The Atmospheric Filter (Volume 1 Sources)

The atmosphere acts like an optical filter that affects visual, infrared, and millimeter wave propagation. The atmospheric filter decreases image contrast and resolution, and reduces laser, high frequency radar, and non-imaging/radiometer system range and sensitivity. The effects of atmospheric filter sources depend on spectral band and the kind of sensor used to acquire data. They impact sensor design, data acquisition, interpretation, and meteorological measurements' supporting remote imaging of the earth's surface or optically probing the atmosphere.Scientists, engineers, meteorologists, technicians and students will find this book a wealth of useful information. Volume I introduces the atmospheric filter concept. It provides descriptions of atmospheric filter sources such as gases, aerosols, dusts, precipitation, fogs, and refractive turbulence and their measurement. Volume I describes the atmospheric filter, its components, and its effects on remote sensors. Detailed texts supported by extensive figures illustrate the complex relationships that exist. The primary atmospheric gases, their concentration, absorption bands, and meteorological effects are discussed. Aerosol scattering and absorption properties are part of the atmospheric filter. Approximations are used to develop explicit expressions for computing aerosol spectral properties. Detailed examples of multi-modal dust size distributions for mixtures of dust grain size distributions and mineral types are provided. Gases, aerosols, and dusts have spectrally varying effects and therefore affect instrument performance differently. Detection of a distant target, radiometer data, and optical beam propagation depend upon the path length, atmospheric constituents, and spectral response of the sensor.Volume II describes the effects and measurement of atmospheric filter sources resulting from meteorological conditions.