Comparative analysis of atmospheric radiative transfer models using the Atmospheric Look-up table Generator (ALG)...

Area of Science:

• Earth and Atmospheric Sciences
• Computational Science
• Remote Sensing

Background:

• Atmospheric radiative transfer models (RTMs) are crucial for understanding Earth's atmosphere and are vital in remote sensing.
• Model intercomparison is essential for evaluating RTM performance but is often complex and time-consuming.
• Existing tools lack optimization for intercomparing diverse atmospheric RTMs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce the Atmospheric Look-up table Generator (ALG) version 2.0, a software tool designed to streamline the generation of large, consistent simulation databases.
• To facilitate the intercomparison of various atmospheric RTMs for research and Earth observation applications.
• To simplify the process of running model executions and storing RTM data.

Main Methods:

• Development of the Atmospheric Look-up table Generator (ALG) version 2.0 software.
• Generation of large, consistent simulation databases for multiple atmospheric RTMs.
• Utilizing ALG to perform intercomparison studies of radiance simulations from 6SV, MODTRAN, and libRadtran using global sensitivity analysis.

Main Results:

• ALG 2.0 successfully facilitates the generation of large databases for diverse atmospheric RTMs.
• The software enables consistent and intuitive user interaction for RTM data generation and storage.
• Intercomparison studies using ALG demonstrated its utility in analyzing radiance simulations from widely used RTMs.

Conclusions:

• The Atmospheric Look-up table Generator (ALG) 2.0 is a valuable tool for researchers working with atmospheric radiative transfer models.
• ALG simplifies complex RTM intercomparison tasks, promoting wider adoption and application in Earth observation.
• The tool is expected to enhance the usability of RTMs across various scientific domains.