Impact of spectroscopic information on total column water vapor retrieval in the near-infrared spectral region

Abstract

Water vapor is an important greenhouse gas. The atmospheric water vapor content is monitored by remote methods, which require accurate spectroscopic information about H2O absorption line parameters. The problems of accuracy of accounting the selective water vapor absorption in the simulation of atmospheric transfer of solar radiation are considered in this work. The atmospheric spectra are simulated using different versions of spectroscopic databases of H2O absorption line parameters and compared with the solar spectra measured by a ground-based Fourier transform spectrometer. The total column (TC) water vapor is retrieved from the solar spectra measured. The effect of the differences in absorption line parameters in modern spectroscopic databases on the results of retrieval of the TC water vapor from high-resolution spectra is estimated.