Initial comparison of ozone and NO2 profiles from ACE‐MAESTRO with balloon and satellite data

Abstract

Atmospheric retrievals of ozone and NO2 by the Measurements of Aerosol Extinction in the Stratosphere and Troposphere Retrieved by Occultation (MAESTRO) instrument which is part of the Atmospheric Chemistry Experiment (ACE) satellite aboard SCISAT are compared statistically with coincident measurements by ozonesondes, the Fourier Transform Spectrometer (ACE‐FTS) also aboard SCISAT, the SAGE III and the POAM III instruments. The ozone mixing ratio profiles from MAESTRO and ozonesondes agree within about 5–10% from 16–30 km in the northern middle and high latitudes. Further, ACE‐FTS and MAESTRO ozone profiles agree within ∼5–15% from 16–50 km. MAESTRO ozone profiles show a systematic bias which is opposite for sunrise (SR) and sunset (SS) events and was also seen in comparisons with SAGE III and POAM III ozone. MAESTRO SS ozone profiles mostly agree within 5–10% from 16–40 km with either SAGE III or POAM III SR or SS retrievals, but show a significant high bias from 40–55 km, reaching a maximum of ∼20–30%. MAESTRO SR ozone profiles show a low bias of ∼5–15% from 20–50 km, as compared to SAGE III and POAM III SR or SS measurements. The NO2 profiles agree within about 10–15% between ACE‐FTS and MAESTRO from 15–40 km for the SR and 22–35 km for the SS measurements. Further, MAESTRO NO2 profiles agree with SAGE III NO2 mostly within 10% from 25–40 km. MAESTRO NO2 profiles agree with POAM III SR profiles within 5–10% from 25–42 km. However, compared to POAM III SS profiles, MAESTRO NO2 profiles show a low bias between 20 and 25 km (∼30–50%), a high MAESTRO bias between 25 and 32 km (10–30%), and again a low bias above 33 km that increases with altitude to 50–60%.