Tomographic retrieval algorithm of OH concentration profiles using double spatial heterodyne spectrometers

Abstract

Abstract. The hydroxyl radical (OH) determines the capability of atmospheric self-cleansing and is one of the significant oxidants in atmospheric photochemistry reactions. Global OH has been monitored by satellites with the traditional limb mode in the past decades. This observed mode can achieve the acquisition of high-resolution vertical OH data but cannot obtain enough horizontal OH data for inverting high-precision OH concentrations because OH has a high reactivity that makes OH concentrations extremely low and distributions complicated. The double spatial heterodyne spectrometer (DSHS) is designed to obtain higher-resolution and more detailed OH data. This sensor can measure OH by the three-dimensional limb mode to obtain comprehensive OH data in the atmosphere. Here we propose a new tomographic retrieval algorithm based on the simulated observation data because the DSHS will work officially on the orbit in the future. We build up an accurate forward model. The main part of it is the SCIATRAN radiative transfer model which is modified according to the radiation transmission theory. The error in results obtained by the forward model is ±44.30 % in the lower atmosphere such as at a 21 km height and decreases gradually until the limit of observation altitude. We also construct the tomographic retrieval algorithm of which the core is a lookup table method. A tomographic-observation database is built up through the atmospheric model, the spatial information (the position of the target area and satellite position), the date parameters, the observation geometries, OH concentrations, and simulated observation data. The OH concentrations can be found from it directly. If there are no corresponding query conditions in the tomographic-observation database, the cubic spline interpolation is used to obtain the OH concentrations. The inversion results are given, and the errors in them increase as the altitudes rise until about a 41 km height then start to decrease. The errors in the inversion results reach the maximum of about ±25.03 % at the 41 km height and decrease to ±8.09 % at the limited observation height. They are also small in the lower atmosphere at ±12.96 % at 21 km. In summary, the tomographic retrieval algorithm can obtain more accurate OH concentrations even in the lower atmosphere where the OH data are not high quality and avoids the setting of initial guess values for solving the iteration problems. Our research not only provides support for the scientific theory of the construction of the DSHS but also gives a new retrieval algorithm idea for other radicals.