Retrieval of Cloud, Atmospheric, and Surface Properties from Far-Infrared Spectral Radiances Measured by FIRMOS-B During the 2022 HEMERA Stratospheric Balloon Campaign
Year: 2025
Authors: Di Natale G., Belotti C., Barucci M., Ridolfi M., Viciani S., D’Amato F., Del Bianco S., Dinelli BM., Palchetti L.
Autors Affiliation: Natl Inst Opt, Consiglio Nazl Ric, Via Madonna Piano 10, I-50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Firenze, Italy; Inst Appl Phys Nello Carrara, Consiglio Nazl Ric, Via Madonna Piano 10, I-50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Firenze, Italy; Inst Atmospher Sci & Climate, Consiglio Nazl Ric, Via Gobetti 101, I-40129 Bologna, Italy.
Abstract: The knowledge of the radiative properties of clouds and the atmospheric state is of fundamental importance in modelling phenomena in numerical weather predictions and climate models. In this study, we show the results of the retrieval of cloud properties, along with the atmospheric state and the surface temperature, from far-infrared spectral radiances, in the 100-1000 cm-1 range, measured by the Far-Infrared Radiation Mobile Observation System-Balloon version (FIRMOS-B) spectroradiometer from a stratospheric balloon launched from Timmins (Canada) in August 2022 within the HEMERA 3 programme. The retrieval study is performed with the Optimal Estimation inversion approach, using three different forward models and retrieval codes to compare the results. Cloud optical depth, particle effective size, and cloud top height are retrieved with good accuracy, despite the relatively high measurement noise of the FIRMOS-B observations used for this study. The retrieved atmospheric profiles, computed simultaneously with cloud parameters, are in good agreement with both co-located radiosonde measurements and ERA-5 profiles, under all-sky conditions. The findings are very promising for the development of an optimised retrieval procedure to analyse the high-precision FIR spectral measurements, which will be delivered by the ESA FORUM mission.
Journal/Review: REMOTE SENSING
Volume: 17 (14) Pages from: 2458-1 to: 2458-20
More Information: This research and the campaign participation were funded by FIRMOS-Balloon-Technical Assistance for a Far-Infrared Radiation airborne Observation System (EE9 Forum) Project, ESA Contract No. 4000137321/22/NL/AD. The campaign participation was partially supported by the EU Horizon 2020 research and in novation programme HEMERA (grant no. 730970). The FARM code was developed within the ASI-supported agreement FIT-FORUM-Forward and Inverse Tool for FORUM (agreement n. 2023-23-HH.0, CUP n. F33C23000240005).KeyWords: Fourier Transform Spectrometer; far infrared; atmospheric retrieval; cloud properties; stratospheric balloon; ESA-FORUMDOI: 10.3390/rs17142458
