Combining new and legacy instruments yields routine measurements of absolute spectral radiation spanning the thermal IR, near-IR, visible, and UV

 

Authors

Connor J. Flynn — University of Oklahoma School of Meteorology
James Barnard — University of Nevada Reno
Danny Alan Nelson — Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

Luc Rochette — LR Tech Inc.
Albert Mendoza — Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
Randy Norheim — Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
Michel Gaudreau — LR Technologies, Inc.
André Lanouette — LR Technologies, Inc.

Category

Instruments

Description

New spectral radiometers deployed at the ARM Climate Research Facility this year represent a major expansion in terms of the breadth of continuous spectral radiation measurements. The Shortwave Array Spectrometer measuring zenith spectral radiance from 350 nm to 2.1 microns has been repaired, recalibrated, and redeployed to SGP. Two new Shortwave Array Spectrometer – Zenith (SAS-Ze) instruments have been received measuring zenith spectral radiance over a slightly reduced spectral range of 350 nm to 1.7 microns but with improved resolution and sensitivity. One of the SAS-Ze is deployed at SGP, while the second is awaiting deployment with AMF1 in Nainital, India in support of GVAX. Two new Shortwave Array Spectrometer – Hemispheric (SAS-He) instruments measuring the direct solar and diffuse hemispheric spectral irradiance over the sample spectral range have also been received and will be collocated with the SAS-Ze systems. The SAS-He instrument at SGP complements the existing rotating shadowband spectrometer (RSS), overlapping the wavelength range in the UV and visible and extending it to the near-IR. Rapid-sampling FTS providing measurements of absolutely calibrated zenith radiance over the thermal IR spectral range from 3–19 microns have also been received, including the ASSIST II instrument installed with the AMF2 and operating at the Thunderhead site in support of the STORMVEX field campaign. Preliminary data sets from each of these new instruments are reported.