Remote sensing of humidity fluctuations in the atmosphere

Vladimir E. Ostashev

doi:10.1117/12.154853

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15 September 1993 Remote sensing of humidity fluctuations in the atmosphere

Vladimir E. Ostashev

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Proceedings Volume 1968, Atmospheric Propagation and Remote Sensing II; (1993) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.154853
Event: Optical Engineering and Photonics in Aerospace Sensing, 1993, Orlando, FL, United States

Abstract

The structure constant of humidity fluctuations is an important statistical characteristic of the turbulent atmosphere. We propose a new method for the remote sensing of this structure constant using bistatic acoustic sounding. First of all, the new approximate equation for a sound wave in a turbulent medium with random inhomogeneities of the adiabatic sound speed, density and medium velocity is presented. This equation has a wider range of applicability than equations used before in the theory of sound propagation in turbulent media. Starting from this equation, the sound scattering cross-section (sigma) in the turbulent atmosphere is calculated. From the obtained equation it follows that at the scattering angle (theta) equals 90 degree(s) the sound wave is scattered only by humidity fluctuations. Therefore, measuring the scattering cross-section (sigma) (90 degree(s)) by bistatic acoustic sounding we can obtain the structure constant of humidity fluctuations in the atmosphere. Some problems of practical realization of the proposed method are considered.

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Vladimir E. Ostashev "Remote sensing of humidity fluctuations in the atmosphere", Proc. SPIE 1968, Atmospheric Propagation and Remote Sensing II, (15 September 1993); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.154853

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