Electro-optical propagation assessment in coastal environments (EOPACE): summary and accomplishments

EOPACE (electro-optical propagation assessment in coastal environments) was a 5-yr multinational and interdisciplinary effort to improve the performance assessment for electro-optical (EO) systems operating in coastal environments. The initial results of the EOPACE program include: (1) the parameterization of the surf-zone generated aerosol-size distribution as a function of swell height; (2) the characterization of aerosol plume structures and the transport of surf generated aerosols; (3) the development of a quantitative surf aerosol source function; (4) the description of the contribution and impact of surf-zone generated aerosols on coastal infrared (IR) transmission; (5) the measurement and modeling of the near surface transmission effects (aerosol and molecular extinction, refraction, scintillation, and wave shadowing); (6) an analysis of the contribution of anthropogenic and land derived aerosols to the air mass characteristics in the coastal zone; (7) the application of direct and remote sensing techniques to develop the scaling parameters for aerosols in the prevailing air mass; (8) an analysis of near ocean surface bulk meteorological scaling which works well for unstable conditions but is less reliable for neutral and stable conditions; and (9) the incorporation of the improved sea radiance models into TAWS (target acquisition weather software) which improved the error analysis by a factor of 3. These initial accomplishments are described in this overview of the EOPACE effort.