SARTA - the Stand-alone AIRS Radiative Transfer Algorithm

Introduction

The SARTA code provides a means to quickly calculate simulated AIRS radiances for a specified atmospheric profile, surface, and instrument viewing parameters. The complete SARTA package consists of three pieces: the SARTA source code, the SARTA database, and the RTP input/output library.

GES DISC (aka DAAC) Version4 Processing Equivalent

The AIRS "version 4" processing at the DAAC made use of our AIRS-RTA fast forward model. The v4 processing corresponds to the DAAC's "Collection 003" and "Collection 004" AIRS products. A stand-alone implementation of the fast model used by the v4 processing is available here for download.

GES DISC Version5 Processing Equivalent

The AIRS "version 5" processing at the GES DISC is making use of our AIRS-RTA fast forward model. The v5 processing corresponds to the GES DISC's "collection 005" AIRS products. The v5 RTA is an update of our v4 RTA with some new features and improvements. A stand-alone implementation of the v5 RTA is available here for download.

Latest & Greatest & Variants

We continue to develop SARTA. New versions of the SARTA code and/or database may appear here as new features are added, or bugs are corrected. These new versions will NOT be equivalent to what is in use at GES DISC for v5 processing.

We made a small bug fix and added a new feature, but it is still very similar to the official version5 equivalent. New bug fix 31 Jan 2008.

Over the years we have developed numerous variants of the SARTA code and database to add other capabilities (clouds/aerosols) and/or other instruments (CrIS, IASI, MODIS-IR, and others). These variants are not currently available to the general public.

Related Packages

The klayers package converts atmospheric profiles at discreet point levels into integrated slab layer profiles of the type used by SARTA. klayers uses the RTP I/O format, making it very convenient for use with SARTA.

klayers v2.04 23Jun05

MATLAB users who will be working with RTP files will definitely want to pick up our basic RTP I/O toolkit.

Tabulated AIRS Spectral Response Functions (SRFs) are available here.

AIRS SRF files

The kCARTA package provides a relatively fast way (a few minutes) to compute quasi-monochromatic transmittances, radiances, and jacobians.

Compiler considerations

Publications related to AIRS-RTA & SARTA

"An Overview of the AIRS Radiative Transfer Model", L. Larrabee Strow, Scott E. Hannon, Sergio De Souza-Machado, Howard E. Motteler, and David Tobin. IEEE Transactions On Geoscience And Remote Sensing, vol.41 No.2, February 2003.

"Validation of the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder radiative transfer algorithm", L. L. Strow, S. E. Hannon, S. De Souza-Machado, H. E. Motteler, and D. C. Tobin. Journal Of Geophysical Research, vol 111, D09S06, doi:10.1029/2005JD006146, 2006.

"Fast Forward Radiative Transfer Modeling of 4.3 um Non-Local Thermodynamic Equilibrium effects for the Aqua/AIRS Infrared Temperature Sounder", S. De Souza-Machado, L. L. Strow, S. E. Hannon, H. Motteler, M. Lopez-Puertas, B. Funke and D. P. Edwards. Geophysical Review Letters, 34, L01802 (2006), doi:10.1029/2006GL026684.

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