A Multi-Aperture Spectrometer Design for the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS)

Abstract

Accurate knowledge of the Earth's vertical atmospheric temperature structure is fundamental to numerical weather prediction. The National Weather Services (NWS) have stated an ultimate goal for temperature sounding of 1 degree accuracy and 1 km vertical resolution throughout the troposphere. To approach this goal next generation temperature sounders must have increased spectral coverage and increased spectral resolution. Extensive simulations indicate that a temperature sounder with spectral resolving power (λ/Δλ) of 1200 and wavelength coverage from 3.4 - 17 μm will significantly improve the rms temperature retrieval accuracy. The Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) for the Earth Observing System (Eos) has been designed to meet these requirements.