scholarly journals Evaluation of the OMPS/LP stratospheric aerosol extinction product using SAGE III/ISS observations

2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (6) ◽  
pp. 3471-3485
Author(s):  
Zhong Chen ◽  
Pawan K. Bhartia ◽  
Omar Torres ◽  
Glen Jaross ◽  
Robert Loughman ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Size Distribution ◽  
Pearson Correlation ◽  
Volcanic Eruptions ◽  
Stratospheric Aerosol ◽  
Aerosol Size Distribution ◽  
Retrieval Algorithm ◽  
Aerosol Layer ◽  
Aerosol Extinction ◽  
Extinction Time ◽  
Altitude Range

Abstract. The Ozone Mapping and Profiler Suite Limb Profiler (OMPS/LP) has been taking limb-scattered measurements since April 2012. It is designed to produce ozone and aerosol vertical profiles at a 1.6 km vertical resolution over the entire sunlit globe. The Version 1.5 (V1.5) aerosol extinction retrieval algorithm provides aerosol extinction profiles using observed radiances at 675 nm. The algorithm assumes Mie theory and a gamma function aerosol size distribution for the stratospheric aerosol that is derived from results calculated by the Community Aerosol and Radiation Model for Atmospheres (CARMA). In this paper, we compare V1.5 LP aerosol profiles with SAGE III/ISS solar occultation observations for the period from June 2017 to May 2019, when both measurements were available to evaluate our ability to characterize background aerosol conditions. Overall, LP extinction profiles agree with SAGE III/ISS data to within ±25 % for altitudes between 19 and 27 km, even during periods perturbed by volcanic eruptions or intense forest fires. In this altitude range, the slope parameter of linear fitting of LP extinction values with respect to SAGE III/ISS measurements is close to 1.0, with Pearson correlation coefficients of r≥0.95, indicating that the LP aerosol data are reliable in that altitude range. Comparisons of extinction time series show that both instruments capture the variability of the stratospheric aerosol layer quite well, and the differences between the two instruments vary from 0 % to ±25 % depending on altitude, latitude, and time. In contrast, we find erroneous seasonal variations in the OMPS/LP Version 1.5 dataset, which usually exist below 20 km in the Southern Hemisphere due to the lack of sensitivity to particles when the scattering angle (SA) is greater than 145∘. We also find that LP-retrieved extinction is systematically higher than SAGE III/ISS observations at altitudes above 28 km and systematically lower below 19 km in the tropics with significant biases up to ±13 %. This is likely due in part to the fact that the actual aerosol size distribution is altitude dependent. There are also other reasons related to cloud contamination, wavelength limitations, aerosol loading, and the influence of the viewing configuration.

scholarly journals Evaluation of OMPS/LP Stratospheric Aerosol Extinction Product Using SAGE III/ISS Observations

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhong Chen ◽  
Pawan K. Bhartia ◽  
Omar Torres ◽  
Glen Jaross ◽  
Robert Loughman ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Size Distribution ◽  
Forest Fires ◽  
Correlation Coefficients ◽  
Volcanic Eruptions ◽  
Stratospheric Aerosol ◽  
Aerosol Size Distribution ◽  
Retrieval Algorithm ◽  
Aerosol Layer ◽  
Aerosol Extinction ◽  
Extinction Time

Abstract. The Ozone Mapping and Profiler Suite Limb Profiler (OMPS/LP) has been flying on the Suomi NPP satellite since October 2011. It is designed to produce ozone and aerosol vertical profiles at 1.6 km vertical resolution over the entire sunlit globe. The Version 1.5 (V1.5) aerosol extinction retrieval algorithm provides aerosol extinction profiles using observed radiances at 675 nm. The algorithm assumes Mie theory and a gamma function aerosol size distribution for the stratospheric aerosol that is derived from Community Aerosol and Radiation Model for Atmospheres (CARMA) calculated results and observations in April 2012. In this paper, we compare V1.5 LP aerosol profiles with SAGE III/ISS solar occultation observations for the period June 2017 – May 2019, when both measurements were available. Overall, LP extinction profiles agree with SAGE data to within ±25 % for the main aerosol layer between 19 and 27 km, even during periods perturbed by volcanic eruptions or intense forest fires. The slope parameter of linear fitting of LP extinctions with respect to SAGE measurements are close to 1.0, with Pearson's correlation coefficients of r ≥ 0.95, indicating that the LP aerosol data are reliable in that altitude range. Comparisons of extinction time series show a high degree of correlation between LP and SAGE, indicating that the LP retrieved extinction variability in time is robust. On the other hand, we find that LP retrieved extinction is systematically higher than SAGE observations at altitudes above 28 km and systematically lower below 19 km in the tropics. This is likely due in part to the fact that the actual aerosol size distribution is altitude dependent, while the assumed size distribution in the V1.5 retrieval is assumed to be altitude independent and so it may be less accurate for altitudes above 28 km and below 19 km where the size distribution is more variable. There are other reasons related to cloud contamination, wavelength limitations and the accuracy of both instruments at low aerosol loading.

scholarly journals Evidence for the predictability of changes in the stratospheric aerosol size following volcanic eruptions of diverse magnitudes using space-based instruments

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Larry W. Thomason ◽  
Mahesh Kovilakam ◽  
Anja Schmidt ◽  
Christian von Savigny ◽  
Travis Knepp ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Size Distribution ◽  
Extinction Coefficient ◽  
Volcanic Eruptions ◽  
Stratospheric Aerosol ◽  
Global Climate Models ◽  
Aerosol Size Distribution ◽  
Aerosol Layer ◽  
Aerosol Extinction ◽  
Volcanic Event ◽  
Aerosol Extinction Coefficient

Abstract. An analysis of multiwavelength stratospheric aerosol extinction coefficient data from the Stratospheric Aerosol and Gas Experiment II and III/ISS instruments is used to demonstrate a coherent relationship between the perturbation in extinction coefficient in an eruption's main aerosol layer and an apparent change in aerosol size distribution that spans multiple orders of magnitude in the stratospheric impact of a volcanic event. The relationship is measurement-based and does not rely on assumptions about the aerosol size distribution. We note limitations on this analysis including that the presence of significant amounts of ash in the main aerosol layer may significantly modulate these results. Despite this limitation, these findings represent a unique opportunity to verify the performance of interactive aerosol models used in Global Climate Models and Earth System Model and may suggest an avenue for improving aerosol extinction coefficient measurements from single channel observations such the Optical Spectrograph and Infrared Imager System as they rely on a priori assumptions about particle size.

scholarly journals Evidence for the predictability of changes in the stratospheric aerosol size following volcanic eruptions of diverse magnitudes using space-based instruments

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 1143-1158 ◽  
Author(s):  
Larry W. Thomason ◽  
Mahesh Kovilakam ◽  
Anja Schmidt ◽  
Christian von Savigny ◽  
Travis Knepp ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Extinction Coefficient ◽  
Climate Models ◽  
Single Channel ◽  
Volcanic Eruptions ◽  
Stratospheric Aerosol ◽  
Global Climate Models ◽  
Aerosol Size Distribution ◽  
Aerosol Layer ◽  
Aerosol Extinction ◽  
Aerosol Extinction Coefficient

Abstract. An analysis of multiwavelength stratospheric aerosol extinction coefficient data from the Stratospheric Aerosol and Gas Experiment II and III/ISS instruments is used to demonstrate a coherent relationship between the perturbation in extinction coefficient in an eruption's main aerosol layer and the wavelength dependence of that perturbation. This relationship spans multiple orders of magnitude in the aerosol extinction coefficient of stratospheric impact of volcanic events. The relationship is measurement-based and does not rely on assumptions about the aerosol size distribution. We note limitations on this analysis including that the presence of significant amounts of ash in the main sulfuric acid aerosol layer and other factors may significantly modulate these results. Despite these limitations, the findings suggest an avenue for improving aerosol extinction coefficient measurements from single-channel observations such as the Optical Spectrograph and Infrared Imager System as they rely on a prior assumptions about particle size. They may also represent a distinct avenue for the comparison of observations with interactive aerosol models used in global climate models and Earth system models.

scholarly journals Stratospheric aerosol particle size information in Odin-OSIRIS limb scatter spectra

2013 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 5065-5099
Author(s):  
L. A. Rieger ◽  
A. E. Bourassa ◽  
D. A. Degenstein
Keyword(s):  
Particle Size ◽  
Particle Size Distribution ◽  
Size Distribution ◽  
Imaging System ◽  
Stratospheric Aerosol ◽  
Retrieval Algorithm ◽  
Aerosol Layer ◽  
Aerosol Extinction ◽  
Model Calculations ◽  
Size Information

Abstract. The Optical Spectrograph and InfraRed Imaging System (OSIRIS) on-board the Odin satellite has now taken over a decade of limb scatter measurements that have been used to retrieve the Version 5 stratospheric aerosol extinction product. This product is retrieved using a representative particle size distribution to calculate scattering cross sections and scattering phase functions for the forward model calculations. In this work the information content of OSIRIS measurements with respect to stratospheric aerosol is systematically examined for the purpose of retrieving particle size information along with the extinction coefficient. The benefit of using measurements at different wavelengths and scattering angles in the retrieval is studied and it is found that incorporation of the 1530 nm radiance measurement is key for a robust retrieval of particle size information. It is also found that using OSIRIS measurements at different solar geometries simultaneously provides little additional benefit. Based on these results, an improved aerosol retrieval algorithm is developed that couples the retrieval of aerosol extinction and mode radius of a log-normal particle size distribution. Comparison of these results with coincident measurements from SAGE III show agreement in retrieved extinction to within approximately 10% over the bulk of the aerosol layer, which is comparable to Version 5. The retrieved particle size, when converted to Ångström coefficient, shows good qualitative agreement with SAGE II measurements made at somewhat shorter wavelengths.

scholarly journals Retrieval of stratospheric aerosol size distribution parameters using satellite solar occultation measurements at three wavelengths

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 2345-2357
Author(s):  
Felix Wrana ◽  
Christian von Savigny ◽  
Jacob Zalach ◽  
Larry W. Thomason
Keyword(s):  
Size Distribution ◽  
Space Station ◽  
Volcanic Eruptions ◽  
Stratospheric Aerosol ◽  
Aerosol Size Distribution ◽  
Aerosol Layer ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Extinction Coefficients ◽  
Solar Occultation ◽  
Spatial Coverage

Abstract. In this work, a novel approach for the determination of the particle size distribution (PSD) parameters of stratospheric sulfate aerosols is presented. For this, ratios of extinction coefficients obtained from SAGE III/ISS (Stratospheric Aerosol and Gas Experiment III on the International Space Station) solar occultation measurements at 449, 756 and 1544 nm were used to retrieve the mode width and median radius of a size distribution assumed to be monomodal lognormal. The estimated errors at the peak of the stratospheric aerosol layer, on average, lie between 20 % and 25 % for the median radius and 5 % and 7 % for the mode width. The results are consistent in magnitude with other retrieval results from the literature, but a robust comparison is difficult, mainly because of differences in temporal and spatial coverage. Other quantities like number density and effective radius were also calculated. A major advantage of the described method over other retrieval techniques is that both the median radius and the mode width can be retrieved simultaneously, without having to assume one of them. This is possible due to the broad wavelength spectrum covered by the SAGE III/ISS measurements. Also, the presented method – being based on the analysis of three wavelengths – allows unique solutions for the retrieval of PSD parameters for almost all of the observed extinction spectra, which is not the case when using only two spectral channels. In addition, the extinction coefficients from SAGE III/ISS solar occultation measurements, on which the retrieval is based, are calculated without a priori assumptions about the PSD. For those reasons, the data produced with the presented retrieval technique may be a valuable contribution for a better understanding of the variability of stratospheric aerosol size distributions, e.g. after volcanic eruptions. While this study focuses on describing the retrieval method, and a future study will discuss the PSD parameter data set produced in depth, some exemplary results for background conditions in June 2017 are shown.

scholarly journals Improvement of stratospheric aerosol extinction retrieval from OMPS/LP using a new aerosol model

2018 ◽  
Vol 11 (12) ◽  
pp. 6495-6509 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhong Chen ◽  
Pawan K. Bhartia ◽  
Robert Loughman ◽  
Peter Colarco ◽  
Matthew DeLand
Keyword(s):  
Size Distribution ◽  
Gamma Function ◽  
Spectral Dependence ◽  
Stratospheric Aerosol ◽  
Cumulative Distribution ◽  
Aerosol Size Distribution ◽  
Retrieval Algorithm ◽  
Aerosol Extinction ◽  
Aerosol Model ◽  
The Impact

Abstract. The Ozone Mapping and Profiler Suite Limb Profiler (OMPS/LP) has been flying on the Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership (S-NPP) satellite since October 2011. It is designed to produce ozone and aerosol vertical profiles at ∼2 km vertical resolution over the entire sunlit globe. Aerosol extinction profiles are computed with Mie theory using radiances measured at 675 nm. The operational Version 1.0 (V1.0) aerosol extinction retrieval algorithm assumes a bimodal lognormal aerosol size distribution (ASD) whose parameters were derived by combining an in situ measurement of aerosol microphysics with the Stratospheric Aerosol and Gas Experiment (SAGE II) aerosol extinction climatology. Internal analysis indicates that this bimodal lognormal ASD does not sufficiently explain the spectral dependence of LP-measured radiances. In this paper we describe the derivation of an improved aerosol size distribution, designated Version 1.5 (V1.5), for the LP retrieval algorithm. The new ASD uses a gamma function distribution that is derived from Community Aerosol and Radiation Model for Atmospheres (CARMA)-calculated results. A cumulative distribution fit derived from the gamma function ASD gives better agreement with CARMA results at small particle radii than bimodal or unimodal functions. The new ASD also explains the spectral dependence of LP-measured radiances better than the V1.0 ASD. We find that the impact of our choice of ASD on the retrieved extinctions varies strongly with the underlying reflectivity of the scene. Initial comparisons with collocated extinction profiles retrieved at 676 nm from the SAGE III instrument on the International Space Station (ISS) show a significant improvement in agreement for the LP V1.5 retrievals. Zonal mean extinction profiles agree to within 10  % between 19 and 29 km, and regression fits of collocated samples show improved correlation and reduced scatter compared to the V1.0 product. This improved agreement will motivate development of more sophisticated ASDs from CARMA results that incorporate latitude, altitude and seasonal variations in aerosol properties.

scholarly journals Improvement of stratospheric aerosol extinction retrieval from OMPS/LP using a new aerosol model

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhong Chen ◽  
Pawan K. Bhartia ◽  
Robert Loughman ◽  
Peter Colarco ◽  
Matthew DeLand
Keyword(s):  
Size Distribution ◽  
Gamma Function ◽  
Spectral Dependence ◽  
Stratospheric Aerosol ◽  
Cumulative Distribution ◽  
Aerosol Size Distribution ◽  
Retrieval Algorithm ◽  
Aerosol Extinction ◽  
Aerosol Model ◽  
The Impact

Abstract. The Ozone Mapping and Profiler Suite Limb Profiler (OMPS/LP) has been flying on the Suomi NPP satellite since October 2011. It is designed to produce ozone and aerosol vertical profiles at ~2 km vertical resolution over the entire sunlit globe. Aerosol extinction profiles are computed with Mie theory using radiances measured at 675 nm. The operational Version 1.0 (V1.0) aerosol extinction retrieval algorithm assumes a bimodal lognormal aerosol size distribution (ASD) whose parameters were derived by combining an in situ measurement of aerosol microphysics with the SAGE II aerosol extinction climatology. Internal analysis indicates that this bimodal lognormal ASD does not sufficiently explain the spectral dependence of LP measured radiances. In this paper we describe the derivation of an improved aerosol size distribution, designated Version 1.5 (V1.5), for the LP retrieval algorithm. The new ASD uses a gamma function distribution that is derived from Community Aerosol and Radiation Model for Atmospheres (CARMA) calculated results. A cumulative distribution fit derived from the gamma function ASD gives better agreement with CARMA results at small particle radii than bimodal or unimodal functions. The new ASD also explains the spectral dependence of LP measured radiances better than the V1.0 ASD. We find that the impact of our choice of ASD on the retrieved extinctions varies strongly with the underlying reflectivity of the scene. Initial comparisons with co-located extinction profiles retrieved at 676 nm from the SAGE III/ISS instrument show a significant improvement in agreement for the LP V1.5 retrievals. Zonal mean extinction profiles agree to within 10 % between 19–29 km, and regression fits of collocated samples show improved correlation and reduced scatter compared to the V1.0 product. This improved agreement will motivate development of more sophisticated ASDs from CARMA results that incorporate latitude, altitude, and seasonal variations in aerosol properties.

scholarly journals Stratospheric aerosol particle size information in Odin-OSIRIS limb scatter spectra

2014 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 507-522 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. A. Rieger ◽  
A. E. Bourassa ◽  
D. A. Degenstein
Keyword(s):  
Particle Size ◽  
Particle Size Distribution ◽  
Size Distribution ◽  
Imaging System ◽  
Stratospheric Aerosol ◽  
Retrieval Algorithm ◽  
Aerosol Layer ◽  
Aerosol Extinction ◽  
Model Calculations ◽  
Size Information

Abstract. The Optical Spectrograph and InfraRed Imaging System (OSIRIS) onboard the Odin satellite has now taken over a decade of limb scatter measurements that have been used to retrieve the version 5 stratospheric aerosol extinction product. This product is retrieved using a representative particle size distribution to calculate scattering cross sections and scattering phase functions for the forward model calculations. In this work the information content of OSIRIS measurements with respect to stratospheric aerosol is systematically examined for the purpose of retrieving particle size information along with the extinction coefficient. The benefit of using measurements at different wavelengths and scattering angles in the retrieval is studied, and it is found that incorporation of the 1530 nm radiance measurement is key for a robust retrieval of particle size information. It is also found that using OSIRIS measurements at the different solar geometries available on the Odin orbit simultaneously provides little additional benefit. Based on these results, an improved aerosol retrieval algorithm is developed that couples the retrieval of aerosol extinction and mode radius of a log-normal particle size distribution. Comparison of these results with coincident measurements from SAGE III shows agreement in retrieved extinction to within approximately 10% over the bulk of the aerosol layer, which is comparable to version 5. The retrieved particle size, when converted to Ångström coefficient, shows good qualitative agreement with SAGE II measurements made at somewhat shorter wavelengths.

scholarly journals Retrieval of stratospheric aerosol size distribution parameters using SAGE-III/ISS extinction measurements at three wavelengths

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Felix Wrana ◽  
Christian von Savigny ◽  
Jacob Zalach ◽  
Larry W. Thomason
Keyword(s):  
Size Distribution ◽  
A Priori ◽  
Volcanic Eruptions ◽  
Stratospheric Aerosol ◽  
Aerosol Size Distribution ◽  
Aerosol Layer ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Extinction Coefficients ◽  
Solar Occultation ◽  
Spatial Coverage

Abstract. In this work a novel approach to determine the particle size distribution (PSD) parameters of stratospheric sulfate aerosols is presented. For this, ratios of extinction coefficients obtained from SAGE III/ISS solar occultation measurements at 449 nm, 756 nm and 1544 nm were used to retrieve the mode width and median radius of a size distribution assumed to be monomodal lognormal. The estimated errors at the peak of the stratospheric aerosol layer on average lie between 20 % and 25 % for the median radius and 5 % and 7 % for the mode width. The results are consistent in magnitude with other retrieval results from the literature, but a robust comparison is difficult, mainly because of differences in temporal and spatial coverage. Other quantities like number density and effective radius were also calculated. A major advantage of the described method over other retrieval techniques is that both the median radius and the mode width can be retrieved simultaneously, without having to assume one of them, due to the broad wavelength spectrum covered by the SAGE III/ISS measurements. Also the extinction coefficients from SAGE III/ISS solar occultation measurements, on which the retrieval is based, are calculated without a priori assumptions about the PSD. For those reasons, the data produced with the presented retrieval technique may be a valuable contribution to better understand the variability of stratospheric aerosol size distributions, e.g. after volcanic eruptions. While this study focuses on describing the retrieval method and a future study will discuss the PSD parameter data set produced in depth, some exemplary results for background conditions in June 2017 are shown.

scholarly journals Changes in stratospheric aerosol extinction coefficient after the 2018 Ambae eruption as seen by OMPS-LP and MAECHAM5-HAM

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (19) ◽  
pp. 14871-14891
Author(s):  
Elizaveta Malinina ◽  
Alexei Rozanov ◽  
Ulrike Niemeier ◽  
Sandra Wallis ◽  
Carlo Arosio ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Extinction Coefficient ◽  
Radiative Forcing ◽  
Volcanic Eruptions ◽  
Stratospheric Aerosol ◽  
Retrieval Algorithm ◽  
Second Phase ◽  
Aerosol Extinction ◽  
Monitoring Instrument ◽  
Aerosol Loading ◽  
Aerosol Extinction Coefficient

Abstract. Stratospheric aerosols are an important component of the climate system. They not only change the radiative budget of the Earth but also play an essential role in ozone depletion. These impacts are particularly noticeable after volcanic eruptions when SO2 injected with the eruption reaches the stratosphere, oxidizes, and forms stratospheric aerosol. There have been several studies in which a volcanic eruption plume and the associated radiative forcing were analyzed using climate models and/or data from satellite measurements. However, few have compared vertically and temporally resolved volcanic plumes using both measured and modeled data. In this paper, we compared changes in the stratospheric aerosol loading after the 2018 Ambae eruption observed by satellite remote sensing measurements and simulated by a global aerosol model. We use vertical profiles of the aerosol extinction coefficient at 869 nm retrieved at the Institute of Environmental Physics (IUP) in Bremen from OMPS-LP (Ozone Mapping and Profiling Suite – Limb Profiler) observations. Here, we present the retrieval algorithm and a comparison of the obtained profiles with those from SAGE III/ISS (Stratospheric Aerosol and Gas Experiment III on board the International Space Station). The observed differences are within 25 % for most latitude bins, which indicates a reasonable quality of the retrieved limb aerosol extinction product. The volcanic plume evolution is investigated using both monthly mean aerosol extinction coefficients and 10 d averaged data. The measurement results were compared with the model output from MAECHAM5-HAM (ECHAM for short). In order to simulate the eruption accurately, we use SO2 injection estimates from OMPS and OMI (Ozone Monitoring Instrument) for the first phase of eruption and the TROPOspheric Monitoring Instrument (TROPOMI) for the second phase. Generally, the agreement between the vertical and geographical distribution of the aerosol extinction coefficient from OMPS-LP and ECHAM is quite remarkable, in particular, for the second phase. We attribute the good consistency between the model and the measurements to the precise estimation of injected SO2 mass and height, as well as to the nudging to ECMWF ERA5 reanalysis data. Additionally, we compared the radiative forcing (RF) caused by the increase in the aerosol loading in the stratosphere after the eruption. After accounting for the uncertainties from different RF calculation methods, the RFs from ECHAM and OMPS-LP agree quite well. We estimate the tropical (20∘ N to 20∘ S) RF from the second Ambae eruption to be about −0.13 W m−2.

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