TWO-DIMENSIONAL THERMAL RADIATIVE TRANSFER FROM A LAYER OF SPATIALLY INHOMOGENEOUS RANDOM MEDIUM

An approach to solve the two-dimensional vector thermal radiative transfer equation foralayer of spatially inhomogeneous random scattering medium is developed. By using theFourier transformation and matrix expression, the one-dimensional radiative transfer equationof the spectrum of the Stokes vector is derived. Employing an iterative approach in theapproximation of small albedo, the zeroth-and first-order solutions to the integral radiativetransfer equation are obtained. Numerical results of polarized brightness temperature ofatmospheric precipitation, cloud, and vegetation canopy with a Gaussian fractional volumes,respectively, are obtained. The functional dependence of brightness temperature on the in-homogeneous scale, frequency, polarization, dielectric properties of tlie underground medium,etc. are discussed.