ABSTRACT

Millimetre-wave radiometry is more and more involved in meteorological satellites. Sounding near the 60-GHz and 118-GHz oxygen absorption-lines is to provide the temperature profile of the atmosphere, and sounding near 183 GHz is to give data about the water-vapour distribution profile.

A radiative transfer model in a scattering atmosphere bounded by sea surface is described. This model enables to compute brightness temperatures at the top of the atmosphere from surface and atmospheric parameters, and will serve as a preparation for the data treatment of future meteorologically-oriented radiometric missions. Besides, some technical radiometer points are discussed, concerning quasi-optical components, calibration, and noise temperatures ; this work is a part of the conception of a demonstration model for the Meteosat Second Generation millimetre-wave sounder.