Forecast of optical turbulence in marine surface layer using numerical weather prediction products

Abstract

The forecasts of the optical turbulence in the marine surface layer are made in different seasons based on the numerical products of the numerical weather prediction model. It is found that the seasonal variation of the surface optical turbulence is not prominent over the oceans between 30°S and 30°N, but much larger over the higher latitude oceans with weaker surface optical turbulence in the summer hemisphere and stronger surface optical turbulence in the winter hemisphere. The surface optical turbulence strength in the height 10m above the sea level is greater than 10 -15 m -2/3 for 10.6μm, but less than 10 -15 m -2/3 for 0.55μm over the most parts of the oceans around the world. The horizontal patterns of the forecasted surface optical turbulence strength are similar to each other based on the same time products respectively from the two different numerical weather prediction models, but the horizontal pattern of the forecasted surface optical turbulence is much sharper with the higher model horizontal resolution.