A single field of view method for retrieving tropospheric temperature profiles from cloud-contaminated radiance data

Vita.A method is presented to retrieve single field of view (FOV) tropospheric temperature profiles directly from cloud-contaminated radiance data through use of auxiliary data such as observed shelter temperature and estimated cloud-top height. The iterative technique utilized is an extension of the work of Chahine as modified by Smith and Duncan. It is shown that a well defined temperature profile may be calculated from the radiative transfer equation (RTE) for a partly cloudy atmosphere when the average fractional cloud amount and cloud-top height for the FOC are known. A cloud model is formulated to calculate the fractional cloud amount from an estimated cloud-top height. The method is then examined through use of simulated radiance data calculated through vertical integration of the RTE for a partly cloudy atmosphere using known values of cloud-top height(s) and fractional cloud amount(s). Temperature profiles are retrieved from the simulated data assuming various errors in the cloud parameters. Temperature profiles are retrieved from NOAA-4 satellite-measured radiance data obtained over an area dominated by an active cold front and wit considerable cloud cover. Excellent radiosonde data for 11 stations participating in the Atmospheric Variability Experiment (AVE III) available for the area are used for comparison with temperature profiles retrieved from the NOAA- data. The effects of using various guessed profiles and the number of iterations are considered.