TROPESS-CrIS CO single-pixel vertical profiles: intercomparisons with MOPITT and model simulations for 2020 western US wildfires

Abstract

Abstract. The new TROPESS (TRopospheric Ozone and its Precursors from Earth System Sounding) profile retrievals of carbon monoxide (CO) from the Cross-track Infrared Sounder (CrIS) are evaluated against Measurement of Pollution in the Troposphere (MOPITT) CO version 9 data. Comparison results that were adjusted to common a priori constraints in the retrieval processes have improved agreement between the two data sets over direct comparisons. TROPESS-CrIS CO profiles are within 5 % of MOPITT but have higher concentrations in the lower troposphere and lower concentrations in the upper troposphere. For the intense western US wildfire events in September 2020, we compare CO fields simulated by the GISS climate model to the two satellite CO observations. We show intermediate steps of the comparison process to illustrate the evaluation of model simulations by deriving the “retrieved” model CO profiles as they would be observed by the satellite. This includes the application of satellite level-2 data along with their corresponding diagnostic operators provided in the TROPESS-CrIS and MOPITT products. The process allows a diagnosis of potential model improvements in modeling fire emissions and pollution transport.