Abstract
Abstract. Infrared ultra-spectral spectrometers have brought in a new era in satellite remote atmospheric sounding capability. During the 1970s, after the implementation of the first satellite sounding instruments, it became evident that much higher vertical resolution sounding information was needed to be able to forecast life and property threatening localized severe weather. The demonstration of the ultra-spectral radiance measurement technology required to achieve higher vertical resolution began in 1985, with the aircraft flights of the High resolution Interferometer Sounder (HIS) instrument. The development of satellite instruments designed to have a HIS-like measurement capability was initiated in the late 1980's. Today, after more than a decade of development time, the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) and the Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer (IASI) are now operating successfully from the Aqua and MetOp polar orbiting satellites. The successful development and ground demonstration of the Geostationary Imaging Fourier Transform Spectrometer (GIFTS), during this decade, is now paving the way toward the implementation of the ultra-spectral sounding capability on the international system of geostationary environmental satellites. This note reviews the evolution of the satellite ultra-spectral sounding systems, shows examples of current polar satellite sounding capability, and discusses future advances planned for geostationary orbit.
Highlights
Satellite radiance measurement capability has evolved from the multi-spectral and hyper-spectral imaging and sounding capabilities first demonstrated during the 1960’s into the ultra-spectral sounding capability that exists today
After the demonstration of the ultra-spectral sounding capability from aircraft, during the middle 1980s, the evolution continued with the development of ultra-spectral resolution satellite instruments for the purpose of improving global atmospheric soundings
This improved sounding expectation was recently realized through the implementation of the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) and Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer (IASI) spectrometers aboard the Aqua and MetOp polar orbiting satellites
Summary
Satellite radiance measurement capability has evolved from the multi-spectral and hyper-spectral imaging and sounding capabilities first demonstrated during the 1960’s into the ultra-spectral sounding capability that exists today. The ultra-spectral resolution sounding spectrometer evolved from the need to obtain much higher vertical resolution atmospheric soundings from space-based Earth radiance measurements than could be obtained using lower resolution multi-spectral radiometers. This evolution was driven by the need to produce a sounding vertical resolution, which was consistent with the high horizontal and temporal resolution achievable from geostationary orbit as needed for forecasting localized severe weather. The impact of ultra-spectral IR sounding measurements on atmospheric science and operational meteorology is illustrated through the presentation of experimental results
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