Articles | Volume 7, issue 12
https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-7-4117-2014
https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-7-4117-2014
Research article
 | 
03 Dec 2014
Research article |  | 03 Dec 2014

Characterization of model errors in the calculation of tangent heights for atmospheric infrared limb measurements

M. Ridolfi and L. Sgheri

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Cited articles

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Short summary
In this paper, we review the main factors driving the calculation of the tangent height of spaceborne limb measurements: the ray-tracing method, the refractive index model and the assumed atmosphere. We find that commonly used ray-tracing and refraction models are very accurate, at least in the mid-infrared. The factor with the largest effect in the tangent height calculation is the assumed atmosphere, which may cause errors of up to 200m.
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