Measurements of the foreign-broadened continuum of water vapor in the 6.3 μm band at-30 °C

The foreign-broadened continuum of water vapor in the nu(2) band (5-7.7 mu m, 1300-2000 cm(-1)) is important for satellite-based retrievals of water vapor in the upper troposphere, where temperatures are below -25 degrees C. Continuum coefficients have previously been measured mostly at or above +23 degrees C. We present continuum coefficients in the nu(2) band retrieved from measurements made in Antarctica at temperatures near -30 degrees C: atmospheric transmission at South Pole Station and atmospheric emission at Dome C. The continuum coefficients derived from these measurements are generally in agreement with the widely used Mlawer, Tobin-Clough, Kneizys, Davies continuum. Differences are at most 30%, corresponding to a 6% relative error in retrieved upper-tropospheric humidity. (c) 2006 Optical Society of America.