Abstract

A new method for modeling TOA cloudy-sky infrared radiances is developed. To simulate clear-sky transmittances, a database is computed by using the line-by-line radiative transfer model (LBLRTM, version 11.7). Specifically, the database is developed for 150 pressures from 1150 hPa to 0.1 hPa, 110 temperatures from 310 K to 200 K, 100 absorber amounts from 10¹ atm cm to 10⁻⁴ atm cm, and 1 to 7 molecular species, over a wide spectral range from 300 cm⁻¹ to 3,250 cm⁻¹ with a spectral resolution of 1 cm⁻¹. A fast, high spectral resolution, cloudy-sky radiative transfer model (HISCRTM) is developed for simulating cloudy-sky radiances at the TOA by coupling the clear-sky transmittance database with cloud bulk scattering properties. The model is suitable for high spectral resolution sensors and can also be applied to modeling the observations of narrow band satellite sensors.

© 2011 Optical Society of America