P 4 . 25 simultaneous retrieval of cloud height and effective emissivity from hyperspectral radiance measurements

New instrumentation and innovative communication technology enable great advancement of development of the next generation weather satellite infrared profile sounding instrument that simultaneously achieves semi-continuous measurements in spectral, spatial, and temporal domains. While these instruments are been made and planned to be flown on the research (IMG, AIRS and GIFTS), and operational (CrIS, IASI and ABS) space-borne satellite systems. The new and improved processing algorithm must be developed to keep up with the unique features provided by these new observations. The most important and common feature of these spectral radiance data which posses not only improved spectral resolution (~ 0.25 to 1 wavenumber) but also semi-continuous sampling through out the infrared spectrum. For example, AIRS infrared sounding measurements has 1200 resolving power and achieve spectral data of every 0.4 wavenumber between cloud and surface sensitivity longwave window region of 700 to 1000 wavenumber. In this spectral region approximately 750 spectral radiances are available for retrieving spectrally related characteristics such as temperature profile, cloud and earth surface emissivity property. These measurements provide unprecedented opportunity when it compares to the current and past geostationary and polar orbiting weather satellite making measurements of less than