Application of Infrared Radiometers to Meteorology

Abstract

Various types of infrared radiometers have been used to make measurements of surface temperature from aircraft and to make measurements of temperature during cloud traverses. Instruments for surface temperature are sensitive in the water-vapor window 8 to 13 μ, and in the range from 8 to 35 μ, and instruments for cloud temperature are sensitive in the 15 μ CO2 band. The instrumentation shows great promise for operational measurement of surface temperature from aircraft. The infrared atmospheric thermometer (IRAT) (15 μ CO2 band) makes it possible to measure free-air and in-cloud temperatures remotely without actual exposure to the cloud droplets which cause errors in other types of sensors. Relative accuracy of the IRAT is ±0.25C.