GLObal limb Radiance Imager for the Atmosphere (GLORIA): Scientific objectives

To achieve its objectives, GLORIA will use the first two-dimensional detector array flown in space for global limb-observations in the mid-infrared region. The detector array provides 2000 simultaneous limb-views in the altitude region from 5 to 65 km. Moderate spectral resolution is achieved by utilisation of a Michelson interferometer, which allows for measurements of atmospheric temperature fields, clouds parameters, aerosols, water vapour, ozone, and about 10 other trace species. Moreover, the first global observations of gravity-wave momentum fluxes will be obtained from GLORIA temperature observations.