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Retrieval and validation of carbon dioxide, methane and water vapor for the Canary Islands IR-laser occultation experiment.

Authors :
Proschek, V.
Kirchengast, G.
Schweitzer, S.
Brooke, J. S. A.
Bernath, P. F.
Thomas, C. B.
Wang, J.-G.
Tereszchuk, K. A.
Abad, G. González
Hargreaves, R. J.
Beale, C. A.
Harrison, J. J.
Martin, P. A.
Kasyutich, V. L.
Gerbig, C.
Kolle, O.
Loescher, A.
Source :
Atmospheric Measurement Techniques Discussions; 2014, Vol. 7 Issue 11, p11593-11652, 60p
Publication Year :
2014

Abstract

The first ground-based experiment to prove the concept of a novel space-based observation technique for microwave and infrared-laser occultation between Low Earth Orbit satellites (LMIO) was performed in the Canary Islands between La Palma and Tenerife in July 2011. This experiment aimed to demonstrate the infrared-laser differential transmission principle for the measurement of greenhouse gases (GHGs) in the free atmosphere. Such global and long-term stable measurements of GHGs, accompanied also by measurements of thermodynamic parameters and line-of-sight wind in a self-calibrating way, have become very important for climate change monitoring. The experiment delivered promising initial data for demonstrating the new observation concept by retrieving volume mixing ratios of GHGs along a ~ 144 km signal path at altitudes of ~ 2.4 km. Here, we present a detailed analysis of the measurements, following a recent publication that introduced the experiment's technical setup and first results for an example retrieval of CO<subscript>2</subscript>. We present the observational and validation datasets, the latter simultaneously measured at the transmitter and receiver sites, the measurement data handling, and the differential transmission retrieval procedure. We also determine the individual and combined uncertainties influencing the results and present the retrieval results for <superscript>12</superscript>CO<subscript>2</subscript>, <superscript>13</superscript>CO<subscript>2</subscript>, C<superscript>18</superscript>OO, H<subscript>2</subscript>O and CH<subscript>4</subscript>. The new method is found to have a reliable basis for monitoring of greenhouse gases such as CO<subscript>2</subscript>, CH<subscript>4</subscript>, and H2O in the free atmosphere. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Details

Language :
English
ISSN :
18678610
Volume :
7
Issue :
11
Database :
Complementary Index
Journal :
Atmospheric Measurement Techniques Discussions
Publication Type :
Academic Journal
Accession number :
99834426
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.5194/amtd-7-11593-2014