SATELLITE REMOTE-SENSING OF TROPOSPHERIC CO AND CH4 - FORWARD MODEL STUDIES OF THE MOPITT INSTRUMENT

The Measurements of Pollution in the Troposphere (MOPITT) instrument i s designed to measure tropospheric CO and CH4 from a spaceborne platfo rm by the use of infrared gas correlation radiometers. We describe the forward model that is used as the basis for the retrieval algorithm. We present the techniques used to model the instrument and describe th e radiative transfer involved in the measurement process. Calculations have been performed to assess the sensitivity of the measured radianc e to changes in the target-gas concentration profiles, changes in the concentration of contaminating constituents, and to variations in the parameters that describe reflection and emission of radiation at the E arth's surface. (C) Optical Society of America