The contributions by aerosols to the total extinction as measured by a BARNES transmissometer at San Nicolas Island were determined by subtracting the molecular contributions as calculated using LOWTRAN. These aerosol extinction coefficients are compared to those calculated using (a) aerosol size distributions measured at one end point of the transmissometer and airborne over the optical path, and (b) analytical models (LOWTRAN 3B maritime model and the Munn-Katz model which includes surface wind speed and relative humidity dependencies). The extinction coefficient variation with altitude calculated using the analytical models are also compared with those calculated from measurements at sea of vertical aerosol size distributions.

Date Published: 19 December 1979
PDF: 7 pages
Proc. SPIE 0195, Atmospheric Effects on Radiative Transfer, (19 December 1979); doi: 10.1117/12.957927

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 0195:
Atmospheric Effects on Radiative Transfer
Claus B. Ludwig, Editor(s)