Calibrated Analytical Modeling Of Cloud-Free Intervals

John D. Malick; Stephen Zakanycz

doi:10.1117/12.957940

19 December 1979 Calibrated Analytical Modeling Of Cloud-Free Intervals

John D. Malick, Stephen Zakanycz

Proceedings Volume 0195, Atmospheric Effects on Radiative Transfer; (1979) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.957940
Event: 23rd Annual Technical Symposium, 1979, San Diego, United States

Abstract

A methodology has been developed for calculating the probability of cloud-free intervals of any size from conventional meteorological data. The methodology contains two important features. First, the probability calculations are done analytically. Previous cloud-free line-of-sight models were largely empirical, and putting them on an analytic basis has removed some inconsistencies caused by observer biases. An additional benefit was the quantification of the relationship between ground-observed sky cover and cloud amount observed from a satellite. Secondly, the notion of cloud-free line of sight (CFLOS) has been generalized to the much more useful cloud-free interval, which includes cloud-tree line of sight as a special case. The methodology can be used to calculate the probability of a cloud-free interval of various lengths within a straight line path of any length. The probabilities can be obtained for any time, season, geographic region, observation angle, or cloud altitude layer. Model parameters have been determined with the use of NOAA digital satellite imagery.

Citation Download Citation

John D. Malick and Stephen Zakanycz "Calibrated Analytical Modeling Of Cloud-Free Intervals", Proc. SPIE 0195, Atmospheric Effects on Radiative Transfer, (19 December 1979); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.957940

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