Space Science and Engineering Center

AERI (Atmospheric Emitted Radiance Interferometer) is a ground-based instrument that measures downward traveling atmospheric infrared radiation in discrete wavelengths from 3-25 µm. Scientists at CIMSS/SSEC designed this instrument, and continue to build and develop this system for use in research conducted by CIMSS/SSEC and by collaborators, including the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) program.

AERI instruments are used to conduct atmospheric temperature/moisture profiling, cloud retrieval, infrared radiance modeling and ocean-land surface remote sensing. Due to the AERI system's high temporal, vertical and spectral resolution (less than 10 minutes, 100 meters, and less than one wavenumber, respectively), the system can provide data for atmospheric stability index monitoring, planetary boundary layer research, mesoscale model initialization, verification, and nowcasting. Ground-based AERI measurements are also used to infer cloud phase, cirrus cloud absorption optical depth, cloud emissivity, and effective particle size.