The accurate knowledge of the Total Column of Water Vapour (TCWV) has a big impact for meteorological and climate research. We have designed a new algorithm that enables an accurate and precise estimate of Total Column Water Vapour (TCWV) using the Thermal Infra-Red (TIR) channels of all the Along Track Scanning Radiometer (ATSR) series of instruments. The new algorithm, called Advanced Infra-Red Water Vapour Estimator (AIRWAVE) has been developed in the frame of the ESA contract 'ATSR Long Term Stability (ALTS)' in the optic of a better exploitation of the (A)ATSR instruments and can be easily adapted to work with the Sea and Land Surface Temperature Radiometer (SLSTR) on board the Copernicus Sentinel 3 satellites. The algorithm works on ocean/cloud-free scenes in combination with advanced radiative transfer models and a sea surface spectral emissivity database. The simultaneous use of forward and nadir measurements minimise the impact of the knowledge of the sea surface temperature and of the atmospheric radiation on the quality of the retrieved TCWV. Exploiting only the TIR channels of the instrument, the algorithm enables the measurement of TCWV both in the day and night part of the orbits. The AIRWAVE prototype processor (AIRWAVE-PP) has been integrated in the ESA GRID environment (GPOD) for testing purposes, and for the bulk processing of the ATSR missions (1991-2012). For each (A)ATSR orbit file, AIRWAVE-PP produces two outputs: a) NetCDF-CF file containing the TCWV data; b) a PNG file (image) showing the TCWV vs. latitude plot (quick-look), the latter used for a fast check on the quality of the retrieval. The AIRWAVE-PP algorithm and the results of its application will be presented in detail, along with the preliminary results of the ATSR TCWV validation exercise with correlative data. The possibility of the AIRWAVE application to the Sentinel 3 SLSTR measurements will be discussed.
Water vapour total column from ATSR-like instruments: the design and application of the Advanced Infra-Red WaterVapour Estimator (AIRWAVE) tool
BM Dinelli;E Castelli;E Papandrea;
2015
Abstract
The accurate knowledge of the Total Column of Water Vapour (TCWV) has a big impact for meteorological and climate research. We have designed a new algorithm that enables an accurate and precise estimate of Total Column Water Vapour (TCWV) using the Thermal Infra-Red (TIR) channels of all the Along Track Scanning Radiometer (ATSR) series of instruments. The new algorithm, called Advanced Infra-Red Water Vapour Estimator (AIRWAVE) has been developed in the frame of the ESA contract 'ATSR Long Term Stability (ALTS)' in the optic of a better exploitation of the (A)ATSR instruments and can be easily adapted to work with the Sea and Land Surface Temperature Radiometer (SLSTR) on board the Copernicus Sentinel 3 satellites. The algorithm works on ocean/cloud-free scenes in combination with advanced radiative transfer models and a sea surface spectral emissivity database. The simultaneous use of forward and nadir measurements minimise the impact of the knowledge of the sea surface temperature and of the atmospheric radiation on the quality of the retrieved TCWV. Exploiting only the TIR channels of the instrument, the algorithm enables the measurement of TCWV both in the day and night part of the orbits. The AIRWAVE prototype processor (AIRWAVE-PP) has been integrated in the ESA GRID environment (GPOD) for testing purposes, and for the bulk processing of the ATSR missions (1991-2012). For each (A)ATSR orbit file, AIRWAVE-PP produces two outputs: a) NetCDF-CF file containing the TCWV data; b) a PNG file (image) showing the TCWV vs. latitude plot (quick-look), the latter used for a fast check on the quality of the retrieval. The AIRWAVE-PP algorithm and the results of its application will be presented in detail, along with the preliminary results of the ATSR TCWV validation exercise with correlative data. The possibility of the AIRWAVE application to the Sentinel 3 SLSTR measurements will be discussed.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
