A Fourier transform spectroradiometer for ground-based remote sensing of the atmospheric downwelling long-wave radiance

The Radiation Explorer in the Far Infrared - Prototype for Applications and Development (REFIR-PAD) is a Fourier transform spectroradiometer that has been designed to operate from both stratospheric balloon platforms and the ground. It has been successfully deployed in a stratospheric balloon flight and several ground-based campaigns from high-altitude sites, including the current installation at the Italian-French Concordia Antarctic station. The instrument is capable of operating autonomously with only a limited need of remote control and monitoring and provides a multiyear dataset of spectrally resolved atmospheric down-welling radiances, measured in the 100-1500 cm(-1) spectral range with 0.4 cm(-1) resolution and a radiometric uncertainty of better than 0.85 mW (m(2) srcm(-1))(-1).