Atmospheric Chemistry Experiment (ACE): An Overview

2001 ◽  
pp. 147-160 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Bernath
Keyword(s):  
Atmospheric Chemistry ◽  
Chemistry Experiment

scholarly journals The high Arctic in extreme winters: vortex, temperature, and MLS and ACE-FTS trace gas evolution

2008 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 505-522 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. L. Manney ◽  
W. H. Daffer ◽  
K. B. Strawbridge ◽  
K. A. Walker ◽  
C. D. Boone ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Atmospheric Chemistry ◽  
Lower Stratosphere ◽  
High Arctic ◽  
Trace Gas ◽  
Satellite Measurements ◽  
Broadband Emission ◽  
Gas Measurements ◽  
Chemistry Experiment ◽  
Very High ◽  
Good Agreement

Abstract. The first three Arctic winters of the ACE mission represented two extremes of winter variability: Stratospheric sudden warmings (SSWs) in 2004 and 2006 were among the strongest, most prolonged on record; 2005 was a record cold winter. Canadian Arctic Atmospheric Chemistry Experiment (ACE) Validation Campaigns were conducted at Eureka (80° N, 86° W) during each of these winters. New satellite measurements from ACE-Fourier Transform Spectrometer (ACE-FTS), Sounding of the Atmosphere using Broadband Emission Radiometry (SABER), and Aura Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS), along with meteorological analyses and Eureka lidar temperatures, are used to detail the meteorology in these winters, to demonstrate its influence on transport, and to provide a context for interpretation of ACE-FTS and validation campaign observations. During the 2004 and 2006 SSWs, the vortex broke down throughout the stratosphere, reformed quickly in the upper stratosphere, and remained weak in the middle and lower stratosphere. The stratopause reformed at very high altitude, near 75 km. ACE measurements covered both vortex and extra-vortex conditions in each winter, except in late-February through mid-March 2004 and 2006, when the strong, pole-centered vortex that reformed after the SSWs resulted in ACE sampling only inside the vortex in the middle through upper stratosphere. The 2004 and 2006 Eureka campaigns were during the recovery from the SSWs, with the redeveloping vortex over Eureka. 2005 was the coldest winter on record in the lower stratosphere, but with an early final warming in mid-March. The vortex was over Eureka at the start of the 2005 campaign, but moved away as it broke up. Disparate temperature profile structure and vortex evolution resulted in much lower (higher) temperatures in the upper (lower) stratosphere in 2004 and 2006 than in 2005. Satellite temperatures agree well with lidar data up to 50–60 km, and ACE-FTS, MLS and SABER show good agreement in high-latitude temperatures throughout the winters. Consistent with a strong, cold upper stratospheric vortex and enhanced radiative cooling after the SSWs, MLS and ACE-FTS trace gas measurements show strongly enhanced descent in the upper stratospheric vortex in late January through March 2006 compared to that in 2005.

scholarly journals Global stratospheric measurements of the isotopologues of methane from the Atmospheric Chemistry Experiment Fourier Transform Spectrometer

2015 ◽  
Vol 8 (10) ◽  
pp. 11171-11207
Author(s):  
E. M. Buzan ◽  
C. A. Beale ◽  
C. D. Boone ◽  
P. F. Bernath
Keyword(s):  
Fourier Transform ◽  
Atmospheric Chemistry ◽  
Climate Model ◽  
Fourier Transform Spectrometer ◽  
Atmospheric Methane ◽  
Community Climate Model ◽  
Atmospheric Sinks ◽  
Chemistry Experiment ◽  
Methane Concentrations ◽  
Balloon Measurements

Abstract. This paper presents an analysis of observations of methane and its two major isotopologues, CH3D and 13CH4 from the Atmospheric Chemistry Experiment (ACE) satellite between 2004 and 2013. Additionally, atmospheric methane chemistry is modeled using the Whole Atmospheric Community Climate Model (WACCM). ACE retrievals of methane extend from 6 km for all isotopologues to 75 km for 12CH4, 35 km for CH3D, and 50 km for 13CH4. While total methane concentrations retrieved from ACE agree well with the model, values of δD–CH4 and δ13C–CH4 show a bias toward higher δ compared to the model and balloon-based measurements. Calibrating δD and δ13C from ACE using WACCM in the troposphere gives improved agreement in δD in the stratosphere with the balloon measurements, but values of δ13C still disagree. A model analysis of methane's atmospheric sinks is also performed.

scholarly journals Model – TCCON comparisons of column-averaged methane with a focus on the stratosphere

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andreas Ostler ◽  
Ralf Sussmann ◽  
Prabir K. Patra ◽  
Sander Houweling ◽  
Marko De Bruine ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Atmospheric Chemistry ◽  
Transport Model ◽  
Meteorological Data ◽  
Michelson Interferometer ◽  
Total Carbon ◽  
Data Sets ◽  
Transport Models ◽  
Improved Model ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Chemistry Experiment

Abstract. The distribution of methane (CH4) in the stratosphere can be a major driver of spatial variability in the dry-air column-averaged CH4 mixing ratio (XCH4), which is being measured increasingly for the assessment of CH4 surface emissions. Chemistry-transport models (CTMs) therefore need to simulate the tropospheric and stratospheric fractional columns of XCH4 accurately for estimating surface emissions from XCH4. Simulations from three CTMs are tested against XCH4 observations from the Total Carbon Column Network (TCCON). We analyze how the model-TCCON agreement in XCH4 depends on the model representation of stratospheric CH4 distributions. Model equivalents of TCCON XCH4 are computed with stratospheric CH4 fields from both the model simulations and from satellite-based CH4 distributions from MIPAS (Michelson Interferometer for Passive Atmospheric Sounding) and MIPAS CH4 fields adjusted to ACE-FTS (Atmospheric Chemistry Experiment Fourier Transform Spectrometer) observations. In comparison to simulated model fields we find an improved model-TCCON XCH4 agreement for all models with MIPAS-based stratospheric CH4 fields. For the Atmospheric Chemistry Transport Model (ACTM) the average XCH4 bias is significantly reduced from 38.1 ppb to 13.7 ppb, whereas small improvements are found for the models TM5 (Transport Model, version 5; from 8.7 ppb to 4.3 ppb), and LMDz (Laboratoire de Météorologie Dynamique model with Zooming capability; from 6.8 ppb to 4.3 ppb), respectively. MIPAS stratospheric CH4 fields adjusted to ACE-FTS reduce the average XCH4 bias for ACTM (3.3 ppb), but increase the average XCH4 bias for TM5 (10.8 ppb) and LMDz (20.0 ppb). These findings imply that the range of satellite-based stratospheric CH4 is insufficient to resolve a possible stratospheric contribution to differences in total column CH4 between TCCON and TM5 or LMDz. Applying transport diagnostics to the models indicates that model-to-model differences in the simulation of stratospheric transport, notably the age of stratospheric air, can largely explain the inter-model spread in stratospheric CH4 and, hence, its contribution to XCH4. This implies that there is a need to better understand the impact of individual model transport components (e.g., physical parameterization, meteorological data sets, model horizontal/vertical resolution) on modeled stratospheric CH4.

scholarly journals Ethane, ethyne and carbon monoxide concentrations in the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere from ACE and GEOS-Chem: a comparison study

2011 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 13099-13139 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. González Abad ◽  
N. D. C. Allen ◽  
P. F. Bernath ◽  
C. D. Boone ◽  
S. D. McLeod ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Monoxide ◽  
Atmospheric Chemistry ◽  
Transport Model ◽  
Chemical Mechanism ◽  
Chemical Transport Model ◽  
Spectrometer Data ◽  
Chemistry Experiment ◽  
Global Mean ◽  
Tropospheric Concentrations ◽  
Good Agreement

Abstract. Near global upper tropospheric concentrations of carbon monoxide (CO), ethane (C2H6) and ethyne (C2H2) from ACE (Atmospheric Chemistry Experiment) Fourier transform spectrometer on board the Canadian satellite SCISAT-1 are presented and compared with the output from the Chemical Transport Model (CTM) GEOS-Chem. The retrievals of ethane and ethyne from ACE have been improved for this paper by using new sets of microwindows compared with those for previous versions of ACE data. With the improved ethyne retrieval we have been able to produce a near global upper tropospheric distribution of C2H2 from space. Carbon monoxide, ethane and ethyne concentrations retrieved using ACE spectra show the expected seasonality linked to variations in the anthropogenic emissions and destruction rates as well as seasonal biomass burning activity. The GEOS-Chem model was run using the dicarbonyl chemistry suite, an extended chemical mechanism in which ethyne is treated explicitly. Seasonal cycles observed from satellite data are well reproduced by the model output, however the simulated CO concentrations are found to be systematically biased low over the Northern Hemisphere. An average negative global mean bias of 12% and 7% of the model relative to the satellite observations has been found for CO and C2H6 respectively and a positive global mean bias of 1% has been found for C2H2. ACE data are compared for validation purposes with MkIV spectrometer data and Global Tropospheric Experiment (GTE) TRACE-A campaign data showing good agreement with all of them.

scholarly journals Sunset–sunrise difference in solar occultation ozone measurements (SAGE II, HALOE, and ACE–FTS) and its relationship to tidal vertical winds

2014 ◽  
Vol 14 (11) ◽  
pp. 16043-16083
Author(s):  
T. Sakazaki ◽  
M. Shiotani ◽  
M. Suzuki ◽  
D. Kinnison ◽  
J. M. Zawodny ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Atmospheric Chemistry ◽  
Seasonal Variations ◽  
Climate Model ◽  
Transport Model ◽  
Stratospheric Aerosol ◽  
Chemical Transport Model ◽  
Latitude Range ◽  
Solar Occultation ◽  
Vertical Winds ◽  
Chemistry Experiment

Abstract. This paper contains a comprehensive investigation of the sunset–sunrise difference (SSD; i.e., the sunset-minus-sunrise value) of the ozone mixing ratio in the latitude range of 10° S–10° N. SSD values were determined from solar occultation measurements based on data obtained from the Stratospheric Aerosol and Gas Experiment (SAGE) II, the Halogen Occultation Experiment (HALOE), and the Atmospheric Chemistry Experiment Fourier Transform Spectrometer (ACE-FTS). The SSD was negative at altitudes of 20–30 km (–0.1 ppmv at 25 km) and positive at 30–50 km (+0.2 ppmv at 40–45 km) for HALOE and ACE–FTS data. SAGE II data also showed a qualitatively similar result, although the SSD in the upper stratosphere was two times larger than those derived from the other datasets. On the basis of an analysis of data from the Superconducting Submillimeter Limb Emission Sounder (SMILES), and a nudged chemical-transport model (the Specified Dynamics version of the Whole Atmosphere Community Climate Model: SD–WACCM), we conclude that the SSD can be explained by diurnal variations in the ozone concentration, particularly those caused by vertical transport by the atmospheric tidal winds. All datasets showed significant seasonal variations in the SSD; the SSD in the upper stratosphere is greatest from December through February, while that in the lower stratosphere reaches a maximum twice: during the periods March–April and September–October. Based on an analysis of SD–WACCM results, we found that these seasonal variations follow those associated with the tidal vertical winds.

scholarly journals Aerosol extinction profiles at 525 nm and 1020 nm derived from ACE imager data: comparisons with GOMOS, SAGE II, SAGE III, POAM III, and OSIRIS

2008 ◽  
Vol 8 (7) ◽  
pp. 2027-2037 ◽  
Author(s):  
F. Vanhellemont ◽  
C. Tetard ◽  
A. Bourassa ◽  
M. Fromm ◽  
J. Dodion ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Atmospheric Chemistry ◽  
Trace Gas ◽  
Aerosol Extinction ◽  
Optical Extinction ◽  
Solar Occultation ◽  
Comparison Results ◽  
Stellar Occultation ◽  
Relative Differences ◽  
Atmospheric Trace Gas ◽  
Chemistry Experiment

Abstract. The Canadian ACE (Atmospheric Chemistry Experiment) mission is dedicated to the retrieval of a large number of atmospheric trace gas species using the solar occultation technique in the infrared and UV/visible spectral domain. However, two additional solar disk imagers (at 525 nm and 1020 nm) were added for a number of reasons, including the retrieval of aerosol and cloud products. In this paper, we present first comparison results for these imager aerosol/cloud optical extinction coefficient profiles, with the ones derived from measurements performed by 3 solar occultation instruments (SAGE II, SAGE III, POAM III), one stellar occultation instrument (GOMOS) and one limb sounder (OSIRIS). The results indicate that the ACE imager profiles are of good quality in the upper troposphere/lower stratosphere, although the aerosol extinction for the visible channel at 525 nm contains a significant negative bias at higher altitudes, while the relative differences indicate that ACE profiles are almost always too high at 1020 nm. Both problems are probably related to ACE imager instrumental issues.

scholarly journals CO measurements from the ACE-FTS satellite instrument: data analysis and validation using ground-based, airborne and spaceborne observations

2008 ◽  
Vol 8 (9) ◽  
pp. 2569-2594 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Clerbaux ◽  
M. George ◽  
S. Turquety ◽  
K. A. Walker ◽  
B. Barret ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Fourier Transform ◽  
Atmospheric Chemistry ◽  
Measurement Data ◽  
Upper Troposphere ◽  
Remote Sensors ◽  
Key Species ◽  
Vibrational Bands ◽  
Good Tracer ◽  
Chemistry Experiment ◽  
Better Than

Abstract. The Atmospheric Chemistry Experiment (ACE) mission was launched in August 2003 to sound the atmosphere by solar occultation. Carbon monoxide (CO), a good tracer of pollution plumes and atmospheric dynamics, is one of the key species provided by the primary instrument, the ACE-Fourier Transform Spectrometer (ACE-FTS). This instrument performs measurements in both the CO 1-0 and 2-0 ro-vibrational bands, from which vertically resolved CO concentration profiles are retrieved, from the mid-troposphere to the thermosphere. This paper presents an updated description of the ACE-FTS version 2.2 CO data product, along with a comprehensive validation of these profiles using available observations (February 2004 to December 2006). We have compared the CO partial columns with ground-based measurements using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and millimeter wave radiometry, and the volume mixing ratio profiles with airborne (both high-altitude balloon flight and airplane) observations. CO satellite observations provided by nadir-looking instruments (MOPITT and TES) as well as limb-viewing remote sensors (MIPAS, SMR and MLS) were also compared with the ACE-FTS CO products. We show that the ACE-FTS measurements provide CO profiles with small retrieval errors (better than 5% from the upper troposphere to 40 km, and better than 10% above). These observations agree well with the correlative measurements, considering the rather loose coincidence criteria in some cases. Based on the validation exercise we assess the following uncertainties to the ACE-FTS measurement data: better than 15% in the upper troposphere (8–12 km), than 30% in the lower stratosphere (12–30 km), and than 25% from 30 to 100 km.

scholarly journals The SPARC water vapour assessment II: Profile-to-profile and climatological comparisons of stratospheric <i>δ</i>D(H<sub>2</sub>O) observations from satellite

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charlotta Högberg ◽  
Stefan Lossow ◽  
Ralf Bauer ◽  
Kaley A. Walker ◽  
Patrick Eriksson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Water Vapour ◽  
Atmospheric Chemistry ◽  
Lower Stratosphere ◽  
Isotopic Ratio ◽  
Michelson Interferometer ◽  
Data Sets ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Spectroscopic Database ◽  
Temporal And Spatial ◽  
Chemistry Experiment

Abstract. Within the framework of the second SPARC (Stratosphere-troposphere Processes And their Role in Climate) water vapour assessment (WAVAS-II), we have evaluated five data sets of δD(H2O) obtained from observations of Odin/SMR (Sub-Millimetre Radiometer), Envisat/MIPAS (Environmental Satellite/Michelson Interferometer for Passive Atmospheric Sounding) and SCISAT/ACE-FTS (Science Satellite/Atmospheric Chemistry Experiment-Fourier Transform Spectrometer) using profile-to-profile and climatological comparisons. Our focus is on stratospheric altitudes, but results from the upper troposphere to the lower mesosphere are provided. There are clear quantitative differences in the measurements of the isotopic ratio, which primarily concerns the comparisons to the SMR data set. In the lower stratosphere, this data set shows a higher depletion than the MIPAS and ACE-FTS data sets. The differences maximise close to 50 hPa and exceed 200 per mille. With increasing altitude, the biases typically decrease. Above 4 hPa, the SMR data set shows a lower depletion than the MIPAS data sets, on occasion exceeding 100 per mille. Overall, the δD biases of the SMR data set are driven by HDO biases in the lower stratosphere and by H2O biases in the upper stratosphere and lower mesosphere. In between, in the middle stratosphere, the biases in δD are a combination of deviations in both HDO and H2O. These biases are attributed to issues with the calibration, in particular in terms of the sideband filtering for H2O, and uncertainties in spectroscopic parameters. The MIPAS and ACE-FTS data sets agree rather well between about 100 hPa and 10 hPa. The MIPAS data sets show less depletion below about 15 hPa (up to about 30 per mille), due to differences in both HDO and H2O. Higher up the picture is reversed, and towards the upper stratosphere the biases typically increase. This is driven by increasing biases in H2O and on occasion the differences in δD exceed 80 per mille. Below 100 hPa, the differences between the MIPAS and ACE-FTS data sets are even larger. In the climatological comparisons, the MIPAS data sets continue to show less depletion than the ACE-FTS data sets below 15 hPa during all seasons, with some variations in magnitude. The differences between the MIPAS and ACE-FTS data come from different aspects, such as differences in the temporal and spatial sampling (except for the profile-to-profile comparisons), cloud influence, vertical resolution, and the microwindows and spectroscopic database chosen. Differences between data sets from the same instrument are typically small in the stratosphere.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document