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RESEARCH PRODUCT

Flux retrieval optimization with a nonscanner along-track broadband radiometer

subject

description

[1] The theoretical behavior of broadband flux retrieval is analyzed with the aid of a radiance field database. Several angular inversion models are developed for different viewing configurations, with special emphasis in a nonscanner along-track design concept. Results show that the performance of these angular models depends on the viewing zenith angle (VZA). When cloud cover is predominant within the observed scene, VZAs around 55° (shortwave) and 50° (longwave) minimize the error when deriving fluxes. These results might help in the design of future missions where the main idea is to obtain accurate instantaneous measurements of top of atmosphere reflected and emitted fluxes. Such measurements can be used as a constraint to derive atmospheric profiles from active instruments (lidar and cloud profiling radar), onboard the same platform. For this purpose, along-track configurations are very good candidates because the flux retrieval can be optimized by using different views of the same pixel almost simultaneously from the same platform.