High spectral resolution infrared measurements provide increased capabilities over imaging radiometers for detecting clouds and aerosols and for characterizing their optical properties. For over 20-years the University of Wisconsin Cooperative Institute for Meteorological Satellite Studies (UW-CIMSS) has been developing algorithms for detecting clouds and aerosols using high-spectral resolution infrared measurements. The goal has been to apply these algorithms to current and future hyperspectral sensors on polar orbiting and geostationary satellite platforms with a view to improving our understanding of the Earth's hydrological cycle and energy budget.

This paper reviews the advantages and disadvantages of using high-spectral resolution infrared observations to detect cloud and aerosol and, where feasible, retrieve their microphysical properties. Presented is an overview of these algorithms and a demonstration of their capabilities as applied to aircraft (HIS/S-HIS/NAST-I) and satellite (AIRS) instruments.