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Low-level water vapor fields from the VAS split-window channels at 11 and 12 micronsOriginally, the VAS split window channels were designed to use the differential water vapor absorption between 11 and 12 microns to estimate sea surface temperature by correcting for the radiometric losses caused by atmospheric moisture. It is shown that it is possible to reverse the procedure in order to estimate the vertically integrated low level moisture content with the background surface (skin) temperature removed, even over the bright, complex background of the land. Because the lower troposphere's water vapor content is an important factor in convective instability, the derived fields are of considerable value to mesoscale meteorology. Moisture patterns are available as quantitative fields (centimeters of precipitable water) at full VAS resolution (as fine as 7 kilometers horizontal resolution every 15 minutes), and are readily converted to image format for false color movies. The technique, demonstrated with GOES-5, uses a sequence of split window radiances taken once every 3 hours from dawn to dusk over the Eastern and Central United States. The algorithm is calibrated with the morning radiosonde sites embedded within the first VAS radiance field; then, entire moisture fields are calculated at all five observation times. Cloud contamination is removed by rejecting any pixel having a radiance less than the atmospheric brightness determined at the radiosonde sites.
Document ID
19830015759
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
Chesters, D.
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Uccellini, L. W.
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Robinson, W.
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Date Acquired
August 11, 2013
Publication Date
March 1, 1983
Publication Information
Publication: VISSR Atmospheric Sounder (VAS) Res. Rev.
Subject Category
Meteorology And Climatology
Accession Number
83N24030
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Work of the US Gov. Public Use Permitted.

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