Algorithm theoretical basis for ozone and sulfur dioxide retrievals from DSCOVR EPIC

Abstract

Abstract. On board the Deep Space Climate Observatory (DSCOVR), the first Earth-observing satellite at the L1 point (the first Lagrangian point in the Earth–Sun system), the Earth Polychromatic Imaging Camera (EPIC) continuously observes the entire sunlit face of the Earth. EPIC measures the solar backscattered and reflected radiances in 10 discrete spectral channels, four of which are in the ultraviolet (UV) range. These UV bands are selected primarily for total ozone (O3) and aerosol retrievals based on heritage algorithms developed for the series of Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometers (TOMS). These UV measurements also provide sensitive detection of sulfur dioxide (SO2) and volcanic ash, both of which may be episodically injected into the atmosphere during explosive volcanic eruptions. This paper presents the theoretical basis and mathematical procedures for the direct vertical column fitting (DVCF) algorithm used for retrieving total vertical columns of O3 and SO2 from DSCOVR EPIC. This paper describes algorithm advances, including an improved O3 profile representation that enables profile adjustments from multiple spectral measurements and the spatial optimal estimation (SOE) scheme that reduces O3 artifacts resulting from EPIC's band-to-band misregistrations. Furthermore, this paper discusses detailed error analyses and presents intercomparisons with correlative data to validate O3 and SO2 retrievals from EPIC.