scholarly journals Improvement of OMI ozone profile retrievals by simultaneously fitting polar mesospheric clouds

2016 ◽  
Vol 9 (9) ◽  
pp. 4521-4531 ◽  
Author(s):  
Juseon Bak ◽  
Xiong Liu ◽  
Jae H. Kim ◽  
Matthew T. Deland ◽  
Kelly Chance

Abstract. The presence of polar mesospheric clouds (PMCs) at summer high latitudes could affect the retrieval of ozone profiles using backscattered ultraviolet (UV) measurements. PMC-induced errors in ozone profile retrievals from Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) backscattered UV measurements are investigated through comparisons with Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS) ozone measurements. This comparison demonstrates that the presence of PMCs leads to systematic biases for pressures smaller than 6 hPa; the biases increase from  ∼ −2 % at 2 hPa to  ∼ −20 % at 0.5 hPa on average and are significantly correlated with brightness of PMCs. Sensitivity studies show that the radiance sensitivity to PMCs strongly depends on wavelength, increasing by a factor of  ∼  4 from 300 to 265 nm. It also strongly depends on the PMC scattering, thus depending on viewing geometry. The optimal estimation-based retrieval sensitivity analysis shows that PMCs located at 80–85 km have the greatest effect on ozone retrievals at  ∼  0.2 hPa ( ∼  60 km), where the retrieval errors range from −2.5 % with PMC vertical optical depth (POD) of 10−4 to −20 % with 10−3 POD at backscattering angles. The impacts increase by a factor of  ∼  5 at forward-scattering angles due to stronger PMC sensitivities. To reduce the interference of PMCs on ozone retrievals, we perform simultaneous retrievals of POD and ozone with a loose constraint of 10−3 for POD, which results in retrieval errors of 1–4 × 10−4. It is demonstrated that the negative bias of OMI ozone retrievals relative to MLS can be improved by including the PMC in the forward-model calculation and retrieval.

2015 ◽  
Vol 15 (18) ◽  
pp. 25907-25932
Author(s):  
J. Bak ◽  
X. Liu ◽  
J. H. Kim ◽  
M. T. Deland ◽  
K. Chance

Abstract. The presence of polar mesospheric clouds (PMCs) at high latitudes could affect the retrieval of ozone profiles using backscattered ultraviolet (BUV) measurements. PMC-induced errors in ozone profile retrievals from Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) BUV measurements are investigated through comparisons with Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS) ozone measurements. This comparison demonstrates that the presence of PMCs leads to systematic biases at altitudes above 6 hPa in summer high latitudes; the biases increase from ~ −2 % at 2 hPa to ~ −20 % at 0.5 hPa on average, and are significantly correlated with brightness of PMCs. Sensitivity studies show that the radiance sensitivity to PMCs strongly depends on wavelengths, increasing by a factor of ~ 4 from 300 to 265 nm. It also strongly depends on the PMC scattering, thus depending on viewing geometry. The optimal estimation-based retrieval sensitivity analysis shows that PMCs located at 80–85 km have the greatest effect on ozone retrievals at ~ 0.2 hPa (~ 60 km), where the retrieval errors range from −2.5 % with PMC optical depth (POD) of 10−4 to −20 % with 10−3 at back scattering angles, and the impacts increase by a factor of ~ 5 at forward scattering angles due to stronger PMC sensitivities. To reduce the interference of PMCs on ozone retrievals, we perform simultaneous retrievals of POD and ozone with a loose constraint of 10−3 for POD, which results in retrieval errors of 1–4 × 10−4. It is demonstrated that the negative bias of OMI ozone retrievals relative to MLS could be improved by including the PMC in the forward model calculation and retrieval.


2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Juseon Bak ◽  
Xiong Liu ◽  
Jae H. Kim ◽  
Matthew T. Deland ◽  
Kelly Chance

Abstract. The presence of polar mesospheric clouds (PMCs) in summer high latitudes could affect the retrieval of ozone profiles using backscattered ultraviolet (UV) measurements. PMC-induced errors in ozone profile retrievals from Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) backscattered UV measurements are investigated through comparisons with Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS) ozone measurements. This comparison demonstrates that the presence of PMCs leads to systematic biases at pressures less than 6 hPa (~35 km); the biases increase from ~−2 % at 2 hPa to ~−20 % at 0.5 hPa on average, and are significantly correlated with brightness of PMCs. Sensitivity studies show that the radiance sensitivity to PMCs strongly depends on wavelength, increasing by a factor of ~4 from 300 nm to 265 nm. It also strongly depends on the PMC scattering, thus depending on viewing geometry. The optimal estimation-based retrieval sensitivity analysis shows that PMCs located at 80–85 km have the greatest effect on ozone retrievals at ~0.2 hPa (~60 km), where the retrieval errors range from −2.5 % with PMC optical depth (POD) of 10−4 to −20 % with 10−3 at back scattering angles, and the impacts increase by a factor of ~5 at forward scattering angles due to stronger PMC sensitivities. To reduce the interference of PMCs on ozone retrievals, we perform simultaneous retrievals of POD and ozone with a loose constraint of 10−3 for POD, which results in retrieval errors of 1–4×10−4. It is demonstrated that the negative bias of OMI ozone retrievals relative to MLS can be improved by including the PMC in the forward model calculation and retrieval.


2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (7) ◽  
pp. 3777-3788 ◽  
Author(s):  
Juseon Bak ◽  
Xiong Liu ◽  
Kang Sun ◽  
Kelly Chance ◽  
Jae-Hwan Kim

Abstract. We introduce a method that accounts for errors caused by the slit function in an optimal-estimation-based spectral fitting process to improve ozone profile retrievals from the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) ultraviolet measurements (270–330 nm). Previously, a slit function was parameterized as a standard Gaussian by fitting the full width at half maximum (FWHM) of the slit function from climatological OMI solar irradiances. This cannot account for the temporal variation in slit function in irradiance, the intra-orbit changes due to thermally induced change and scene inhomogeneity, and potential differences in the slit functions of irradiance and radiance measurements. As a result, radiance simulation errors may be induced due to convolving reference spectra with incorrect slit functions. To better represent the shape of the slit functions, we implement a more generic super Gaussian slit function with two free parameters (slit width and shape factor); it becomes standard Gaussian when the shape factor is fixed to be 2. The effects of errors in slit function parameters on radiance spectra, referred to as pseudo absorbers (PAs), are linearized by convolving high-resolution cross sections or simulated radiances with the partial derivatives of the slit function with respect to the slit parameters. The PAs are included in the spectral fitting scaled by fitting coefficients that are iteratively adjusted as elements of the state vector along with ozone and other fitting parameters. The fitting coefficients vary with cross-track and along-track pixels and show sensitivity to heterogeneous scenes. The PA spectrum is quite similar in the Hartley band below 310 nm for both standard and super Gaussians, but is more distinctly structured in the Huggins band above 310 nm with the use of super Gaussian slit functions. Finally, we demonstrate that some spikes of fitting residuals are slightly smoothed by accounting for the slit function errors. Comparisons with ozonesondes demonstrate noticeable improvements when using PAs for both standard and super Gaussians, especially for reducing the systematic biases in the tropics and midlatitudes (mean biases of tropospheric column ozone reduced from -1.4∼0.7 to 0.0∼0.4 DU) and reducing the standard deviations of tropospheric ozone column differences at high latitudes (by 1 DU for the super Gaussian). Including PAs also makes the retrievals consistent between standard and super Gaussians. This study corroborates the slit function differences between radiance and irradiance, demonstrating that it is important to account for such differences in the ozone profile retrievals.


2010 ◽  
Vol 10 (5) ◽  
pp. 2521-2537 ◽  
Author(s):  
X. Liu ◽  
P. K. Bhartia ◽  
K. Chance ◽  
R. J. D. Spurr ◽  
T. P. Kurosu

Abstract. Ozone profiles from the surface to about 60 km are retrieved from Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) ultraviolet radiances using the optimal estimation technique. OMI provides daily ozone profiles for the entire sunlit portion of the earth at a horizontal resolution of 13 km×48 km for the nadir position. The retrieved profiles have sufficient accuracy in the troposphere to see ozone perturbations caused by convection, biomass burning and anthropogenic pollution, and to track their spatiotemporal transport. However, to achieve such accuracy it has been necessary to calibrate OMI radiances carefully (using two days of Aura/Microwave Limb Sounder data taken in the tropics). The retrieved profiles contain ~6–7 degrees of freedom for signal, with 5–7 in the stratosphere and 0–1.5 in the troposphere. Vertical resolution varies from 7–11 km in the stratosphere to 10–14 km in the troposphere. Retrieval precisions range from 1% in the middle stratosphere to 10% in the lower stratosphere and troposphere. Solution errors (i.e., root sum square of precisions and smoothing errors) vary from 1–6% in the middle stratosphere to 6–35% in the troposphere, and are dominated by smoothing errors. Total, stratospheric, and tropospheric ozone columns can be retrieved with solution errors typically in the few Dobson unit range at solar zenith angles less than 80°.


2009 ◽  
Vol 9 (5) ◽  
pp. 22693-22738 ◽  
Author(s):  
X. Liu ◽  
P. K. Bhartia ◽  
K. Chance ◽  
R. J. D. Spurr ◽  
T. P. Kurosu

Abstract. Ozone profiles from the surface to about 60 km are retrieved from Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) ultraviolet radiances using the optimal estimation technique. OMI provides daily ozone profiles for the entire sunlit portion of the earth at a horizontal resolution of 13 km×48 km for the nadir position. The retrieved profiles have sufficient accuracy in the troposphere to see ozone perturbations caused by convection, biomass burning and anthropogenic pollution, and to track their spatiotemporal transport. However, to achieve such accuracy it has been necessary to calibrate OMI radiances carefully (using two days of Aura/Microwave Limb Sounder data taken in the tropics). The retrieved profiles contain ~6–7° of freedom for signal, with 5–7 in the stratosphere and 0–1.5 in the troposphere. Vertical resolution varies from 7–11 km in the stratosphere to 10–14 km in the troposphere. Retrieval precisions range from 1% in the middle stratosphere to 10% in the lower stratosphere and troposphere. Solution errors (i.e., root sum square of precisions and smoothing errors) vary from 1–6% in the middle stratosphere to 6–35% in the troposphere, and are dominated by smoothing errors. Total, stratospheric, and tropospheric ozone columns can be retrieved with solution errors typically in the few Dobson unit range at solar zenith angles less than 80°.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Juseon Bak ◽  
Xiong Liu ◽  
Kang Sun ◽  
Kelly Chance ◽  
Jae-Hwan Kim

Abstract. We introduce a method that reduces the spectral fit residuals caused by the slit function errors in an optimal estimation based spectral fitting process to improve ozone profile retrievals from the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) ultraviolet measurements (270–330 nm). Previously, a slit function was parameterized as a standard Gaussian by fitting the Full Width at Half Maximum (FWHM) of the slit function from climatological OMI solar irradiances. This cannot account for the temporal variation of slit function in irradiance, the intra-orbit slit function changes due to thermally-induced change and scene inhomogeneity, and potential differences in the slit functions of irradiance and radiance measurements. As a result, radiance simulation errors may be induced due to using the convolved reference spectra with incorrect slit functions. To better represent the shape of the slit functions, we implement a more generic super Gaussian slit function with two free parameters (slit width and shape factor); it becomes standard Gaussian when the shape factor is fixed to be 2. The effects of errors in slit function parameters on radiance spectra, referred as Pseudo Absorbers (PAs), are linearized by convolving high-resolution cross sections or simulated radiances with the partial derivatives of the slit function with respect to the slit parameters. The PAs are included in the spectral fitting scaled by fitting coefficients that are iteratively adjusted as elements of the state vector along with ozone and other fitting parameters. The fit coefficients vary with cross-track and along-track pixels and show sensitivity to heterogeneous scenes. The total PA spectrum is quite similar in the Hartley band below 310 nm for both standard and super Gaussians, but is more distinctly structured in the Huggins band above 310 nm with the use of super Gaussian slit functions. Finally, we demonstrate that some spikes of fitting residuals are slightly smoothed by accounting for the slit function errors. Comparisons with ozonesondes demonstrate substantial improvements with the use of PAs for both standard and super Gaussians, especially for reducing the systematic biases in the tropics and mid-latitudes and reducing the standard deviations at high-latitudes. Including PAs also makes the retrievals consistent between standard and super Gaussians. This study corroborates the slit function differences between radiance and irradiance demonstrating that it is important to account for such differences in the ozone profile retrievals.


2013 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 239-249 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Bak ◽  
J. H. Kim ◽  
X. Liu ◽  
K. Chance ◽  
J. Kim

Abstract. South Korea is planning to launch the GEMS (Geostationary Environment Monitoring Spectrometer) instrument into the GeoKOMPSAT (Geostationary Korea Multi-Purpose SATellite) platform in 2018 to monitor tropospheric air pollutants on an hourly basis over East Asia. GEMS will measure backscattered UV radiances covering the 300–500 nm wavelength range with a spectral resolution of 0.6 nm. The main objective of this study is to evaluate ozone profiles and stratospheric column ozone amounts retrieved from simulated GEMS measurements. Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) Level 1B radiances, which have the spectral range 270–500 nm at spectral resolution of 0.42–0.63 nm, are used to simulate the GEMS radiances. An optimal estimation-based ozone profile algorithm is used to retrieve ozone profiles from simulated GEMS radiances. Firstly, we compare the retrieval characteristics (including averaging kernels, degrees of freedom for signal, and retrieval error) derived from the 270–330 nm (OMI) and 300–330 nm (GEMS) wavelength ranges. This comparison shows that the effect of not using measurements below 300 nm on retrieval characteristics in the troposphere is insignificant. However, the stratospheric ozone information in terms of DFS decreases greatly from OMI to GEMS, by a factor of ∼2. The number of the independent pieces of information available from GEMS measurements is estimated to 3 on average in the stratosphere, with associated retrieval errors of ~1% in stratospheric column ozone. The difference between OMI and GEMS retrieval characteristics is apparent for retrieving ozone layers above ~20 km, with a reduction in the sensitivity and an increase in the retrieval errors for GEMS. We further investigate whether GEMS can resolve the stratospheric ozone variation observed from high vertical resolution Earth Observing System (EOS) Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS). The differences in stratospheric ozone profiles between GEMS and MLS are comparable to those between OMI and MLS below ~3 hPa (~40 km), except with slightly larger biases and larger standard deviations by up to 5%. At pressure altitudes above ~3 hPa, GEMS retrievals show strong influence of a priori and large differences with MLS, which, however, can be sufficiently improved by using better a priori information. The GEMS-MLS differences show negative biases of less than 4% for stratospheric column ozone, with standard deviations of 1–3%, while OMI retrievals show similar agreements with MLS except for 1% smaller biases at middle and high latitudes. Based on the comparisons, we conclude that GEMS will measure tropospheric ozone and stratospheric ozone columns with accuracy comparable to that of OMI and ozone profiles with slightly worse performance than that of OMI below ~3 hPa.


2017 ◽  
Vol 10 (10) ◽  
pp. 3677-3695 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kang Sun ◽  
Xiong Liu ◽  
Guanyu Huang ◽  
Gonzalo González Abad ◽  
Zhaonan Cai ◽  
...  

Abstract. The Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) has been successfully measuring the Earth's atmospheric composition since 2004, but the on-orbit behavior of its slit functions has not been thoroughly characterized. Preflight measurements of slit functions have been used as a static input in many OMI retrieval algorithms. This study derives on-orbit slit functions from the OMI irradiance spectra assuming various function forms, including standard and super-Gaussian functions and a stretch to the preflight slit functions. The on-orbit slit functions in the UV bands show U-shaped cross-track dependences that cannot be fully represented by the preflight ones. The full widths at half maximum (FWHM) of the stretched preflight slit functions for detector pixels at large viewing angles are up to 30 % larger than the nadir pixels for the UV1 band, 5 % larger for the UV2 band, and practically flat in the VIS band. Nonetheless, the on-orbit changes of OMI slit functions are found to be insignificant over time after accounting for the solar activity, despite of the decaying of detectors and the occurrence of OMI row anomaly. Applying the derived on-orbit slit functions to ozone-profile retrieval shows substantial improvements over the preflight slit functions based on comparisons with ozonesonde validations.


2010 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 9917-10076 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. L. Bertaux ◽  
E. Kyrölä ◽  
D. Fussen ◽  
A. Hauchecorne ◽  
F. Dalaudier ◽  
...  

Abstract. GOMOS on ENVISAT (launched in February, 2002) is the first space instrument dedicated to the study of the atmosphere of the Earth by the technique of stellar occultations (Global Ozone Monitoring by Occultation of Stars). From a polar orbit, it allows to have a good latitude coverage. Because it is self-calibrated, it is particularly well adapted to the long time trend monitoring of stratospheric species. With 4 spectrometers the wavelength coverage of 248 nm to 942 nm allows to monitor ozone, H2O, NO2, NO3, air, aerosols, and O2. Two additional fast photometers (1 kHz sampling rate) allow for the correction of scintillations, as well as the study of the structure of air density irregularities, resulting from gravity waves and turbulence. A high vertical resolution profile of the temperature may also be obtained from the time delay between the red and the blue photometer. Noctilucent clouds (Polar Mesospheric Clouds, PMC), are routinely observed in both polar summers, and global observations of OCLO and sodium are achieved. The instrument configuration, dictated by the scientific objectives rationale and technical constraints, are described, together with the typical operations along one orbit, and statistics over 5 years of operation. Typical atmospheric transmission spectra are presented, and some retrieval difficulties are discussed, in particular for O2 and H2O. An overview of a number of scientific results is presented, already published or found in more details as companion papers in the same ACP GOMOS special issue. This paper is particularly intended to provide the incentive for GOMOS data exploitation, available to the whole scientific community in the ESA data archive, and to help the GOMOS data users to better understand the instrument, its capabilities and the quality of its measurements, for an optimized scientific return.


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