SENSITIVITY OF EXITING RADIANCES TO DETAILS OF THE SCATTERING PHASE FUNCTION

The radiances exiting the top and bottom of a cloud-free atmosphere are known to be quite sensitive to the details of the aerosol scattering phase function. This can create problems for the interpretation of satellite observations designed to monitor aerosol loadings. In this paper we examine this sensitivity, using radiative perturbation theory, a tool which is ideally suited to such a task. We show that perturbation theory is able to accurately predict the changes in the Fourier components of the exiting radiances caused by changes in the individual Legendre components of the phase function. The implications for the remote sensing of these components are discussed.