Abstract
Atmospheric temperature and moisture profiles, and their related sea surface temperature distribution in the western Pacific during the Air Mass Transformation Experiment (AMTEX) are derived, using the NOAA Vertical Temperature Profile Radiometer (VTPR)data, in comparison with the AMTEX special observations.
A method for simultaneously deriving atmo s pheric moisture profiles and their related sea surface temperature distribution for given temperature profile using the VTPR water vapour absorption and atmospheric window channel radiances is proposed, so that the effect of the atmospheric attenuation by water vapour absorption is corrected without using conventional radiosonde observations.
The AMTEX '74 period was generally under could-free conditions, over the AMTEX area in the western Pacific. Two case studies for February 14 and 18,1974, indicate that the NOAA 2 VTPR data are useful not only for retrieving atmospheric temperature profiles, but also for detecting large-scale ocean currents in the western Pacific. The VTPR derived atmospheric moisture profiles and a simultaneously corrected sea surface temperature distribution are presented.
On the other hand, the AMTEX '75 period was mostly under cloudy conditions in the western Pacific. Regression coefficients determined using coincident radiosonde/VTPR clear radiance data for February 18,21 and 26,1975 are used to retrieve atmospheric temperature profiles. A February 26,1975, case study shows that the NOAA 4 VTPR. brightness temperature patterns constructed for all eight channels are closely related to simultaneously observed Very High Resolution Radiometer (VHRR) imageries. The VTPR derived atmospheric moisture profile and a simultaneously corrected sea surface temperature distribution over the AMTEX area are also presented.
