MODEL DESCRIPTION OF TEMPERATURE DEPENDENCE OF THE H 2 O ABSORPTION IN 8-14 μm ATMOSPHERIC WINDOW

Temperature dependence of the water vapor absorption in the 8–14 μm spectral range is studied on the basis of model calculations using the individual line approximation to estimate the absorption due to the H2O rotation band and the average selective absorption. It is shown that at low temperatures the line wing absorption plays a major part as does the selective absorption at elevated temperatures. Thus, the inversion of the temperature dependence of the absorption in this spectral region is determined by the change in the relative role of the selective and continuum absorption.