scholarly journals Ozone profile smoothness as a priori information in the inversion of limb measurements

2004 ◽  
Vol 22 (10) ◽  
pp. 3411-3420 ◽  
Author(s):  
V. F. Sofieva ◽  
J. Tamminen ◽  
H. Haario ◽  
E. Kyrölä ◽  
M. Lehtinen

Abstract. In this work we discuss inclusion of a priori information about the smoothness of atmospheric profiles in inversion algorithms. The smoothness requirement can be formulated in the form of Tikhonov-type regularization, where the smoothness of atmospheric profiles is considered as a constraint or in the form of Bayesian optimal estimation (maximum a posteriori method, MAP), where the smoothness of profiles can be included as a priori information. We develop further two recently proposed retrieval methods. One of them - Tikhonov-type regularization according to the target resolution - develops the classical Tikhonov regularization. The second method - maximum a posteriori method with smoothness a priori - effectively combines the ideas of the classical MAP method and Tikhonov-type regularization. We discuss a grid-independent formulation for the proposed inversion methods, thus isolating the choice of calculation grid from the question of how strong the smoothing should be. The discussed approaches are applied to the problem of ozone profile retrieval from stellar occultation measurements by the GOMOS instrument on board the Envisat satellite. Realistic simulations for the typical measurement conditions with smoothness a priori information created from 10-years analysis of ozone sounding at Sodankylä and analysis of the total retrieval error illustrate the advantages of the proposed methods. The proposed methods are equally applicable to other profile retrieval problems from remote sensing measurements.

2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (7) ◽  
pp. 3943-3961 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ali Jalali ◽  
Shannon Hicks-Jalali ◽  
Robert J. Sica ◽  
Alexander Haefele ◽  
Thomas von Clarmann

Abstract. Lidar retrievals of atmospheric temperature and water vapor mixing ratio profiles using the optimal estimation method (OEM) typically use a retrieval grid with a number of points larger than the number of pieces of independent information obtainable from the measurements. Consequently, retrieved geophysical quantities contain some information from their respective a priori values or profiles, which can affect the results in the higher altitudes of the temperature and water vapor profiles due to decreasing signal-to-noise ratios. The extent of this influence can be estimated using the retrieval's averaging kernels. The removal of formal a priori information from the retrieved profiles in the regions of prevailing a priori effects is desirable, particularly when these greatest heights are of interest for scientific studies. We demonstrate here that removal of a priori information from OEM retrievals is possible by repeating the retrieval on a coarser grid where the retrieval is stable even without the use of formal prior information. The averaging kernels of the fine-grid OEM retrieval are used to optimize the coarse retrieval grid. We demonstrate the adequacy of this method for the case of a large power-aperture Rayleigh scatter lidar nighttime temperature retrieval and for a Raman scatter lidar water vapor mixing ratio retrieval during both day and night.


2016 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 909-928 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel Fisher ◽  
Caroline A. Poulsen ◽  
Gareth E. Thomas ◽  
Jan-Peter Muller

Abstract. In this paper we evaluate the impact on the cloud parameter retrievals of the ORAC (Optimal Retrieval of Aerosol and Cloud) algorithm following the inclusion of stereo-derived cloud top heights as a priori information. This is performed in a mathematically rigorous way using the ORAC optimal estimation retrieval framework, which includes the facility to use such independent a priori information. Key to the use of a priori information is a characterisation of their associated uncertainty. This paper demonstrates the improvements that are possible using this approach and also considers their impact on the microphysical cloud parameters retrieved. The Along-Track Scanning Radiometer (AATSR) instrument has two views and three thermal channels, so it is well placed to demonstrate the synergy of the two techniques. The stereo retrieval is able to improve the accuracy of the retrieved cloud top height when compared to collocated Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observations (CALIPSO), particularly in the presence of boundary layer inversions and high clouds. The impact of the stereo a priori information on the microphysical cloud properties of cloud optical thickness (COT) and effective radius (RE) was evaluated and generally found to be very small for single-layer clouds conditions over open water (mean RE differences of 2.2 (±5.9) microns and mean COD differences of 0.5 (±1.8) for single-layer ice clouds over open water at elevations of above 9 km, which are most strongly affected by the inclusion of the a priori).


2015 ◽  
Vol 8 (5) ◽  
pp. 5283-5327
Author(s):  
D. Fisher ◽  
C. A. Poulsen ◽  
G. E. Thomas ◽  
J.-P. Muller

Abstract. In this paper we evaluate the retrievals of cloud top height when stereo derived heights are combined with the radiometric cloud top heights retrieved from the ORAC (Optimal Retrieval of Aerosol and Cloud) algorithm. This is performed in a mathematically rigorous way using the ORAC optimal estimation retrieval framework, which includes the facility to use independent a priori information. Key to the use of a priori information is a characterisation of their associated uncertainty. This paper demonstrates the improvements that are possible using this approach and also considers their impact on the microphysical cloud parameters retrieved. The AATSR instrument has two views and three thermal channels so is well placed to demonstrate the synergy of the two techniques. The stereo retrieval is able to improve the accuracy of the retrieved cloud top height when compared to collocated Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observations (CALIPSO), particularly in the presence of boundary layer inversions and high clouds. The impact on the microphysical properties of the cloud such as optical depth and effective radius was evaluated and found to be very small with the biggest differences occurring over bright land surfaces and for high clouds. Overall the cost of the retrievals increased indicating a poorer radiative fit of radiances to the cloud model, which currently uses a single layer cloud model. Best results and improved fit to the radiances may be obtained in the future if a multi-layer model is used.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew J. Cooper ◽  
Randall V. Martin ◽  
Daven K. Henze ◽  
Dylan B. A. Jones

Abstract. A critical step in satellite retrievals of trace gas columns is the calculation of the air mass factor (AMF) used to convert observed slant columns to vertical columns. This calculation requires a priori information on the shape of the vertical profile. As a result, comparisons between satellite-retrieved and model-simulated column abundances are influenced by the a priori profile shape. We examine how differences between the shape of the simulated and a priori profile can impact the interpretation of satellite retrievals by performing an adjoint-based 4D-Var assimilation of synthetic NO2 observations for constraining NOx emissions. We use the GEOS-Chem Adjoint model to perform assimilations using a variety of AMFs to examine how a posteriori emission estimates are affected if the AMF is calculated using an a priori shape factor that is inconsistent with the simulated profile. In these tests, an inconsistent a priori shape factor increased errors in a posteriori emissions estimates by up to 80 % over polluted regions. As the difference between the simulated profile shape and the a priori profile shape increases, so do the corresponding assimilated emission errors. This reveals the importance of using simulated profile information for AMF calculations when comparing that simulated output to satellite retrieved columns.


2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (4.3) ◽  
pp. 488 ◽  
Author(s):  
O. V. Poliarus ◽  
Y. O. Poliakov ◽  
I. L. Nazarenko ◽  
Y. T. Borovyk ◽  
M. V. Kondratiuk

A new method of parameters jumps detection in economic processes is presented. A jump of the economic process parameter must be understood as a rapid parameter change for a time that does not exceed the period of process registration.  A system of stochastic differential equations for a posteriori density probability of a jump is synthesized. The solution of the system is the probability of a parameter jump, the estimation and variance of the jump in the presence of a priori information under conditions of noise influence. The simulation results are conducted for profitability of machine building industry of Kharkiv region, Ukraine. The system provides detection of jump parameters, even in conditions of intense noise of economic nature. To increase the probability of finding jumps it is necessary to have a priori information.  


2002 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
pp. 255-256 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Virtanen ◽  
K. Muinonen ◽  
E. Bowell

AbstractWe consider initial determination of orbits for trans-neptunian objects (TNOs), a topical theme because of the rapidly growing TNO population and the challenges in recovering lost TNOs. We apply the method of initial phase-space ranging of orbits to the poorly observed TNOs. The rigorous a posteriori probability density of the TNO orbital elements is examined using a Monte Carlo technique by varying the TNO topocentric ranges corresponding to the observation dates. We can optionally adopt a Bayesian approach to select the region of phase space containing the most plausible orbits. This is accomplished by incorporating semimajor axes, eccentricities, inclinations, and absolute magnitudes of multi-apparition TNOs as a priori information. The resulting a posteriori distributions permit ephemeris and ephemeris uncertainty prediction for TNO recovery observations.


2015 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. SA33-SA49 ◽  
Author(s):  
Qinshan Yang ◽  
Carlos Torres-Verdín

Interpretation of hydrocarbon-bearing shale is subject to great uncertainty because of pervasive heterogeneity, thin beds, and incomplete and uncertain knowledge of saturation-porosity-resistivity models. We developed a stochastic joint-inversion method specifically developed to address the quantitative petrophysical interpretation of hydrocarbon-bearing shale. The method was based on the rapid and interactive numerical simulation of resistivity and nuclear logs. Instead of property values themselves, the estimation method delivered the a posteriori probability of each property. The Markov-chain Monte Carlo algorithm was used to sample the model space to quantify the a posteriori distribution of formation properties. Additionally, the new interpretation method allows the use of fit-for-purpose statistical correlations between water saturation, salt concentration, porosity, and electrical resistivity to implement uncertain, non-Archie resistivity models derived from core data, including those affected by total organic carbon (TOC). In the case of underdetermined estimation problems, i.e., when the number of measurements was lower than the number of unknowns, the use of a priori information enabled plausible results within prespecified petrophysical and compositional bounds. The developed stochastic interpretation technique was successfully verified with data acquired in the Barnett and Haynesville Shales. Core data (including X-ray diffraction data) were combined into a priori information for interpretation of nuclear and resistivity logs. Results consisted of mineral concentrations, TOC, and porosity together with their uncertainty. Eighty percent of the core data was located within the 95% credible interval of estimated mineral/fluid concentrations.


2015 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 671-687 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. Mielonen ◽  
J. F. de Haan ◽  
J. C. A. van Peet ◽  
M. Eremenko ◽  
J. P. Veefkind

Abstract. We have assessed the sensitivity of the operational Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) ozone profile retrieval algorithm to a number of a priori and radiative transfer assumptions. We studied the effect of stray light correction, surface albedo assumptions and a priori ozone profiles on the retrieved ozone profile. Then, we studied how to modify the algorithm to improve the retrieval of tropospheric ozone. We found that stray light corrections have a significant effect on the retrieved ozone profile but mainly at high altitudes. Surface albedo assumptions, on the other hand, have the largest impact at the lowest layers. Choice of an ozone profile climatology which is used as a priori information has small effects on the retrievals at all altitudes. However, the usage of climatological a priori covariance matrix has a significant effect. Based on these sensitivity tests, we made several modifications to the retrieval algorithm: the a priori ozone climatology was replaced with a new tropopause-dependent climatology, the a priori covariance matrix was calculated from the climatological ozone variability values, and the surface albedo was assumed to be linearly dependent on wavelength in the 311.5–330 nm channel. As expected, we found that the a priori covariance matrix basically defines the vertical distribution of degrees of freedom for a retrieval. Moreover, our case study over Europe showed that the modified version produced over 10% smaller ozone abundances in the troposphere which reduced the systematic overestimation of ozone in the retrieval algorithm and improved correspondence with Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Instrument (IASI) retrievals. The comparison with ozonesonde measurements over North America showed that the operational retrieval performed better in the upper troposphere/lower stratosphere (UTLS), whereas the modified version improved the retrievals in the lower troposphere and upper stratosphere. These comparisons showed that the systematic biases in the OMI ozone profile retrievals are not caused by the a priori information but by some still unidentified problem in the radiative transfer modelling. Instead, the a priori information pushes the systematically wrong ozone profiles towards the true values. The smaller weight of the a priori information in the modified retrieval leads to better visibility of tropospheric ozone structures, because it has a smaller tendency to damp the variability of the retrievals in the troposphere. In summary, the modified retrieval unmasks systematic problems in the radiative transfer/instrument model and is more sensitive to tropospheric ozone variation; that is, it is able to capture the tropospheric ozone morphology better.


Geophysics ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 77 (2) ◽  
pp. H19-H31 ◽  
Author(s):  
Knud Skou Cordua ◽  
Thomas Mejer Hansen ◽  
Klaus Mosegaard

We present a general Monte Carlo full-waveform inversion strategy that integrates a priori information described by geostatistical algorithms with Bayesian inverse problem theory. The extended Metropolis algorithm can be used to sample the a posteriori probability density of highly nonlinear inverse problems, such as full-waveform inversion. Sequential Gibbs sampling is a method that allows efficient sampling of a priori probability densities described by geostatistical algorithms based on either two-point (e.g., Gaussian) or multiple-point statistics. We outline the theoretical framework for a full-waveform inversion strategy that integrates the extended Metropolis algorithm with sequential Gibbs sampling such that arbitrary complex geostatistically defined a priori information can be included. At the same time we show how temporally and/or spatiallycorrelated data uncertainties can be taken into account during the inversion. The suggested inversion strategy is tested on synthetic tomographic crosshole ground-penetrating radar full-waveform data using multiple-point-based a priori information. This is, to our knowledge, the first example of obtaining a posteriori realizations of a full-waveform inverse problem. Benefits of the proposed methodology compared with deterministic inversion approaches include: (1) The a posteriori model variability reflects the states of information provided by the data uncertainties and a priori information, which provides a means of obtaining resolution analysis. (2) Based on a posteriori realizations, complicated statistical questions can be answered, such as the probability of connectivity across a layer. (3) Complex a priori information can be included through geostatistical algorithms. These benefits, however, require more computing resources than traditional methods do. Moreover, an adequate knowledge of data uncertainties and a priori information is required to obtain meaningful uncertainty estimates. The latter may be a key challenge when considering field experiments, which will not be addressed here.


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