Cambridge, Massachusetts — Further strengthening its position as the premier developer of remote sensing science and simulation algorithms for government and industry, Atmospheric and Environmental Research, Inc. (AER) of Cambridge, MA today announced patent filings for technologies to numerically model hyperspectral radiances measured by Earth orbiting satellites. Sensors aboard civilian and military satellite platforms measure down-looking microwave and infrared data which are used to determine properties of the atmosphere and earths surface for defense applications, weather prediction, and global change studies. Although formulated for satellite sensor simulation the approach can be applied to any spectral domain and instrument viewing geometry, and to the general problem of flux or radiance computation in emitting and scattering atmospheres.

The new Optimal Spectral Sampling (OSS) approach was invented by AER's Jean-Luc Moncet, Manager of the Science Applications and Programs Research and Development Group. The OSS method is particularly well suited for remote sensing applications and for the assimilation of satellite observations in Numerical Weather Prediction models. Both applications require fast and accurate models to produce radiances and radiance derivatives used for the real-time determination of profiles of atmospheric temperature and constituents from multi-spectral satellite observations (so-called "inverse" problem). "The OSS approach shows great promise for making practical the application of physical methods to infer atmospheric properties from a new generation of high spectral resolution atmospheric sounders." stated Mr. Moncet.

Founded in 1977, Atmospheric and Environmental Research, Inc. is an award-winning environmental research and consulting company with demonstrated expertise in remote sensing, satellite meteorology, numerical weather prediction, climatology, atmospheric and oceanic circulation diagnostics, atmospheric chemistry, air quality and risk assessment, environmental mathematical modeling, planetary sciences, and systems engineering. In addition to its Cambridge, MA headquarters, AER has offices in Washington, D.C.; San Francisco, Los Angeles, CA, and Omaha, NE.

Last Updated: 05/12/2000
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