Global predictions of the optical sensing through turbulence

Electro-optical sensors are affected by the atmospheric turbulence, as quantified by the refractive index structure parameter. The present study introduces a method to predict the meteorological-scale variations of this quantity near the surface. The predictions are evaluated against long-term scintillometry measurements. The essential aspects of the meteorological variability of the optical turbulence rate are captured. The method is illustrated to provide a global and predictive assessment of the optical turbulence rate. It can also be used to analyze the corresponding climatological distributions. Existing relationships can further be incorporated to form predictions of the mean optical sensing performance.