Evaluation of Laser Heterodyne Radiometry for Numerical Weather Prediction Applications

This article reports the results of a preliminary mission study to assess the potential of space-borne laser heterodyne radiometry (LHR) for the remote sensing of temperature for assimilation in a numerical weather prediction (NWP) model. The LHR instruments are low cost and small in size, lending themselves to a wide variety of satellite platforms. The impact of different configurations of an idealized LHR instrument is assessed against the Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer (IASI), via single-column linear information content analysis, using inputs consistent with the background errors of the Met Office 4D-Var assimilation system. Multiplexed configurations give promising results, in particular for sounding of upper-atmospheric temperatures.