Abstract

Downwelling spectral radiances will be observed routinely for the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) program by a new complement of instruments. Accurate and spectrally detailed observations of the thermal emission from radiatively important atmospheric gases, aerosols, and clouds are crucial for realizing the overall objectives of the ARM program to improve the treatment of radiation and clouds in climate models. The importance of broadband infrared radiation to modeling climatic processes stems, of course, from its basic role in the energy balance of the atmosphere. Observations of the spectrum of infrared radiation also contain a great deal of remote sensing information on the instantaneous state of the atmosphere and on fundamental molecular spectroscopy.

© 1993 Optical Society of America