download

This page is read only. You can view the source, but not change it. Ask your administrator if you think this is wrong.
libRadtran is freely available under the [[http://www.libradtran.org/doc/COPYING|GNU General Public License]]. To install libRadtran on a Unix type system follow the [[http://www.libradtran.org/doc/README.unpacking|unpacking instructions]] and the [[http://www.libradtran.org/doc/INSTALL|installation instructions]].
For the impatient:

=== 1. Get the distribution ===
Here is the [[https://www.libradtran.org/download/libRadtran-2.0.6.tar.gz|most recent version 2.0.6]] from December 24, 2024.

[[http://www.libradtran.org/download/history/|Older versions]] are also still available (if asked for username and password, please try libRadtran for both).

If you download the package we ask you to send us a short eMail to let us know that you use the model. We have created a mailing list of libRadtran users in order to notify them of additions, changes, and bug fixes on an irregular basis.

=== 2. Unpack the distribution ===
      gzip -d libradtran-x.yy.tar.gz
      tar -xvf libradtran-x.yy.tar
where x.yy is the version number.

=== 3. Compile the distribution ===
      cd libRadtran-x.yy
      ./configure
       make

=== 4. Test the program ===
      make check (make sure to use GNU make)

=== 5. Get additional modules if required ===
  * [[https://www.libradtran.org/lib/exe/fetch.php?media=download:optprop_v2.1.tar.gz|Optical properties of water clouds, ice clouds and OPAC aerosols in netcdf format]]. Please untar these data in the libRadtran directory. Note that all optical properties data has now been merged into one tar file. If you need the older data, please check [[https://www.libradtran.org/download/history/|here]]. The original OPAC aerosol data are available [[https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7275005|here]].
  * [[https://www.libradtran.org/lib/exe/fetch.php?media=download:ic_yang2013.tar.gz|Optical properties for ice cloud parameterization based on single scattering data by P. Yang et al., 2013]] (updated March 22, 2016). Please untar these data in the libRadtran directory.
  * [[https://www.libradtran.org/lib/exe/fetch.php?media=download:wc_mie_extended.tar.gz|Extended Mie tables for water cloud droplets with effective radii up to 100 micron]], please untar in the libRadtran main directory. CAVEAT: Might require a lot of memory; use only if you really need radii larger than 25 micron; otherwise download "Optical properties of water clouds ..." instead.
  * [[https://www.libradtran.org/lib/exe/fetch.php?media=download:reptran_2024_all.tar.gz|Data for the REPTRAN absorption parameterization]]. Updated December 24, 2024! Please untar these data in the libRadtran directory. Parameterization data for bands as well as for satellite channels is included.  
  * An example for a line-by-line absorption cross section profile for the oxygen A-Band around 760 nm; [[https://www.libradtran.org/download/UVSPEC.O2A.afglms.cdf|UVSPEC.O2A.afglms.cdf]] can be used as molecular_tau_file, see the libRadtran documentation of this option.
  * For the brave and strong, we also offer [[http://www.libradtran.org/download/molecular_tau/index.html|line-by-line absorption data for the spectral range 500 nm - 100 micron]]. Check the  [[http://www.libradtran.org/download/molecular_tau/README|README]]!.
  * [[https://github.com/amikko/hapi2libis|HAPI2LIBIS (v1.0)]]: A user-friendly tool to calculate line-by-line absorption coefficients for libRadtran by [[https://egusphere.copernicus.org/preprints/2025/egusphere-2025-220/|Kukkurainen et al. (2025)]] -- the famous (Antti)4-Paper.
  * Scripts to compute line-by-line absorption coefficients: [[http://atmos.eoc.dlr.de/tools/Py4CAtS/|Py4CATS]]
  * [[https://www.libradtran.org/lib/exe/fetch.php?media=download:kurudz_full.tar.gz|Full resolution extraterrestrial spectrum]] by Kurucz et al. (1992), 100 MByte!
  * [[https://mopsmap.net|MOPSMAP - a versatile tool for the modeling of aerosol optical properties]] - a web interface to generate aerosol optical properties in the netcdf format as required for libRadtran. The user may define size and shape distribution, refractive index, etc. or to use pre-defined aerosol types. The package is described in [[https://www.geosci-model-dev.net/11/2739/2018/|Gasteiger and Wiegner, 2018]].
  * [[https://www.libradtran.org/lib/exe/fetch.php?media=download:tenstream_lookup.tar.gz|Lookup table for dynamic tenstream solver]], please untar in the libRadtran main directory.
  * [[https://www.libradtran.org/lib/exe/fetch.php?media=download:hamster_1140_720.tar.gz|Hyperspectral surface albedo dataset HAMSTER]], please untar in the libRadtran main directory. This data includes one file per month (1st day of month) at a coarser resolution (0.25° in latitude and longitude). The full spatial (0.05°) and temporal (1d) resolution can be obtained [[https://opendata.physik.lmu.de/04zd8-7et52/|here (Dataset by Roccetti et al. 2024).]]


=== 6. Required software to build libRadtran ===
The following software is required to successfully compile, link and run all of the libRadtran tools:

  * GNU make. The compilation might work with other make programs, but usually it doesn't.
  * The GNU C compiler (gcc). Other compilers might also work.
  * A Fortran compiler that is compatible with the C compiler. If a C compatible Fortran compiler is not available, f2c will do the job.
  * Flex - The Fast Lexical Analyzer. Is usually available for all flavours of Linux, under Mac, and for cygwin, but not necessarily installed by default. You may have to select installation of flex manually.
  * The Perl programming language, version 5.004 or later, is required to run the automatic test. 
  * The netcdf library, including development package.
  * The GNU Scientific Library (GSL), including development package.

That's it. The example files and the [[:documentation]] should give you enough knowledge to get started.

To test libRadtran on Windows you may try the [[https://www.libradtran.org/lib/exe/fetch.php?media=download:libradtran-2.0-virtualbox.exe|Virtual Box]]. You find detailed installation instructions [[https://www.libradtran.org/lib/exe/fetch.php?media=download:run_libradtran_virtual_machine.pdf|here]].

For users of Windows 10 the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_Subsystem_for_Linux|Windows Subsystem for Linux]] is an option which allows installing libRadtran inside the subsystem. When using this subsystem be aware of the differences between Windows and Linux, e.g., with respect to pathnames (case-sensitivity, treatment of spaces, slash vs backslash). 


=== 7. Miscellaneous ===                                                                                        
                                                                                                                      
The standalone version of [[https://www.libradtran.org/lib/exe/fetch.php?media=download:cdisort-2.1.3.tar.gz|cdisort 2.1.3]] (the C language version of DISORT provided by Tim Dowling, updated July 25, 2013) may be obtained as well. See the included HOW_TO file for tips on installation and usage in a C environment. In publications, please cite Buras et al  (2011, J. Quant. Spectr. Ra. Tran. 112, 2028-2034, doi:10.1016/j.jqsrt.2011.03.019).