Inference of static and dynamic vertical structure of the lower troposphere from ground‐based infrared radiometry

Abstract

Measurement of atmospheric brightness at different wavelengths in the infrared can give information about several parameters which characterize the vertical structure of the lower troposphere. In this paper some of the results obtained from a six‐month experiment carried out in 1975 are reported. The temperature profile has been retrieved from measurements of the average brightness at different elevation angles. In addition, measurements of both the variance and the low‐frequency spectrum of the radiometer output signal have been performed to obtain information on the intensity, scale length and spectra of temperature fluctuations. Particularly under stable tropospheric conditions, sharp periodicity of the radiometer signal has occasionally been observed, suggesting the occurrence of a periodic variation of the atmospheric parameters such as that associated with atmospheric waves. The data which have been collected appear to confirm the capability of ground‐based radiometry for the accurate and timely monitoring of the static and dynamic state of the lower troposphere.