Fast yet accurate computation of the complete radiance distribution in the coupled atmosphere-ocean system

The iteration of the source-function technique is used in conjunction with the discrete ordinate radiative transfer (DISORT) method to derive analytic solutions for the radiances at arbitrary polar angles and arbitrary levels in a multiple scattering (random) medium consisting of two strata with a change in the index of refraction across the interface between them. The atmosphere overlying a body of water (the ocean) serves as a prime example of such a system consisting of two adjacent strata with different indices of refraction. The accuracy of the solutions is tested by considering the coupled atmosphere-ocean system where absorption and scattering by molecules and particles are included. The tests show that these analytic solutions are superior to a spline interpolation that has been used previously in connection with the DISORT method applied to a random medium consisting of two strata with different indices of refraction. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.