The marine-atmospheric emitted radiance interferometer: A high-accuracy, seagoing infrared spectroradiometer

The Marine-Atmospheric Emitted Radiance Interferometer (M-AERI) is describe d, and some examples of the environmental variables that can be derived fro m its measurements and the types of research that these can support are bri efly presented. The M-AERI is a robust, accurate, self-calibrating, seagoin g Fourier-transform interferometric infrared spectroradiometer that is depl oyed on marine platforms to measure the emission spectra from the sea surfa ce and marine atmosphere. The instrument works continuously under computer control and functions well under a very wide range of environmental conditi ons with a high rate of data return. Spectral measurements are made in the range of similar to3 to similar to 18 mum wavelength and are calibrated usi ng two internal, National Institute of Standards and Technology-traceable b lackbody cavities. The environmental variables derived from the spectra inc lude the surface skin temperature of the ocean, surface emissivity, near-su rface air temperature, and profiles of temperature and humidity through the lower troposphere. These measurements are sufficiently accurate both to va lidate satellite-derived surface temperature fields and to study the physic s of the skin layer.