Date of Award
12-24-2015
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Department
Department of Engineering Physics
First Advisor
Steven T. Fiorino, PhD.
Abstract
The wealth of available scientific data collected by the modern constellation of meteorological satellites can be exploited in new and innovative ways, with direct benefit to directed energy applications. The Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) provides accurate, geolocated temperature data, which are used as the starting point for the derivation of atmospheric parameters critical to prediction of sensor or directed energy system performance. Twenty-four hour data coverage is achieved by extending the atmospheric characterization between satellite observations using Numerical Weather Prediction (NWP) models. A technique is developed to derive wind profiles using AIRS temperature data and the accuracy of these winds is evaluated. These winds are not found to be as accurate as the winds available from modern NWP models, but their usefulness is demonstrated for the stratosphere and lower mesosphere where NWP model data are not readily available.
AFIT Designator
AFIT-ENP-DS-15-D-009
DTIC Accession Number
AD1003080
Recommended Citation
Meier, David C., "Operational Exploitation of Satellite-Based Sounding Data and Numerical Weather Prediction Models for Directed Energy Applications" (2015). Theses and Dissertations. 232.
https://scholar.afit.edu/etd/232