Influence of sea roughness and atmospheric inhomogeneities on microwave radiation of the atmosphere-ocean system

A discussion of the influence of sea roughness and spatial atmospheric inhomogeneities on the precision of satellite microwave radiometric measurements of the atmospheric parameters is presented. The two-scale model for microwave radiation of the ruffled sea surface without foam and spray is confirmed by experimental measurements. Investigations of the brightness temperature fluctuations of the clear and cloudy atmosphere are made using aircraft experimental measurements at the wavelengths 0.8 and 1.35 cm. Calculations of the radiation averaged over a satellite antenna footprint are carried out on the basis of these results and of well-known results of optical and infrared measurements. It is shown that sea roughness and the nonuniformity of clouds may result in errors in the integrated atmosphere water vapor and cloud liquid water content determination by satellite two-wavelength (0.8 and 1.35 cm) radiometric measurements up to 30 and 70 percent, respectively.