<title>SCIAMACHY on-ground/in-flight calibration, performance verification, and monitoring concepts</title>

Abstract

The scanning imaging absorption spectrometer for atmospheric chartography (SCIAMACHY), to be launched on the European polar platform ENVISAT at the end of 1999, will measure sun- and moonlight which is either transmitted, reflected or scattered by the Earth atmosphere. The double spectrometer is designed for the ultraviolet, visible and near IR wavelength region, covering that range with a resolution of 0.24 nm to 1.5 nm. It was conceived to improve our knowledge and understanding of a variety of issues of importance to chemistry and physics of the Earth atmosphere. Scientific objectives are to study ozone hole chemistry, troposphere- stratosphere exchange and tropospheric pollution. This will be achieved by a combined limb, nadir and occultation observation strategy. The SCIAMACHY instrument and operational concept is finalized approaching now the on- ground calibration phase. The planned wavelength and radiometric calibration measurements, including a detailed characterization of the instrument polarization behavior, will be fundamental for the required high data accuracy. Additionally the in-flight calibration and monitoring concept will allow a proper correction of instrument ageing effects. This study describes pre-flight and in-flight calibration the approaches to be employed to maintain a high radiometric and spectral accuracy of the SCIAMACHY measurements throughout its life are reported.© (1997) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.