadter, A. Heidinger
Traditional infrared cloud retrieval algorithms, such as the Chahine method or the CO2 Slicing technique (Chahine 1974, Smith 1968), rely on recognizing the temperature difference between the ground and the cloud tops. For a low-cloud, however, the temperature difference is small, making it indistinguishable from the surface. As part of our work for the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS), to be flown on the EOS-PM platform, we are developing an improved technique for the detection of low-clouds. It is based upon observations of the depth of narrow water vapor lines in an atmospheric window region. Compared to traditional methods, there is an extra factor (the water vapor amount) making the signal from a cloudy column different than that from a clear column, which increases our sensitivity to low-clouds.
传统的红外云检索算法，如Chahine方法或CO2切片技术(Chahine 1974, Smith 1968)，依赖于识别地面和云顶之间的温差。然而，对于低云来说，温差很小，使其与地面难以区分。作为将在EOS-PM平台上飞行的大气红外探测仪(AIRS)工作的一部分，我们正在开发一种检测低云的改进技术。它是基于对大气窗口区窄水蒸汽线深度的观测。与传统方法相比，有一个额外的因素(水蒸气量)使来自多云柱的信号与来自晴空柱的信号不同，这增加了我们对低云的灵敏度。
{"title":"Infrared Low-Cloud Detection","authors":"M. Hofstadter, A. Heidinger","doi":"10.1364/orsa.1997.otub.5","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1364/orsa.1997.otub.5","url":null,"abstract":"Traditional infrared cloud retrieval algorithms, such as the Chahine method or the CO2 Slicing technique (Chahine 1974, Smith 1968), rely on recognizing the temperature difference between the ground and the cloud tops. For a low-cloud, however, the temperature difference is small, making it indistinguishable from the surface. As part of our work for the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS), to be flown on the EOS-PM platform, we are developing an improved technique for the detection of low-clouds. It is based upon observations of the depth of narrow water vapor lines in an atmospheric window region. Compared to traditional methods, there is an extra factor (the water vapor amount) making the signal from a cloudy column different than that from a clear column, which increases our sensitivity to low-clouds.","PeriodicalId":320202,"journal":{"name":"Optical Remote Sensing of the Atmosphere","volume":"272 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1998-10-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"133999426","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 1998-04-01DOI: 10.1175/1520-0477(1998)079<0581:TMCACA>2.0.CO;2
J. Rothermel, D. Cutten, R. Hardesty, R. Menzies, J. Howell, S. Johnson, D. Tratt, L. Olivier, R. Banta
In Spring 1992 development began for the Multi-center Airborne Coherent Atmospheric Wind Sensor (MACAWS). The four-year project will culminate in an airborne scanning pulsed CO2 Doppler lidar for multi-dimensional wind and calibrated backscatter measurement from the NASA DC-8 research aircraft. MACAWS is under joint development by the lidar remote sensing groups of the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Wave Propagation Laboratory (NOAA), and Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). MSFC is assigned lead responsibility for overall coordination, science definition, and mission planning. Each lidar group is sharing major hardware components and subsystems which, in several instances, have been used in previous ground-based or airborne measurement programs. The principal of operation is similar to that employed by MSFC during previous airborne lidar wind measurements [1-6]. The primary improvements are use of the NOAA Joule-class tunable CO2 laser transmitter, expanded scanning capability, and improved in-flight instrument control and data visualization systems.
{"title":"Multi-center Airborne Coherent Atmospheric Wind Sensor","authors":"J. Rothermel, D. Cutten, R. Hardesty, R. Menzies, J. Howell, S. Johnson, D. Tratt, L. Olivier, R. Banta","doi":"10.1175/1520-0477(1998)079<0581:TMCACA>2.0.CO;2","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1175/1520-0477(1998)079<0581:TMCACA>2.0.CO;2","url":null,"abstract":"In Spring 1992 development began for the Multi-center Airborne Coherent Atmospheric Wind Sensor (MACAWS). The four-year project will culminate in an airborne scanning pulsed CO2 Doppler lidar for multi-dimensional wind and calibrated backscatter measurement from the NASA DC-8 research aircraft. MACAWS is under joint development by the lidar remote sensing groups of the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Wave Propagation Laboratory (NOAA), and Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). MSFC is assigned lead responsibility for overall coordination, science definition, and mission planning. Each lidar group is sharing major hardware components and subsystems which, in several instances, have been used in previous ground-based or airborne measurement programs. The principal of operation is similar to that employed by MSFC during previous airborne lidar wind measurements [1-6]. The primary improvements are use of the NOAA Joule-class tunable CO2 laser transmitter, expanded scanning capability, and improved in-flight instrument control and data visualization systems.","PeriodicalId":320202,"journal":{"name":"Optical Remote Sensing of the Atmosphere","volume":"15 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1998-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"127223722","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 1997-02-14DOI: 10.1364/orsa.1997.othb.1
R. Beer
Two closely-related imaging infrared Fourier Transform Spectrometers - the Tropospheric Emission Spectrometer (TES; scheduled for launch on the Earth Observing System CHEM-I platform in 2001) and the Airborne Emission Spectrometer (AES; completed in 1994 and flown on a variety of NASA aircraft) - are aimed at elucidating the chemistry of the troposphere on global and regional scales with far better coverage (spatial and temporal) than is feasible with in situ sensors during intermittent field and aircraft campaigns.
{"title":"Remote Sensing of Tropospheric Ozone and its Precursors","authors":"R. Beer","doi":"10.1364/orsa.1997.othb.1","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1364/orsa.1997.othb.1","url":null,"abstract":"Two closely-related imaging infrared Fourier Transform Spectrometers - the Tropospheric Emission Spectrometer (TES; scheduled for launch on the Earth Observing System CHEM-I platform in 2001) and the Airborne Emission Spectrometer (AES; completed in 1994 and flown on a variety of NASA aircraft) - are aimed at elucidating the chemistry of the troposphere on global and regional scales with far better coverage (spatial and temporal) than is feasible with in situ sensors during intermittent field and aircraft campaigns.","PeriodicalId":320202,"journal":{"name":"Optical Remote Sensing of the Atmosphere","volume":"20 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1997-02-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"129762449","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
G. Beyerle, H. Schäfer, R. Neuber, P. Rairoux, O. Schrems, I. Mcdermid
Recent model calculations have shown that the extreme dryness of the tropical lower stratosphere can be explained by slow uplift of air masses by large-scale motions leading to the formation of an ubiquitous cirrus cloud layer [1]. We present first results from lidar observations of tropical cirrus clouds above the Atlantic ocean during the ALBATROSS campaign (Atmospheric chemistry and lidar studies above the Atlantic ocean related to ozone and other trace gases in the tropo- and stratosphere) in October-November 1996.
{"title":"Dual wavelength Raman lidar observations of tropical cirrus clouds during the ALBATROSS campaign 1996","authors":"G. Beyerle, H. Schäfer, R. Neuber, P. Rairoux, O. Schrems, I. Mcdermid","doi":"10.1364/orsa.1997.pdp.4","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1364/orsa.1997.pdp.4","url":null,"abstract":"Recent model calculations have shown that the extreme dryness of the tropical lower stratosphere can be explained by slow uplift of air masses by large-scale motions leading to the formation of an ubiquitous cirrus cloud layer [1]. We present first results from lidar observations of tropical cirrus clouds above the Atlantic ocean during the ALBATROSS campaign (Atmospheric chemistry and lidar studies above the Atlantic ocean related to ozone and other trace gases in the tropo- and stratosphere) in October-November 1996.","PeriodicalId":320202,"journal":{"name":"Optical Remote Sensing of the Atmosphere","volume":"1 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1997-02-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"124381597","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
W. Eichinger, D. Cooper, L. Tellier, Michael A. Osborne
Surface-atmosphere interactions are dynamical processes that have for the first time been observed in four dimensions by a ship-board scanning water vapor Raman lidar. Until recently, critical boundary layer variables such as water vapor have been estimated from time-series data collected by point sensors on buoys, radiosondes, ships, or aircraft. In contrast, the scanning water vapor Raman lidar has been used to evaluate the spatial as well as temporal characteristics of the atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) with resolution previously unavailable to atmospheric researchers. On two oceanic experiments in 1993 and 1996, the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) team made detailed measurements of boundary layer behavior in the Tropical Pacific, relating sea surface temperature (SST) to boundary layer height, latent energy flux, and intermittent convective structures above the ocean surface. The analysis of the data from these experiments are contributing to the body of knowledge focusing upon the complex dynamics within the ocean-atmosphere interface.
地面-大气相互作用是一种动力学过程，首次通过机载扫描水汽拉曼激光雷达在四个维度上观察到。直到最近，关键的边界层变量，如水蒸气，都是从浮标、无线电探空仪、船舶或飞机上的点传感器收集的时间序列数据中估计出来的。相比之下，扫描水汽拉曼激光雷达已被用于评估大气边界层(ABL)的空间和时间特征，其分辨率以前是大气研究人员无法获得的。在1993年和1996年的两次海洋实验中，洛斯阿拉莫斯国家实验室(Los Alamos National Laboratory, LANL)小组对热带太平洋的边界层行为进行了详细测量，将海表温度(SST)与边界层高度、潜能通量和海洋表面上方的间歇对流结构联系起来。对这些实验数据的分析有助于集中研究海洋-大气界面内复杂动力学的知识体系。
{"title":"Atmospheric Properties in the Tropical Pacific from Raman Lidar","authors":"W. Eichinger, D. Cooper, L. Tellier, Michael A. Osborne","doi":"10.1364/orsa.1997.omc.1","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1364/orsa.1997.omc.1","url":null,"abstract":"Surface-atmosphere interactions are dynamical processes that have for the first time been observed in four dimensions by a ship-board scanning water vapor Raman lidar. Until recently, critical boundary layer variables such as water vapor have been estimated from time-series data collected by point sensors on buoys, radiosondes, ships, or aircraft. In contrast, the scanning water vapor Raman lidar has been used to evaluate the spatial as well as temporal characteristics of the atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) with resolution previously unavailable to atmospheric researchers. On two oceanic experiments in 1993 and 1996, the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) team made detailed measurements of boundary layer behavior in the Tropical Pacific, relating sea surface temperature (SST) to boundary layer height, latent energy flux, and intermittent convective structures above the ocean surface. The analysis of the data from these experiments are contributing to the body of knowledge focusing upon the complex dynamics within the ocean-atmosphere interface.","PeriodicalId":320202,"journal":{"name":"Optical Remote Sensing of the Atmosphere","volume":"1 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1997-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"130138229","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Standard measurements of total column ozone are made in the ultraviolet portion of the spectrum in the Huggins bands, using wavelengths between 305 and 340 nm. Dobson spectrophotometers (Dobson 1931), Brewer spectrophotometers (Wardle et al. 1963), and M-83 filter ozonometers (Gushchin et al. 1985) are standard ground-based instruments for these ultraviolet total column ozone measurements. They each use wavelength pairs to get a differential absorption between strong and relatively weaker portions of the ozone spectrum.
总臭氧柱的标准测量是在哈金斯波段的紫外光谱部分进行的，波长在305到340纳米之间。Dobson分光光度计(Dobson 1931)， Brewer分光光度计(Wardle et al. 1963)和M-83过滤臭氧计(Gushchin et al. 1985)是这些紫外总柱臭氧测量的标准地面仪器。它们都使用波长对来获得臭氧光谱中强部分和相对较弱部分的不同吸收。
{"title":"Total Column Ozone Retrieval from the Visible Chappuis Band: Comparisons with Standard Ultraviolet Measurements","authors":"J. Michalsky, H. Harrison","doi":"10.1364/orsa.1995.wc4","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1364/orsa.1995.wc4","url":null,"abstract":"Standard measurements of total column ozone are made in the ultraviolet portion of the spectrum in the Huggins bands, using wavelengths between 305 and 340 nm. Dobson spectrophotometers (Dobson 1931), Brewer spectrophotometers (Wardle et al. 1963), and M-83 filter ozonometers (Gushchin et al. 1985) are standard ground-based instruments for these ultraviolet total column ozone measurements. They each use wavelength pairs to get a differential absorption between strong and relatively weaker portions of the ozone spectrum.","PeriodicalId":320202,"journal":{"name":"Optical Remote Sensing of the Atmosphere","volume":"105 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1995-12-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"121354071","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
One of the most important atmospheric constituents needed for climate and meteorological studies is water vapor. It plays an important role in driving atmospheric circulations through latent heat release and in determining the earth’s radiation budget, both through its radiative effects (water vapor is the major greenhouse gas) and through cloud formation. The vertical distribution of water vapor is particularly important because in addition to determining convective stability, radiative effects are also strongly altitude dependent. In fact, several one-dimensional radiative convective models1 have shown that although upper tropospheric (8-12 km) water vapor concentrations are 2-3 orders of magnitude less than those near the surface, upper tropospheric water vapor exerts an important influence on climate. What these models show is that for a given absolute increase in water vapor in the upper troposphere, the response or change in surface temperature is extremely disproportionate to the amount of water vapor. At present, considerable controversy exists over the nature of the vertical redistribution of water vapor in a changing climate, and particularly the distribution of water vapor in the upper troposphere. Understanding upper tropospheric moistening processes such as deep convection are therefore of prime importance in addressing the water vapor feedback question. Accurate measurements of the vertical and temporal variations of water vapor are essential for understanding atmospheric processes and hence model refinement.
{"title":"Measurements of Daytime and Upper Tropospheric Water Vapor Profiles by Raman Lidar","authors":"S. Bisson, J. Goldsmith","doi":"10.1364/orsa.1995.thb1","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1364/orsa.1995.thb1","url":null,"abstract":"One of the most important atmospheric constituents needed for climate and meteorological studies is water vapor. It plays an important role in driving atmospheric circulations through latent heat release and in determining the earth’s radiation budget, both through its radiative effects (water vapor is the major greenhouse gas) and through cloud formation. The vertical distribution of water vapor is particularly important because in addition to determining convective stability, radiative effects are also strongly altitude dependent. In fact, several one-dimensional radiative convective models1 have shown that although upper tropospheric (8-12 km) water vapor concentrations are 2-3 orders of magnitude less than those near the surface, upper tropospheric water vapor exerts an important influence on climate. What these models show is that for a given absolute increase in water vapor in the upper troposphere, the response or change in surface temperature is extremely disproportionate to the amount of water vapor. At present, considerable controversy exists over the nature of the vertical redistribution of water vapor in a changing climate, and particularly the distribution of water vapor in the upper troposphere. Understanding upper tropospheric moistening processes such as deep convection are therefore of prime importance in addressing the water vapor feedback question. Accurate measurements of the vertical and temporal variations of water vapor are essential for understanding atmospheric processes and hence model refinement.","PeriodicalId":320202,"journal":{"name":"Optical Remote Sensing of the Atmosphere","volume":"1 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1995-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"125480927","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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