Meteorological applications of temperature and water vapor retrievals from the ground-based Atmospheric Emitted Radiance Interferometer (AERI)

The Atmospheric Emitted Radiance Interferometer (AERI) is a well-calibrated ground-based instrument that measures high-resolution atmospheric emitted radiances from the atmosphere. The spectral resolution of the instrument is better than one wavenumber between 3 and 18 mu m within the infrared spectrum. The AERI instrument detects vertical and temporal changes of temperature and water vapor in the planetary boundary layer. Excellent agreement between radiosonde and AERI retrievals for a 6-month sample of coincident profiles is presented in this paper. In addition, a statistical seasonal analysis of retrieval and radiosonde differences is discussed. High temporal and moderate vertical resolution in the lowest 3 km of the atmosphere allows mete orologically important mesoscale features to be detected. AERI participation in the Department of Energy Atmospheric Radiation Measurement program at the Southern Great Plains Cloud and Radiation Testbed (SGP CART) has allowed development of a robust operational atmospheric temperature and water vapor retrieval algorithm in a dynamic meteorological environment near Lament, Oklahoma. Operating in a continuous mode, AERI temperature and water vapor retrievals obtained through inversion of the infrared radiative transfer equation provide profiles of atmospheric state every 10 min to 3 km in clear sky or below cloud base. Boundary layer evolution, cold or warm frontal passages, drylines, and thunderstorm outflow boundaries are all recorded, offering important meteorological information. With important vertical thermodynamic information between radiosonde locations and launch times, AERI retrievals provide data for planetary boundary layer research, mesoscale model initialization, verification, and nowcasting. This paper discusses retrieval performance at the SGP CART site, as well as interesting meteorological case studies captured by AERI profiles. The AERI system represents an important new capability for operational weather- and airport-monitoring applications.