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Principal Authors:
Fawwaz T. Ulaby
David G. Long,

Contributing Authors:
William Blackwell
Charles Elachi
Adrian Fung
Chris Ruf
Kamal Sarabandi
Jakob van Zyl
Howard Zebker

Language: English
ISBN: 978-0-472-11935-6


Code 8.8: Optical Thickness and Transmissivity—Cloudy Atmosphere

Code Name: OpticalThickn_CloudyAtmos.m

Description: Code computes the optical thickness under cloudy conditions for an atmospheric layer between heights z1 and z2, containing a cloud extending between z3 and z4 for propagation along direction Θ relative to the zenith (0 < Θ < 80 °) at any frequency 0 < f < 50 GHz, using a Standard Atmosphere model. It is assumed that the cloud layer is partially or totally within the atmospheric layer of interest (z1 to z2).

Input Variables:

  T0:    Sea-surface temperature (°C)
  P0:    Sea-surface total barometric pressure (mbar)
  ρv0:    Sea-surface total water vapor density (g/m3)
  f:    Frequency (GHz)
  z1:    Base height of atmospheric layer (km)
  z2:    Top height of atmospheric layer (km)
  z3:    Base height of cloud layer (km)
  z4:    Top height of cloud layer (km)
  Θ:    Zenith angle (degrees)
  mv:    Cloud water content (g/m3)
  Cloud type:    Water or ice

Output Products:

  τ (z1,z2):    Optical thickness (Np)
  ϒ (z1,z2):    Transmissivity (unitless)

Book Reference: Section 8-3 and Eq. (8.20) and (8.96)

Code: module8_8.m