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Titel |
Retrieval of tropospheric column densities of NO2 from combined SCIAMACHY nadir/limb measurements |
VerfasserIn |
S. Beirle, S. Kühl, J. Puķīte, T. Wagner |
Medientyp |
Artikel
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Sprache |
Englisch
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ISSN |
1867-1381
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Digitales Dokument |
URL |
Erschienen |
In: Atmospheric Measurement Techniques ; 3, no. 1 ; Nr. 3, no. 1 (2010-02-25), S.283-299 |
Datensatznummer |
250000829
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Publikation (Nr.) |
copernicus.org/amt-3-283-2010.pdf |
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Zusammenfassung |
The SCIAMACHY instrument onboard the ESA satellite ENVISAT allows measurements of various
atmospheric trace gases, such as NO2.
A unique feature of SCIAMACHY is that measurements are made alternately in limb and nadir
mode. The limb measurements provide an opportunity for directly determining
stratospheric column densities (CDs), which are needed to extract tropospheric CDs from the total
CD measurements performed in (quasi simultaneous) nadir geometry.
Here we discuss the potential and limitations of SCIAMACHY limb measurements
for estimating stratospheric CDs of NO2 in comparison to a
simple reference sector method, and the consequences for the resulting
tropospheric CDs.
A direct, absolute limb correction scheme is presented that
improves spatial patterns of tropospheric NO2 column densities at high
latitudes, but results
in artificial zonal stripes at low latitudes. Subsequently, a relative
limb correction scheme is introduced that successfully reduces
stratospheric artefacts in the tropospheric data product without
introducing new ones. This relative limb correction scheme is rather simple,
robust, and, in essence, based on measurements alone.
The effects of the different stratospheric estimation schemes on tropospheric
CDs are discussed with respect to zonal and temporal
dependencies. In addition, we define error quantities from the nadir/limb
measurements that indicate remaining systematic errors as a function of
latitude and day.
Our new suggested stratospheric estimation scheme, the relative limb
correction, improves mean tropospheric slant CDs
significantly, e.g. from −1×1015 molec/cm2 (using a
reference sector method) to ≈0 in the Atlantic ocean, and from
+1×1015 molec/cm2 to ≈0 over Siberia, at
50° N in January 2003–2008. |
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