RUI: Ground-based Passive Remote Sensing of the Overcast Sky

United States Naval Academy- Do Not Use, Annapolis MD

Investigators

Abstract

The objective of this research is to quantify the light from the overcast sky using spectroradiometry and digital imaging to measure the photometric, colorimetric, and polarimetric properties of the light with high spectral, spatial, and temporal resolution. These observations, taken under different meteorological conditions, will constitute a better description of the physical characteristics of skylight than hitherto available and thus provide a new standard for evaluating different atmospheric radiative transfer models. Broader impacts of the work include contributing not only to atmospheric optics, but also to the understanding of cloud effects on radiative transfer and climate and to the education of undergraduate students.