Determination of Clear-Sky Radiative Flux Profiles, Heating Rates, and Optical Depths Using Unmanned Aerospace Vehicles as a Platform

In this paper the authors report results obtained using an unmanned aerospace vehicle (UAV) as an experimental platform for atmospheric radiative transfer research. These are the first ever climate measurements made from a UAV and represent a major step forward in realizing the unique potential of l...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of atmospheric and oceanic technology 1996-10, Vol.13 (5), p.1024-1030
Main Authors: Valero, Francisco P. J., Pope, Shelly K., Ellingson, Robert G., Strawa, Anthony W., Vitko, John
Format: Article
Language:English
Online Access:Get full text
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Summary:In this paper the authors report results obtained using an unmanned aerospace vehicle (UAV) as an experimental platform for atmospheric radiative transfer research. These are the first ever climate measurements made from a UAV and represent a major step forward in realizing the unique potential of long-endurance, high-altitude UAVs to contribute to climate and environmental studies. Furthermore, the radiative flux divergences determined during these experiments are some of the highest quality measurements of this kind obtained from any type of aircraft and constitute an important test of radiative transfer models.
ISSN:0739-0572
1520-0426
DOI:10.1175/1520-0426(1996)013<1024:DOCSRF>2.0.CO;2