Radiative transfer model intercomparisons

Intercomparisons co-ordinated by the RTSP-WG

The AIRS RT model intercomparison co-ordinated by Roger Saunders was completed in January 2006. A paper has been submitted to JGR Atmospheres.
The Garand intercomparison of fast and line-by-line radiative transfer model calculations for ATOVS channels, co-ordinated by Louis Garand, was completed in 2001. The results of this intercomparison were published in JGR Atmospheres (full reference below).
A preliminary comparison of forward and adjoint results between a “traditional” model (CRTM) and a principal component model (PCRTM) was performed by Quanhua Liu (NESDIS/STAR) and Xu Liu (NASA) at the JCSDA.

Intercomparisons co-ordinated by other groups

Una O’Keefe (MetOffice) has been working on intercomparisons between the RTTOV (just cloud absorption) and DOTLRT (Discrete Ordinate Tangent-Linear Radiative Transfer) models. Contact Una O’Keefe for details.
Marco Matricardi (ECMWF) has prepared a report of intercomparisons between LBL codes used in the development of fast RT models for use in NWP. See ECMWF Tech. Memo. 525, May 2007 for details.
A comparison of ARTS (Atmospheric Radiative Transfer Simulator) and RTTOVSCATT (RTTOV SCATTering) has been completed by the Satellite Atmospheric Science Group at Luleå University of Technology. A description of their work, along with the atmospheric profile and single scattering property data is availabe from their ARTS/RTTOVSCATT Comparison website.
Paul van Delst (JCSDA) and Roger Saunders (MetOffice) investigated the incorporation of the RTTOV transmittance model in the CRTM. See NWPSAF-MO-VS-022, 29 September 2006 for details.
The Line-by-line Intercomparison Experiment (LIE) was sponsored by Eumetsat and the IASI Science Sounder Working Group (ISSWG), and co-ordinated by Stephen Tjemkes. The results of the LIE are documented in the Eumetsat Technical Memorandum TM08 and were published in the Journal of Quantitative Spectroscopy and Radiative Transfer (full reference below).
The GVaP HIRS-12 channel intercomparison was co-ordinated by Brian Soden. The results of this intercomparison were reported in the Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society (full reference below).

References for intercomparison publications

Garand L, Turner DS, Larocque M, Bates J, Boukabara S, Brunel P, Chevallier F, Deblonde G, Engelen R, Hollingshead M, Jackson D, Jedlovec G, Joiner J, Kleespies T, McKague DS, McMillin L, Moncet JL, Pardo JR, Rayer PJ, Salathe E, Saunders R, Scott NA, Van Delst P, Woolf H, Radiance and Jacobian intercomparison of radiative transfer models applied to HIRS and AMSU channels, Journal of Geophysical Research-Atmospheres 106 (D20): 24017-24031, 2001

Tjemkes SA, Patterson T, Rizzi R, Shephard MW, Clough SA, Matricardi M, Haigh JD, Hopfner M, Payan S, Trotsenko A, Scott N, Rayer P, Taylor JP, Clerbaux C, Strow LL, DeSouza-Machado S, Tobin D, Knuteson R , The ISSWG line-by-line intercomparison experiment, Journal of Quantitative Spectroscopy and Radiative Transfer, 77(4) 433:453, 2003.

Soden B, Tjemkes S, Schmetz J, Saunders R, Bates J, Ellingson B, Engelen R, Garand L, Jackson D, Jedlovec G, Kleespies T, Randel D, Rayer P, Salathe E, Schwarzkopf D, Scott N, Sohn B, de Souza-Machado S, Strow L, Tobin D, Turner D, van Delst P, Wehr T, An intercomparison of radiation codes for retrieving upper-tropospheric humidity in the 6.3 micron band: A report from the first GVaP Workshop, Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, 81(4), 797-808, 2000.