Earth Atmospheric Absorption Lines

In summary, Earth Atmospheric Absorption Lines are specific wavelengths of light that are absorbed by gases in Earth's atmosphere, playing a crucial role in regulating the planet's climate and maintaining its temperature. The most abundant gases responsible for creating absorption lines are water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, and ozone. Scientists study these lines using remote sensing techniques and computer models. Changes in Earth's Atmospheric Absorption Lines can have a significant impact on the climate, affecting the amount of radiation reaching the surface and resulting in changes to weather patterns and global temperature.
  • #1
cepheid
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Does anyone know a good reference for absorption lines in the Earth's atmosphere at visible and NIR wavelengths (if there are any)? For example, perhaps in the range of 3500 Å to 8000 Å?

I find that the search terms are too broad to give me reasonable results on ADS. I found some atmospheric absorption spectra in Allen's Astrophysical Quantities that gave a reference to a paper that had the HITRAN database of molecular lines. However, in this paper, the lines are grouped by molelcular species rather than by wavelength, and there are a huge number of them to search through (all listed in terms of wavenumber, which makes it even more cumbersome).

I am also not sure if the HITRAN stuff is relevant to me. It looks like the purpose of HITRAN is to compile a list of spectroscopic parameters for each molecular species that would then allow one to generate artificial atmospheric absorption spectra, spectral line by spectral line.

Any help would be appreciated.
 
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  • #2
From HIRES on Keck

Residual Line
Wavelength Range Intensity Center

5885.384 5885.628 0.967 5885.519
5887.013 5889.566 0.940 5888.303
5893.029 5893.526 0.957 5893.256
5893.806 5894.199 0.959 5894.006
5899.555 5899.970 0.946 5899.771
5900.457 5900.788 0.973 5900.629
5901.351 5901.827 0.943 5901.620
5902.875 5903.313 0.935 5903.073
5910.493 5910.784 0.970 5910.634
5911.998 5912.677 0.962 5912.293
5914.386 5914.756 0.970 5914.584
5915.600 5916.037 0.974 5915.809
5916.367 5917.406 0.973 5916.912
5919.867 5920.275 0.954 5920.075
5920.508 5920.828 0.947 5920.663
5921.100 5921.498 0.938 5921.269
5925.684 5926.092 0.953 5925.894
5929.679 5930.077 0.970 5929.912
5933.582 5933.951 0.951 5933.740
5934.252 5934.572 0.970 5934.397
5941.917 5942.267 0.974 5942.098
5942.461 5942.946 0.943 5942.711
5943.121 5943.461 0.941 5943.265
5943.830 5944.491 0.947 5944.143
5945.670 5947.884 0.934 5946.901
5948.302 5948.865 0.958 5948.594
5950.612 5951.642 0.968 5951.082
5956.433 5956.821 0.976 5956.607
5959.288 5960.501 0.967 5959.846
6277.848 6287.767 0.725 6281.727
6289.205 6289.852 0.889 6289.534
6290.678 6292.295 0.841 6291.512
6293.589 6294.991 0.840 6294.283
6296.644 6298.010 0.814 6297.306
6299.878 6301.280 0.815 6300.598
6303.329 6304.838 0.816 6304.113
6307.276 6308.660 0.842 6307.958
6311.292 6312.709 0.884 6312.011
6315.645 6317.264 0.896 6316.484
6320.250 6321.580 0.950 6320.900
6325.070 6326.580 0.970 6325.800
6473.992 6475.166 0.961 6474.568
6476.613 6477.788 0.904 6477.238
6480.737 6482.103 0.926 6481.517
6484.698 6485.954 0.920 6485.326
6488.412 6488.712 0.957 6488.551
6490.706 6491.116 0.970 6490.929
6492.317 6492.836 0.912 6492.583
6494.475 6494.912 0.932 6494.695
6497.425 6497.889 0.907 6497.661
6499.063 6499.637 0.973 6499.349
6510.206 6510.509 0.965 6510.393
6513.543 6514.244 0.966 6513.916
6516.228 6516.765 0.899 6516.505
6517.419 6517.839 0.961 6517.633
6518.096 6518.609 0.892 6518.366
6518.726 6519.053 0.964 6518.881
6519.613 6519.963 0.964 6519.812
6521.014 6521.504 0.958 6521.273
6868.713 6882.348 0.090 6874.286
6885.302 6886.136 0.332 6885.721
6887.173 6889.157 0.276 6888.182
6890.306 6892.290 0.229 6891.329
6893.755 6895.693 0.208 6894.750
6897.497 6899.345 0.207 6898.348
6901.318 6903.309 0.360 6902.344
6905.611 6907.407 0.404 6906.469
6910.021 6911.817 0.448 6910.895
6914.705 6916.344 0.546 6915.603
6919.662 6921.340 0.607 6920.542
6924.814 6926.414 0.693 6925.638
6930.278 6931.956 0.796 6931.130
6935.196 6937.538 0.866 6936.475
6939.351 6940.335 0.941 6939.784
6941.302 6944.528 0.913 6942.818
6945.350 6946.076 0.915 6945.713
6948.269 6948.672 0.965 6948.470
6949.091 6949.833 0.874 6949.435
6950.656 6951.301 0.937 6950.937
6952.430 6953.316 0.963 6952.854
6955.221 6956.016 0.959 6955.603
6958.017 6958.689 0.871 6958.351
6961.088 6961.730 0.928 6961.377
6962.921 6963.487 0.889 6963.173
6966.176 6966.649 0.968 6966.440
6979.103 6979.573 0.963 6979.376
6983.100 6983.688 0.966 6983.392
6988.242 6988.672 0.941 6988.491
6990.638 6991.149 0.930 6990.909
6992.034 6993.151 0.957 6992.508
6995.132 6996.290 0.957 6995.687
7000.459 7001.317 0.924 7000.864
7006.464 7007.434 0.952 7006.850
7011.497 7012.026 0.947 7011.750
7012.797 7013.616 0.918 7013.176
7016.988 7019.590 0.817 7018.262
7020.987 7021.565 0.958 7021.279
7022.240 7023.059 0.970 7022.667
7024.167 7024.600 0.954 7024.430
7025.117 7025.763 0.949 7025.421
7028.069 7030.141 0.841 7029.180
7041.482 7041.993 0.950 7041.724
7149.423 7149.796 0.929 7149.616
7152.383 7153.354 0.944 7152.901
7158.179 7158.652 0.940 7158.398
7160.492 7161.512 0.945 7160.976
7163.801 7164.273 0.951 7164.017
7165.642 7166.562 0.945 7166.181
7169.609 7170.179 0.873 7169.866
7171.722 7172.975 0.927 7172.375
7174.420 7176.361 0.893 7175.345
7177.754 7178.345 0.934 7178.055
7178.788 7179.822 0.834 7179.338
7183.175 7183.930 0.754 7183.551
7186.046 7186.933 0.590 7186.487
7187.840 7188.557 0.778 7188.248
7188.747 7189.633 0.667 7189.273
7193.123 7194.683 0.608 7193.644
7195.237 7195.975 0.792 7195.621
7196.766 7197.209 0.905 7197.003
7197.567 7198.032 0.958 7197.770
7199.005 7200.668 0.835 7199.926
7202.164 7203.644 0.631 7202.881
7205.605 7206.586 0.656 7206.218
7208.066 7208.714 0.590 7208.389
7211.246 7211.816 0.884 7211.502
7212.987 7213.419 0.948 7213.180
7218.273 7218.722 0.883 7218.494
7225.305 7225.970 0.816 7225.596
7229.179 7229.728 0.877 7229.469
7233.967 7235.197 0.662 7234.745
7236.161 7237.042 0.602 7236.658
7237.907 7238.373 0.819 7238.118
7241.598 7242.013 0.938 7241.819
7242.246 7243.144 0.716 7242.698
7245.221 7245.986 0.672 7245.620
7247.383 7247.948 0.850 7247.649
7248.912 7249.461 0.924 7249.189
7250.674 7251.073 0.939 7250.900
7251.938 7252.437 0.922 7252.192
7253.949 7255.961 0.700 7254.937
7258.853 7260.150 0.877 7259.612
7262.511 7262.893 0.946 7262.701
7263.841 7264.173 0.935 7264.000
7264.755 7265.171 0.930 7264.957
7266.199 7266.793 0.887 7266.536
7267.229 7267.961 0.717 7267.576
7271.486 7272.437 0.955 7271.928
7274.615 7275.308 0.731 7274.965
7277.091 7277.656 0.795 7277.396
7278.138 7280.333 0.709 7279.222
7289.109 7290.317 0.843 7289.634
7292.080 7293.327 0.777 7292.535
7293.941 7295.604 0.937 7294.646
7296.753 7297.268 0.937 7297.000
7301.386 7302.099 0.943 7301.793
7304.970 7306.475 0.843 7305.758
7310.475 7311.743 0.887 7311.250
7314.416 7314.931 0.939 7314.643
7317.268 7317.782 0.937 7317.525
7319.069 7319.465 0.932 7319.293
7319.881 7320.911 0.908 7320.498
7325.782 7326.198 0.961 7325.972
7328.911 7329.564 0.963 7329.242
7332.420 7333.240 0.950 7332.861
7335.544 7335.940 0.936 7335.693
7336.954 7337.918 0.942 7337.416
7595.044 7663.558 0.008 7623.325
7665.901 7668.861 0.140 7667.426
7672.121 7674.370 0.329 7673.234
7678.218 7680.112 0.468 7679.192
7684.433 7686.328 0.608 7685.376
7690.826 7692.721 0.729 7691.800
7697.516 7699.351 0.853 7698.439
7704.500 7706.158 0.926 7705.356
7903.672 7904.213 0.936 7903.928
7910.543 7911.817 0.941 7911.077
7917.530 7918.148 0.969 7917.809
7922.471 7923.243 0.936 7922.842
7926.177 7926.949 0.951 7926.537
7930.423 7931.118 0.938 7930.729
8009.310 8010.209 0.940 8009.736
8014.827 8015.667 0.951 8015.239
8030.419 8031.199 0.950 8030.811
8135.554 8137.604 0.847 8136.539
8142.548 8144.629 0.840 8143.597
8145.670 8146.874 0.933 8146.214
8148.143 8148.761 0.920 8148.445
8149.151 8149.671 0.913 8149.423
8150.094 8152.534 0.848 8151.316
8154.225 8157.380 0.758 8156.123
8159.884 8160.535 0.746 8160.229
8163.332 8164.991 0.689 8164.129
8166.259 8167.723 0.552 8166.807
8170.618 8172.700 0.580 8171.842
8178.685 8181.612 0.522 8179.974
8183.597 8184.507 0.751 8184.077
8185.065 8185.589 0.946 8185.337
8188.178 8189.071 0.738 8188.628
8190.981 8192.152 0.524 8191.509
8194.925 8195.880 0.612 8195.364
8199.454 8200.440 0.551 8199.945
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8211.501 8212.826 0.939 8212.178
8213.935 8214.674 0.869 8214.371
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8223.394 8224.133 0.856 8223.796
8225.797 8226.629 0.812 8226.239
8227.614 8228.169 0.902 8227.925
8228.724 8229.556 0.527 8229.202
8229.740 8231.374 0.492 8230.567
8231.682 8232.298 0.773 8231.998
8233.037 8234.301 0.576 8233.648
8235.688 8237.135 0.714 8236.257
8239.292 8239.939 0.894 8239.583
8241.725 8242.465 0.912 8242.125
8245.114 8246.162 0.678 8245.688
8254.635 8255.221 0.882 8254.964
8258.271 8259.226 0.590 8258.770
8261.506 8262.307 0.813 8261.934
8265.296 8266.065 0.866 8265.682
8273.983 8274.568 0.811 8274.288
8276.140 8276.972 0.607 8276.594
8278.480 8279.264 0.888 8278.885
8281.539 8282.221 0.841 8281.854
8283.788 8284.773 0.703 8284.286
8289.829 8290.663 0.671 8290.229
8291.371 8292.154 0.872 8291.786
8296.136 8297.053 0.751 8296.538
8302.353 8303.000 0.796 8302.661
8306.258 8307.774 0.761 8307.140
8313.814 8314.522 0.912 8314.199
8318.188 8318.794 0.927 8318.479
8320.007 8320.791 0.827 8320.405
8323.216 8324.177 0.798 8323.681
8331.633 8332.239 0.902 8331.948
8340.731 8341.642 0.879 8341.223
8363.378 8365.122 0.928 8364.235
8936.182 8936.962 0.950 8936.543
8948.419 8949.792 0.940 8949.052
8950.729 8951.728 0.938 8951.210
8953.913 8955.036 0.920 8954.462
8956.316 8957.814 0.830 8957.136
8964.338 8966.305 0.835 8965.287
8967.429 8969.271 0.795 8968.238
8973.203 8974.452 0.720 8973.894
8975.014 8975.607 0.952 8975.335
8976.325 8977.854 0.860 8977.082
8978.510 8979.197 0.954 8978.825
8982.475 8984.129 0.609 8983.035
8988.483 8996.162 0.529 8992.189
9002.000 9003.842 0.479 9002.813
9005.549 9006.954 0.731 9006.242
9008.890 9010.669 0.808 9009.871
9011.105 9011.824 0.924 9011.514
9013.759 9014.914 0.659 9014.361
9018.317 9020.159 0.401 9019.105
 

1. What are Earth Atmospheric Absorption Lines?

Earth Atmospheric Absorption Lines refer to specific wavelengths of light that are absorbed by gases in Earth's atmosphere. These absorption lines are created when molecules in the atmosphere absorb light energy at specific frequencies, causing a dip or decrease in the intensity of light passing through the atmosphere.

2. Why are Earth Atmospheric Absorption Lines important?

Earth Atmospheric Absorption Lines are important because they play a crucial role in regulating Earth's climate and maintaining the planet's temperature. These absorption lines help to filter out harmful radiation from the sun, while also trapping heat and keeping Earth's surface warm enough to support life.

3. Which gases in Earth's atmosphere are responsible for creating absorption lines?

The most abundant gases in Earth's atmosphere that create absorption lines are water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, and ozone. These gases absorb specific wavelengths of light, which contributes to the overall greenhouse effect and helps to keep Earth's surface habitable.

4. How do scientists study Earth Atmospheric Absorption Lines?

Scientists study Earth Atmospheric Absorption Lines using a variety of methods, including remote sensing techniques such as satellite observations and ground-based measurements. They also use computer models to simulate the behavior of different gases in the atmosphere and how they interact with light.

5. Can changes in Earth's Atmospheric Absorption Lines impact the climate?

Yes, changes in Earth's Atmospheric Absorption Lines can have a significant impact on the climate. For example, an increase in carbon dioxide levels can lead to more infrared radiation being trapped in the atmosphere, resulting in a warmer climate. Changes in absorption lines can also affect the amount of solar radiation reaching Earth's surface, which can have consequences for weather patterns and global temperature.

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