VISIBILITY MODEL-BASED ON SATELLITE-GENERATED LANDSCAPE DATA

A model has been developed that uses simulated photographs to display the effect of atmospheric aerosols and gases on visibility. The model is driven by data on landscape features taken from earth-orbiting sate llites, combined with digital terrain elevation data, and can be appli ed on a global scale. The effects of light scattering and absorption b y atmospheric aerosols and gases on sky color and on the appearance of objects in the field of view are calculated. The results are displaye d as a synthetic color photograph of the expected appearance of the sc ene. Quantitative comparisons are made between these synthetic images and actual photographs taken from the ground on the specific clear day and smog event days being simulated.