scholarly journals Evaluation of SCIAMACHY Oxygen A band cloud heights using Cloudnet measurements

2014 ◽  
Vol 7 (5) ◽  
pp. 1331-1350 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. Wang ◽  
P. Stammes

Abstract. Two SCIAMACHY (SCanning Imaging Absorption spectroMeter for Atmospheric CHartographY) O2 A band cloud height products are evaluated using ground-based radar/lidar measurements between January 2003 and December 2011. The products are the ESA (European Space Agency) Level 2 (L2) version 5.02 cloud top height and the FRESCO (Fast Retrieval Scheme for Clouds from the Oxygen A band) version 6 cloud height. The radar/lidar profiles are obtained at the Cloudnet sites of Cabauw and Lindenberg, and are averaged for 1 h centered at the SCIAMACHY overpass time. In total we have 217 cases of single-layer clouds and 204 cases of multilayer clouds. We find that the ESA L2 cloud top height has a better agreement with the Cloudnet cloud top height than the Cloudnet cloud middle height. The ESA L2 cloud top height is on average 0.4 km higher than the Cloudnet cloud top height, with a standard deviation of 3.1 km. The FRESCO cloud height is closer to the Cloudnet cloud middle height than the Cloudnet cloud top height. The mean difference between the FRESCO cloud height and the Cloudnet cloud middle height is −0.1 km with a standard deviation of 1.9 km. The ESA L2 cloud top height is higher than the FRESCO cloud height. The differences between the SCIAMACHY cloud (top) height and the Cloudnet cloud top height are linked to cloud optical thickness. The SCIAMACHY cloud height products are further compared to the Cloudnet cloud top height and the Cloudnet cloud middle height in 1 km bins. For single-layer clouds, the difference between the ESA L2 cloud top height and the Cloudnet cloud top height is less than 1 km for each cloud bin at 3–7 km. The difference between the FRESCO cloud height and the Cloudnet cloud middle height is less than 1 km for each cloud bin at 0–6 km. The results are similar for multilayer clouds, but the percentage of cases having a bias within 1 km is smaller than for single-layer clouds. We may conclude that the FRESCO cloud height is accurate for low and middle level clouds, whereas the ESA L2 cloud top height is more accurate for middle level clouds. Both products are less accurate for high clouds.

2013 ◽  
Vol 6 (5) ◽  
pp. 8603-8645
Author(s):  
P. Wang ◽  
P. Stammes

Abstract. For the first time two SCIAMACHY O2 A band cloud height products are validated using ground-based radar/lidar measurements between January 2003 and December 2011. The products are the ESA Level 2 (L2) version 5.02 cloud top height and the FRESCO (Fast Retrieval Scheme for Clouds from the Oxygen A band) version 6 cloud height. The radar/lidar profiles are obtained at the Cloudnet sites of Cabauw and Lindenberg, and are averaged for one hour centered at the SCIAMACHY overpass time to achieve an optimal temporal and spatial match. In total we have about 220 cases of single layer clouds and 200 cases of multi-layer clouds. The FRESCO cloud height and ESA L2 cloud top height are compared with the Cloudnet cloud top height and Cloudnet cloud middle height. We find that the ESA L2 cloud top height has a better agreement with the Cloudnet cloud top height than the Cloudnet cloud middle height. The ESA L2 cloud top height is on average 0.44 km higher than the Cloudnet cloud top height, with a standard deviation of 3.07 km. The FRESCO cloud height is closer to the Cloudnet cloud middle height than the Cloudnet cloud top height. The mean difference between the FRESCO cloud height and the Cloudnet cloud middle height is −0.14 km with a standard deviation of 1.88 km. The SCIAMACHY cloud height products are further compared to the Cloudnet cloud top height and the Cloudnet cloud middle height in 1 km bins. For single layer clouds, the difference between the ESA L2 cloud top height and the Cloudnet cloud top height is less than 1 km for each cloud bin at 3–7 km, which is 24 % percent of the data. The difference between the FRESCO cloud height and the Cloudnet cloud middle height is less than 1 km for each cloud bin at 0–6 km, which is 85 % percent of the data. The results are similar for multi-layer clouds, but the percentage of cases having a bias within 1 km is smaller than for single layer clouds. Since globally about 60 % of all clouds are low clouds and 42 % are single-layer low clouds, we expect that globally for a large percentage of cases the FRESCO cloud height would be close to the cloud middle height.


2015 ◽  
Vol 8 (12) ◽  
pp. 5251-5261 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Laeng ◽  
J. Plieninger ◽  
T. von Clarmann ◽  
U. Grabowski ◽  
G. Stiller ◽  
...  

Abstract. The Michelson Interferometer for Passive Atmospheric Sounding (MIPAS) is an infrared (IR) limb emission spectrometer on the Envisat platform. It measures trace gas distributions during day and night, pole-to-pole, over an altitude range from 6 to 70 km in nominal mode and up to 170 km in special modes, depending on the measurement mode, producing more than 1000 profiles day−1. We present the results of a validation study of methane, version V5R_CH4_222, retrieved with the IMK/IAA (Institut für Meteorologie und Klimaforschung, Karlsruhe/Instituto de Astrofisica de Andalucia, Grenada) MIPAS scientific level 2 processor. The level 1 spectra are provided by the ESA (European Space Agency) and version 5 was used. The time period covered is 2005–2012, which corresponds to the period when MIPAS measured trace gas distributions at a reduced spectral resolution of 0.0625 cm−1. The comparison with satellite instruments includes the Atmospheric Chemistry Experiment Fourier Transform Spectrometer (ACE-FTS), the HALogen Occultation Experiment (HALOE), the Solar Occultation For Ice Experiment (SOFIE) and the SCanning Imaging Absorption spectroMeter for Atmospheric CHartographY (SCIAMACHY). Furthermore, comparisons with MkIV balloon-borne solar occultation measurements and with air sampling measurements performed by the University of Frankfurt are presented. The validation activities include bias determination, assessment of stability, precision validation, analysis of histograms and comparison of corresponding climatologies. Above 50 km altitude, MIPAS methane mixing ratios agree within 3 % with ACE-FTS and SOFIE. Between 30 and 40 km an agreement within 3 % with SCIAMACHY has been found. In the middle stratosphere, there is no clear indication of a MIPAS bias since comparisons with various instruments contradict each other. In the lower stratosphere (below 25 km) MIPAS CH4 is biased high with respect to satellite instruments, and the most likely estimate of this bias is 14 %. However, in the comparison with CH4 data obtained from cryogenic whole-air sampler (cryosampler) measurements, there is no evidence of a high bias in MIPAS between 20 and 25 km altitude. Precision validation is performed on collocated MIPAS–MIPAS pairs and suggests a slight underestimation of its uncertainties by a factor of 1.2. No significant evidence of an instrumental drift has been found.


2015 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 2623-2655
Author(s):  
C. K. Carbajal Henken ◽  
L. Doppler ◽  
R. Lindstrot ◽  
R. Preusker ◽  
J. Fischer

Abstract. This work presents a study on the sensitivity of two satellite cloud height retrievals to cloud vertical distribution. The difference in sensitivity is exploited by relating the difference in the retrieved cloud heights to cloud vertical extent. The two cloud height retrievals, performed within the Freie Universität Berlin AATSR MERIS Cloud (FAME-C) algorithm, are based on independent measurements and different retrieval techniques. First, cloud top temperature (CTT) is retrieved from Advanced Along Track Scanning Radiometer (AATSR) measurements in the thermal infrared. Second, cloud top pressure (CTP) is retrieved from Medium Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (MERIS) measurements in the oxygen-A absorption band. Both CTT and CTP are converted to cloud top height (CTH) using atmospheric profiles from a numerical weather prediction model. A sensitivity study using radiative transfer simulations in the near-infrared and thermal infrared were performed to demonstrate the larger impact of the assumed cloud vertical extinction profile on MERIS than on AATSR top-of-atmosphere measurements. The difference in retrieved CTH (ΔCTH) from AATSR and MERIS are related to cloud vertical extent (CVE) as observed by ground-based lidar and radar at three ARM sites. To increase the impact of the cloud vertical extinction profile on the MERIS-CTP retrievals, single-layer and geometrically thin clouds are assumed in the forward model. The results of the comparison to the ground-based observations were separated into single-layer and multi-layer cloud cases. Analogous to previous findings, the MERIS-CTP retrievals appear to be close to pressure levels in the middle of the cloud. Assuming a linear relationship, the ΔCTH multiplied by 2.5 gives an estimate on the CVE for single-layer clouds. The relationship is weaker for multi-layer clouds. Due to large variations of cloud vertical extinction profiles occurring in nature, a quantitative estimate of the cloud vertical extent is accompanied with large uncertainties. Yet, estimates of the CVE can contribute to the characterization of a cloudy scene. To demonstrate the plausibility of the approach, an estimate of the CVE was applied to a case study. In light of the follow-up mission Sentinel-3 with AATSR and MERIS like instruments, Sea and Land Surface Temperature Radiometer (SLSTR) and (Ocean and Land Colour Instrument) OLCI, respectively, for which the FAME-C algorithm can be easily adapted, a more accurate estimate of the CVE can be expected. OLCI will have three channels in the oxygen-A absorption band, thus providing more pieces of information on the cloud vertical extinction profile.


Author(s):  
Katarzyna Dabrowska-Zielinska ◽  
Jan Musial ◽  
Alicja Malinska ◽  
Maria Budzynska ◽  
Radoslaw Gurdak ◽  
...  

Soil moisture (SM) plays an essential role in environmental studies related to wetlands, an ecosystem sensitive to climate change. Hence, there is the need for its constant monitoring. SAR (Synthetic Aperture Radar) satellite imagery is the only mean to fulfill this objective regardless of the weather. The objective of the study was to develop the methodology for SM retrieval under wetland vegetation using Sentinel-1 (S-1) satellite data. The study was carried out during the years 2015–2017 in the Biebrza Wetlands, situated in northeastern Poland. At the Biebrza Wetlands, two Sentinel-1 validation sites were established, covering grassland and marshland biomes, where a network of 18 stations for soil moisture measurement was deployed. The sites were funded by the European Space Agency (ESA), and the collected measurements are available through the International Soil Moisture Network (ISMN). The NDVI (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index) was derived from the optical imagery of a MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) sensor onboard the Terra satellite. The SAR data of the Sentinel-1 satellite with VH (vertical transmit and horizontal receive) and VV (vertical transmit and vertical receive) polarization were applied to soil moisture retrieval for a broad range of NDVI values and soil moisture conditions. The new methodology is based on research into the effect of vegetation on backscatter () changes under different soil moisture and vegetation (NDVI) conditions. It was found that the state of the vegetation may be described by the difference between  VH and  VV, or the ratio of  VV/VH, as calculated from the Sentinel-1 images. The most significant correlation coefficient for soil moisture was found for data that was acquired from the ascending tracks of the Sentinel-1 satellite, characterized by the lowest incidence angle, and SM at a depth of 5 cm. The study demonstrated that the use of the inversion approach, which was applied to the new developed models and includes the derived indices based on S-1, allowed the estimation of SM for peatlands with reasonable accuracy (RMSE ~ 10 vol. %). Due to the temporal frequency of the two S-1 satellites’ (S-1A and S-1B) acquisitions, it is possible to monitor SM changes every six days. The conclusion drawn from the study emphasizes a demand for the derivation of specific soil moisture retrieval algorithms that are suited for wetland ecosystems, where soil moisture is several times higher than in agricultural areas.


2014 ◽  
Vol 7 (7) ◽  
pp. 2073-2096 ◽  
Author(s):  
F. Ebojie ◽  
C. von Savigny ◽  
A. Ladstätter-Weißenmayer ◽  
A. Rozanov ◽  
M. Weber ◽  
...  

Abstract. Tropospheric ozone (O3), has two main sources: transport from the stratosphere and photochemical production in the troposphere. It plays important roles in atmospheric chemistry and climate change. Its amount and destruction are being modified by anthropogenic activity. Global measurements are needed to test our understanding of its sources and sinks. In this paper, we describe the retrieval of tropospheric O3 columns (TOCs) from the combined limb and nadir observations (hereinafter referred to as limb–nadir-matching (LNM)) of the SCanning Imaging Absorption spectroMeter for Atmospheric CHartographY (SCIAMACHY) instrument, which flew as part of the payload onboard the European Space Agency (ESA) satellite Envisat (2002–2012). The LNM technique used in this study is a residual approach that subtracts stratospheric O3 columns (SOCs), retrieved from the limb observations, from the total O3 columns (TOZs), derived from the nadir observations. The technique requires accurate knowledge of the SOCs, TOZs, tropopause height, and their associated errors. The SOCs were determined from the stratospheric O3 profiles retrieved in the Hartley and Chappuis bands from SCIAMACHY limb scattering measurements. The TOZs were also derived from SCIAMACHY measurements, but in this case from the nadir viewing mode using the Weighting Function Differential Optical Absorption Spectroscopy (WFDOAS) technique in the Huggins band. Comparisons of the TOCs from SCIAMACHY and collocated measurements from ozonesondes in both hemispheres between January 2003 and December 2011 show agreement to within 2–5 DU (1 DU = 2.69 × 1016 molecules cm−2). TOC values from SCIAMACHY have also been compared to the results from the Tropospheric Emission Spectrometer (TES) and from the LNM technique exploiting Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) and Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS) data (hereinafter referred to as OMI/MLS). All compared data sets agree within the given data product error range and exhibit similar seasonal variations, which, however, differ in amplitude. The spatial distributions of tropospheric O3 in the SCIAMACHY LNM TOC product show characteristic variations related to stratosphere–troposphere exchange (STE) processes, anthropogenic activities and biospheric emissions.


2013 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 7811-7865 ◽  
Author(s):  
F. Ebojie ◽  
C. von Savigny ◽  
A. Ladstätter-Weißenmayer ◽  
A. Rozanov ◽  
M. Weber ◽  
...  

Abstract. Tropospheric ozone, O3, has two sources: transport from the stratosphere and photochemical production in the troposphere. It plays important roles in atmospheric chemistry and climate change. In this manuscript we describe the retrieval of tropospheric O3 columns from limb-nadir matching (LNM) observations of the SCanning Imaging Absorption spectroMeter for Atmospheric CHartographY (SCIAMACHY) instrument, which flies as part of the payload onboard the European Space Agency (ESA) satellite Envisat. This retrieval technique is a residual approach that utilizes the subtraction of the stratospheric O3 columns, derived from the limb observations, from the total O3 columns, derived from the nadir observations. The technique requires accurate knowledge of the stratospheric O3 columns, the total O3 columns, tropopause height, and their associated errors. The stratospheric O3 columns were determined from the stratospheric O3 profile retrieved in the Hartley and Chappius bands, based on SCIAMACHY limb scattering measurements. The total O3 columns were also derived from SCIAMACHY measurements, in the nadir viewing mode using the Weighting Function Differential Optical Absorption Spectroscopy (WFDOAS) technique in the Huggins band. Comparisons of the tropospheric O3 columns from SCIAMACHY and collocated measurements from ozonesondes, in both hemispheres between January 2003 and December 2011 show agreement to within 2–5 DU (1 DU = 2.69 × 1016 molecules cm−2). Comparison of tropospheric O3 from SCIAMACHY with the results from ozonesondes, the Tropospheric Emission Spectrometer (TES), and the LNM method combining Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) and Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS) data (hereinafter referred to as OMI/MLS), have been investigated. We find that all four retrieved data sets show agreement within the error bars and exhibit strong seasonal variation, which differs in amplitude. The spatial distribution of tropospheric ozone observed shows pollution plumes related to the release of precursors at the different seasons in both hemispheres.


2018 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 473-487 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amirmahdi Zarboo ◽  
Stefan Bender ◽  
John P. Burrows ◽  
Johannes Orphal ◽  
Miriam Sinnhuber

Abstract. We present the retrieved volume emission rates (VERs) from the airglow of both the daytime and twilight O2(1Σ) band and O2(1Δ) band emissions in the mesosphere and lower thermosphere (MLT). The SCanning Imaging Absorption SpectroMeter for Atmospheric CHartographY (SCIAMACHY) onboard the European Space Agency Envisat satellite observes upwelling radiances in limb-viewing geometry during its special MLT mode over the range 50–150 km. In this study we use the limb observations in the visible (595–811 nm) and near-infrared (1200–1360 nm) bands. We have investigated the daily mean latitudinal distributions and the time series of the retrieved VER in the altitude range from 53 to 149 km. The maximal observed VERs of O2(1Δ) during daytime are typically 1 to 2 orders of magnitude larger than those of O2(1Σ). The latter peaks at around 90 km, whereas the O2(1Δ) emissivity decreases with altitude, with the largest values at the lower edge of the observations (about 53 km). The VER values in the upper mesosphere (above 80 km) are found to depend on the position of the sun, with pronounced high values occurring during summer for O2(1Δ). O2(1Σ) emissions show additional high values at polar latitudes during winter and spring. These additional high values are presumably related to the downwelling of atomic oxygen after large sudden stratospheric warmings (SSWs). Accurate measurements of the O2(1Σ) and O2(1Δ) airglow, provided that the mechanism of their production is understood, yield valuable information about both the chemistry and dynamics in the MLT. For example, they can be used to infer the amounts and distribution of ozone, solar heating rates, and temperature in the MLT.


2014 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 2381-2403
Author(s):  
V. F. Sofieva ◽  
N. Kalakoski ◽  
S.-M. Päivärinta ◽  
J. Tamminen ◽  
E. Kyrölä ◽  
...  

Abstract. Satellite measurements sample continuous fields of atmospheric constituents at discrete locations and times. However, insufficient or inhomogeneous sampling, if not taken into account, can result in inaccurate average estimates and even induce spurious features. We propose to characterize the spatio-temporal inhomogeneity of atmospheric measurements by a measure, which is a linear combination of the asymmetry and entropy of a sampling distribution. It is shown that this measure is related to the so-called sampling uncertainty, which occurs due to non-uniform sampling patterns. We have estimated the sampling uncertainty of zonal mean ozone profiles for six limb-viewing satellite instruments participating in the European Space Agency Ozone Climate Change Initiative project using the high-resolution ozone field simulated with the FinROSE chemistry-transport model. It is shown that the sampling uncertainty for the instruments with coarse sampling is not negligible and can be as large as a few percent. It is found that the standard deviation of the sampling uncertainty in the monthly zonal mean data allows for a simple parameterization in terms of the product of the standard deviation of natural variations and the proposed inhomogeneity measure. The focus of this work is the vertical ozone distributions measured by limb-viewing satellite instruments, but the developed methods can also be applied to different satellite, ground-based and in-situ measurements.


2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 (10) ◽  
Author(s):  
S.V. Tsaplin ◽  
◽  
S.A. Bolychev ◽  

The paper presents the results of a calculation to study the influence of ionizing, bremsstrahlung radiation on the functioning of a nanosatellite. A comparative analysis of the results of calculating the specific ionization and radiation energy losses of protons (from 0.1 to 400 MeV) and electrons (from 0.04 to 7 MeV), as well as their path lengths in aluminum according to the formulas of various authors and the database of materials of the National Institute of Standards and Technologies is presented. Based on the analysis results, the annual dose in the aluminum structure of the SamSat-ION nanosatellite in a circular sun-synchronous orbit (SSO) is calculated. All calculations are based on the data of the energy spectra of protons and electrons of the SSO given in the "Information system Spenvis of the European Space Agency". The results of calculating the integral fluxes in aluminum under the action of protons and electrons of a circular SSO for different thicknesses are obtained, and the fraction of passed particles is shown in the approximation of a single-layer stack. Estimation of the radiation resistance of the electronic elements ISL70321SEH, ISL73321SEH and Virtex - 4QV, Virtex -5QV included in the SamSat - ION in the approximation of a double-layer stack was made for various thickness of Si and its ability to operate during the year.


2007 ◽  
Vol 7 (18) ◽  
pp. 4763-4779 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Rozanov ◽  
K.-U. Eichmann ◽  
C. von Savigny ◽  
H. Bovensmann ◽  
J. P. Burrows ◽  
...  

Abstract. This paper is devoted to an intercomparison of ozone vertical profiles retrieved from the measurements of scattered solar radiation performed by the SCIAMACHY instrument in the limb viewing geometry. Three different inversion algorithms including the prototype of the operational Level 1 to 2 processor to be operated by the European Space Agency are considered. Unlike usual validation studies, this comparison removes the uncertainties arising when comparing measurements made by different instruments probing slightly different air masses and focuses on the uncertainties specific to the modeling-retrieval problem only. The intercomparison was performed for 5 selected orbits of SCIAMACHY showing a good overall agreement of the results in the middle stratosphere, whereas considerable discrepancies were identified in the lower stratosphere and upper troposphere altitude region. Additionally, comparisons with ground-based lidar measurements are shown for selected profiles demonstrating an overall correctness of the retrievals.


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