Validation of the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder radiative transfer algorithm

[ 1] Comparisons between observed AIRS radiances and radiances computed from coincident in situ profile data are used to validate the accuracy of the AIRS radiative transfer algorithm (RTA) used in version 4 processing at Goddard Space Flight Center. In situ data sources include balloon-borne measurements with RS-90 sensors and frost point hygrometers and Raman lidar measurements of atmospheric water vapor. Estimates of the RTA accuracy vary with wave number region but approach 0.2 K in mid- to lower-tropospheric temperature and water vapor sounding channels. Temperature channel radiance biases using ECMWF forecast/analysis products are shown to be essentially identical to those observed with coincident sonde observations, with somewhat higher biases in water vapor channels. Some empirical adjustments to the RTA channel-averaged absorption coefficients were required to achieve these stated accuracies.