MODTRAN5: a reformulated atmospheric band model with auxiliary species and practical multiple scattering options

Abstract

The MODTRAN5(1a, in press) radiation transport (RT) model is a major advancement over earlier versions of the MODTRAN(tm) atmospheric transmittance and radiance model. New model features include (1) finer spectral resolution via the Spectrally Enhanced Resolution MODTRAN(tm) (SERTRAN) molecular band model, (2) a fully coupled treatment of auxiliary molecular species, and (3) a rapid, high fidelity multiple scattering (MS) option. The finer spectral resolution improves model accuracy especially in the mid- and long-wave infrared atmospheric windows; the auxiliary species option permits the addition of any or all of the suite of HITRAN molecular line species, along with default and user-defined profile specification; and the MS option makes feasible the calculation of Vis-NIR databases that include high-fidelity scattered radiances.