Classified validation of Aeolus wind observations using IGRA over China

Abstract

This study validated Aeolus wind observations over China from October 2020 to September 2022 using the Integrated Global Radiosonde Archive (IGRA). The results showed that most of the Aeolus observations were in good agreement with the IGRA observations. The quality of Aeolus Rayleigh-clear winds is superior to that of Mie-cloudy winds, and the wind products for ascending orbits are superior to those for descending orbits. The biases between Rayleigh-clear (Mie-cloudy) and IGRA winds are 0.61 (0.87), −0.01 (0.81), and 1.12 (1.59) m s−1 for the total, ascending and descending Aeolus orbits, respectively. Further classification study based on cloud height and relative humidity reveals that the quality of Mie-cloudy winds improves with cloud altitude until stratosphere, and Rayleigh-clear winds deteriorate for high relative humidity. The results provide a basis for quality control and error correction of Aeolus wind observations.