Atmospheric Emission Spectra Research Articles

Hydrogenated atmospheres of lava planets: Atmospheric structure and emission spectra

Ultra-hot rocky super-Earths are thought to be sufficiently irradiated by their host star to melt their surface and allow for long-lasting magma oceans as a result. A number of processes have been proposed to explain how such planets may have retained the primordial hydrogen captured during their formation, while moving inward in the planetary system. The new generation of space telescopes such as the James Webb Space Telescope may provide observations that are precise enough to characterize the atmospheres and perhaps the interiors of such exoplanets. We used a vaporization model that calculates the gas-liquid equilibrium between the atmosphere (including hydrogen) and the magma ocean to compute the elemental composition of a variety of atmospheres with different quantities of hydrogen. We then used the elemental composition in a steady-state atmospheric model (ATMO) to compute the atmospheric structure and generate synthetic emission spectra. With this method, we were able to confirm previous results showing that silicate atmospheres exhibit a thermal inversion, with a notable emission peak of SiO at 9 μm. We compared our method to the literature on the inclusion of hydrogen in the atmosphere to show that hydrogen reduces the thermal inversion because of the formation of H2O, which has a strong greenhouse potential. However, planets that are significantly irradiated by their host star are sufficiently hot to dissociate H2O, thus also allowing them to maintain a thermal inversion. The observational implications are twofold: (1) H2O is more likely to be detected in colder atmospheres and (2) detecting a thermal inversion in hotter atmospheres does not a priori exclude the presence of H (in its atomic form). Due to the impact of H on the overall chemistry and atmospheric structure (and, thus, observations), we emphasize the importance of including volatiles in the calculation of the gas-liquid equilibrium. Finally, we provide a criterion to determine potential targets for observation in light of these findings.

Rocky Planet or Water World? Observability of Low-density Lava World Atmospheres

Super-Earths span a wide range of bulk densities, indicating a diversity in interior conditions beyond that seen in the solar system. In particular, an emerging population of low-density super-Earths may be explained by volatile-rich interiors. Among these, low-density lava worlds have dayside temperatures that are high enough to evaporate their surfaces, providing a unique opportunity to probe their interior compositions and test for the presence of volatiles. In this work, we investigate the atmospheric observability of low-density lava worlds. We use a radiative-convective model to explore the atmospheric structures and emission spectra of these planets, focusing on three case studies with high observability metrics and substellar temperatures spanning ∼1900–2800 K: HD 86226 c, HD 3167 b, and 55 Cnc e. Given the possibility of mixed volatile and silicate interior compositions for these planets, we consider a range of mixed volatile and rock-vapor atmospheric compositions. This includes a range of volatile fractions and three volatile compositions: water-rich (100% H2O), water with CO2 (80% H2O+20% CO2), and a desiccated O-rich scenario (67% O2+33% CO2). We find that spectral features due to H2O, CO2, SiO, and SiO2 are present in the infrared emission spectra as either emission or absorption features, depending on dayside temperature, volatile fraction, and volatile composition. We further simulate JWST secondary-eclipse observations for each of the three case studies, finding that H2O and/or CO2 could be detected with as few as ∼five eclipses. Detecting volatiles in these atmospheres would provide crucial independent evidence that volatile-rich interiors exist among the super-Earth population.

Stratospheric-trace-gas-profile retrievals from balloon-borne limb imaging of mid-infrared emission spectra

Abstract. The Limb Imaging Fourier Transform Spectrometer Experiment (LIFE) instrument is a balloon-borne prototype of a satellite instrument designed to take vertical images of atmospheric limb emission spectra in the 700–1400 cm−1 wavenumber range from the upper-troposphere–lower-stratosphere (UTLS) altitude region of the atmosphere. The prototype builds on the success of past and existing instruments while reducing the complexity of the imaging design. This paper details the results of a demonstration flight on a stabilized stratospheric balloon gondola from Timmins, Canada, in August 2019. Retrievals of vertical trace gas profiles for the important greenhouse gases H2O, O3, CH4, and N2O, as well as HNO3, are performed using an optimal estimation approach and the SASKTRAN radiative transfer model. The retrieved profiles are compared to approximately coincident observations made by the Atmospheric Chemistry Experiment Fourier Transform Spectrometer (ACE-FTS) solar occultation and Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS) instruments. An evaluation of the LIFE measurements is performed, and areas of improvement are identified. This work increases the overall technical readiness of the approach for future balloon, aircraft, and space applications.

Retrieval of atmospheric trace gases from satellite infrared limb sounding data

The Michelson Interferometer for Passive Atmospheric Sounding (MIPAS) instrument which operated in the near-to-mid infrared on the Envisat satellite from 2002–2012 is a Fourier-transform spectrometer for the measurement of high-resolution atmospheric emission spectra at the Earth’s limb. The initial operational products are profiles of temperature, H2O, O3, CH4, N2O, HNO3, and NO2, and this list is extended to include the important GHG (greenhouse gases) and ODS (ozone depleting substances) species using MORSE (orbital retrieval processor). This paper discusses retrievals of minor trace species of HCFC-22, HOCl, OCS, C2H6, COF2, HCN, CF4, SF6, and CCl4. Preliminary zonal mean results of these retrievals are satisfactory except for HCN and CF4 species. We then use MIPAS to estimate the total F and Cl budget in the atmosphere. Comparisons with SLIMCAT are also discussed, with the results consistent. Finally, we focus on improving the retrieval method for minor trace species, COF2, by adjusting correlation length and a priori constraint, as well as the chi-square method introduced to analyze noise. Tests have shown that our improvement could get more information from the measurements.

Methane detection to 1 ppm using machine learning analysis of atmospheric pressure plasma optical emission spectra

Optical emission spectroscopy from a small-volume, 5 μl, atmospheric pressure RF-driven helium plasma was used in conjunction with partial least squares-discriminant analysis for the detection of trace concentrations of methane gas. A limit of detection of 1 ppm was obtained and sample concentrations up to 100 ppm CH4 were classified using a nine-category model. A range of algorithm enhancements were investigated including regularization, simple data segmentation and subset selection, feature selection via Variable Importance in Projection and wavelength variable compression in order to address the high dimensionality and collinearity of spectral emission data. These approaches showed the potential for significant reduction in the number of wavelength variables and the spectral resolution/bandwidth. Wavelength variable compression exhibited reliable predictive performance, with accuracy values >97%, under more challenging multi-session train—test scenarios. Simple modelling of plasma electron energy distribution functions highlights the complex cross-sensitivities between the target methane, its dissociation products and atmospheric impurities and their impact on excitation and emission.

Effect of Dielectric Surface Morphology on Dielectric Barrier Discharge Mode in Air at Atmospheric Pressure

In order to study the effect of surface morphology of dielectric materials on features of dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) in air at atmospheric pressure (AP), electrical characteristics and optical emission spectrum are obtained in a 2-mm air gap with quartz glass and ceramic used as the dielectric layer (the capacitance of the used dielectrics is similar). The transition of discharge mode is observed for different dielectric material and surface morphology. Results show that with varying dielectric material and surface morphology, air atmospheric pressure dielectric barrier discharge (APDBD) presents three discharge modes, including a filamentary mode, a homogeneous mode, and a mixed mode of them. Further investigation reveals that the homogenous mode is in a Townsend discharge regime, which is realized in a proper surface morphology of 96% Al <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">2</sub> O <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">3</sub> ceramic. Moreover, optical emission spectrum is obtained, which mainly consists of atomic lines of nitrogen and molecular bands originating from the second positive system of N <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">2</sub> (C <sup xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">3</sup> Π <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">u</sub> →B <sup xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">3</sup> Π <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">g</sub> ). From N <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">2</sub> (C <sup xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">3</sup> Π <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">u</sub> →B <sup xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">3</sup> Π <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">g</sub> ), molecular vibrational temperature is investigated as a function of surface roughness (R <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">a</sub> ) of the different dielectric materials. Result reveals that there is a minimal vibrational temperature when the discharge is in the homogeneous mode. With quartz glass used as the dielectric, the vibrational temperature decreases first and then increases with increasing R <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">a</sub> . The minimum value appears at R <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">a</sub> of 215 nm. Besides, the discharge current is the most concentrated in time, and the discharge looks the most homogeneous under this circumstance.

On the Temperature Profiles and Emission Spectra of Mini-Neptune Atmospheres

Abstract Atmospheric observations of mini-Neptunes orbiting M dwarfs are beginning to provide constraints on their chemical and thermal properties, while also providing clues about their interiors and potential surfaces. With their relatively large scale heights and large planet–star contrasts, mini-Neptunes are currently ideal targets toward the goal of characterizing temperate low-mass exoplanets. Understanding the thermal structures and spectral appearances of mini-Neptunes is important to understand various aspects of their atmospheres, including radiative/convective energy transport, boundary conditions for the interior, and their potential habitability. In the present study, we explore these aspects of mini-Neptunes using self-consistent models of their atmospheres. We begin by exploring the effects of irradiation, internal flux, metallicity, clouds, and hazes on the atmospheric temperature profiles and thermal emission spectra of temperate mini-Neptunes. In particular, we investigate the impact of these properties on the radiative–convective boundary and the thermodynamic conditions in the lower atmosphere, which serves as the interface with the interior and/or a potential surface. Building on recent suggestions of habitability of the mini-Neptune K2-18 b, we find a range of physically motivated atmospheric conditions that allow for liquid water under the H2-rich atmospheres of such planets. We find that observations of thermal emission with JWST/MIRI spectrophotometry can place useful constraints on the habitability of temperate mini-Neptunes such as K2-18 b and provide more detailed constraints on the chemical and thermal properties of warmer planets such as GJ 3470 b. Our results underpin the potential of temperate mini-Neptunes such as K2-18 b as promising candidates in the search for habitable exoplanets.

A 5-mm Wavelength-Range Spectroradiometer for Studying the Atmosphere and Underlying Surface

The results of the development of a mobile solid-state microwave spectroradiometer that operates in the 5-mm absorption band of molecular oxygen are presented. The spectroradiometer consists of a superheterodyne receiver with a low-noise input amplifier and an eight-channel spectrum analyzer. The noise temperature of the device is 1000–1300 K. A solid-state modulator–calibrator based on Schottky-barrier GaAs diodes is used to provide the automatic internal intensity calibration of received radio emission. The design of the spectroradiometer antenna system is a Teflon lens with an antireflection coating and a conical corrugated horn. The instrument is equipped with an automated digital system for controlling the measurement, calibration, and a data preprocessing procedure. Examples of the measurement results of the atmospheric emission spectra and the radiative characteristics of the earth’s surface that were obtained with this instrument are presented. The spectroradiometer is designed for remote studies of the atmosphere and the underlying surface.

Mesosphere Ozone and the Lower Ionosphere under Plasma Disturbance by Powerful High-Frequency Radio Emission

We present the results of experiments on the Earth’s lower ionosphere at mesospheric heights by creating artificial periodic irregularities (APIs) of the ionospheric plasma and simultaneous measurement of the atmospheric emission spectrum in the ozone line by ground-based microwave radiometry when the ionosphere was disturbed by powerful high-frequency radio emission from the midlatitude SURA heating facility (56.15° N; 46.11° E). The diagnostics of the ionosphere was carried out on the basis of measuring amplitudes and phases of signals scattered by periodic irregularities in the altitude range of 50–130 km. For each heating session lasting 30 min, two ozone spectra were measured. These spectra were compared with the measured spectra the periods when heating was turned off. During the heating session of the ionosphere, a decrease in the intensity of the microwave radiation of the atmosphere in the ozone line was observed. The lower ionosphere was characterized by intense dynamics. Rapid variations in the amplitude of the scattered signal and the relaxation time of artificial periodic irregularities were observed. The velocity of a regular vertical movement in the D-region of the ionosphere constantly varied direction with average minute values up to 4–5 m/s. We assume the decrease in the ozone emission spectrum at the altitude of 60 km can be explained by an increase in the coefficient of electron attachment to oxygen molecules during heating sessions. The lower boundary of the region enriched with atomic oxygen was estimated from the height profile of the API relaxation time.

JexoSim: a time-domain simulator of exoplanet transit spectroscopy with JWST

ABSTRACT The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) will perform exoplanet transit spectroscopy in the coming decade, promising transformative science results. All four instruments onboard can be used for this technique that reconstructs the atmospheric transmission or emission spectrum of an exoplanet from wavelength-dependent light-curve measurements. Astrophysical and instrumental noise and systematics can affect the precision and accuracy of the final spectrum, and hence, the atmospheric properties derived from the spectrum. Correlated noise and time-dependent systematics that can bias the measured signal must be accounted for in the final uncertainties. However, quantifying these effects can be difficult with real data or simple analytic tools. Existing publicly available simulators for JWST do not adequately simulate complex time-domain processes on exoplanetary transit observations. We report JexoSim, a dedicated time-domain simulator for JWST including all the four instruments for exoplanet transit spectroscopy. JexoSim models both the astrophysics and the instrument, generating 2D images in simulated time akin to a real observation. JexoSim can capture correlated noise and systematic biases on the light curve, giving it great versatility. Potential applications of JexoSim include performance testing of JWST instruments, assessing science return, and testing data reduction pipelines. We describe JexoSim, validate it against other simulators, and present examples of its utility.

Spectral characteristics and formation of high-altitude haze in the south-polar regions of Saturn

We analyzed the 3-µm emission spectra of Saturn's southern auroral atmosphere observed by the Visual Infrared Mapping Spectrometer (VIMS) on-board Cassini. Extracting adjacent 3-µm H3+, CH4, and C2H6 emissions, we derived vertically-resolved spectral structures of polar haze between 375 and 925 km altitude. A comparison of the derived polar haze spectra with those of the relatively low-altitudinal (257–520 km) and low-latitudinal haze reported by Kim et al. (2012) indicates that the polar haze is dominated by aromatic hydrocarbons while the haze at lower latitudes mostly consists of aliphatic hydrocarbons. This spectral and chemical variation in the different latitudinal regions suggests a possibility that newly created haze particles at the high altitudes in the auroral regions of Saturn undergo an aging process during latitudinal advection and diffusion from the polar atmosphere to the low altitude and low latitudinal regions, while in the atmosphere of Titan, the aging process occurs during the vertical precipitation process of haze (Courtin et al., 2015a). However, there is a possibility that the aging process can occur during both the horizontal and vertical migrations. Thus, further investigation of the 3-µm spectral structure of the high-altitude haze (>520 km) at low latitudes is needed.

THE IMPACT OF NON-UNIFORM THERMAL STRUCTURE ON THE INTERPRETATION OF EXOPLANET EMISSION SPECTRA

ABSTRACT The determination of atmospheric structure and molecular abundances of planetary atmospheres via spectroscopy involves direct comparisons between models and data. While varying in sophistication, most model spectra comparisons fundamentally assume one-dimensional (1D) model physics. However, knowledge from general circulation models and of solar system planets suggests that planetary atmospheres are inherently three-dimensional in their structure and composition. We explore the potential biases resulting from standard “1D” assumptions within a Bayesian atmospheric retrieval framework. Specifically, we show how the assumption of a single 1D thermal profile can bias our interpretation of the thermal emission spectrum of a hot Jupiter atmosphere that is composed of two thermal profiles. We retrieve spectra of unresolved model planets as observed with a combination of the Hubble Space Telescope Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3)+Spitzer Infrared Array Camera (IRAC) as well as the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) under varying differences in the two thermal profiles. For WFC3+IRAC, there is a significantly biased estimate of CH4 abundance using a 1D model when the contrast is 80%. For JWST, two thermal profiles are required to adequately interpret the data and estimate the abundances when contrast is greater than 40%. We also apply this preliminary concept to the recent WFC3+IRAC phase curve data of the hot Jupiter WASP-43b. We see similar behavior as present in our simulated data: while the abundance determination is robust, CH4 is artificially well-constrained to incorrect values under the 1D assumption. Our work demonstrates the need to evaluate model assumptions in order to extract meaningful constraints from atmospheric spectra and motivates exploration of optimal observational setups.

Phosgene in the UTLS: seasonal and latitudinal variations from MIPAS observations

Abstract. The Michelson Interferometer for Passive Atmospheric Sounding (MIPAS) is a Fourier transform spectrometer that measured mid-infrared atmospheric limb emission spectra from July 2002 to April 2012 on board the polar-orbiting satellite ENVISAT. We have used MIPAS data to study the latitudinal variations of phosgene (COCl2 or carbonyl chloride) and, for the first time, its seasonal variation in the upper troposphere/lower stratosphere region (UTLS). Retrievals of phosgene were made using the 830–860 cm−1 region, corresponding to the ν5 bands of COCl2. Unfortunately, in that region, the ν4 band of CFC-11, which is much stronger than COCl2 ν5, hides the phosgene emission. In order to evaluate seasonality and latitudinal distribution of phosgene we have analysed all the measurements made by MIPAS on days 18 and 20 of each month of 2008 with the optimized retrieval model (ORM) recently upgraded with the multi-target retrieval technique and with the optimal estimation functionality to apply external constraints to the state vector. Average seasonal profiles of phosgene show an evident latitudinal variability with the largest values observed in the tropical regions (maximum ≈ 35 parts per trillion by volume (pptv) at about 300 hPa). In the midlatitude and polar regions, the volume mixing ratio (VMR) values do not exceed 30 pptv and the vertical distributions are less peaked. Our analysis highlights that COCl2 seasonal variability is fairly low, apart from the polar regions.

Simulating super earth atmospheres in the laboratory

AbstractSeveral space missions, such as JWST, TESS and the very recently proposed ARIEL, or ground-based experiments, as SPHERE and GPI, have been proposed to measure the atmospheric transmission, reflection and emission spectra of extrasolar planets. The planet atmosphere characteristics and possible biosignatures will be inferred by studying planetary spectra in order to identify the emission/absorption lines/bands from atmospheric molecules such as water (H2O), carbon monoxide (CO), methane (CH4), ammonia (NH3), etc. In particular, it is important to know in detail the optical characteristics of gases in the typical physical conditions of the planetary atmospheres and how these characteristics could be affected by radiation driven photochemical and biochemical reaction. The main aim of the project ‘Atmosphere in a Test Tube’ is to provide insights on exoplanet atmosphere modification due to biological intervention. This can be achieved simulating planetary atmosphere at different pressure and temperature conditions under the effects of radiation sources, used as proxies of different bands of the stellar emission. We are tackling the characterization of extrasolar planet atmospheres by mean of innovative laboratory experiments described in this paper. The experiments are intended to reproduce the conditions on warm earths and super earths hosted by low-mass M dwarfs primaries with the aim to understand if a cyanobacteria population hosted on a Earth-like planet orbiting an M0 star is able to maintain its photosynthetic activity and produce traceable signatures.

Pluto and Charon’s UV spectra from IUE to New Horizons

We compare Mid-Ultraviolet (MUV) spectra of Pluto taken over a period of 20years by the International Ultraviolet Explorer, the HST-Faint Object Spectrograph, and the HST-Cosmic Origins Spectrograph. We extract Pluto-only spectra from the IUE data and associate them with corrected longitudes when necessary. Comparing them with HST spectra provides further evidence of temporal changes in Pluto’s geometric albedo between 2000 and 3200Å. These various spectra are used to explore the contributions of atmospheric or surface changes to Pluto’s reflectance. We also provide predictions for the Far-Ultraviolet (FUV) surface reflectance and atmospheric emission spectra of Pluto that will be measured by the Alice spectrograph (Stern, S.A. et al. [2008]. Space Sci. Rev. 140, 155–187) during the New Horizons flyby of Pluto in 2015. FUV surface reflectance predictions are also made for Charon, Hydra, and Nix.

Atmospheric monitoring in the millimetre and submillimetre bands for cosmological observations: CASPER2

Cosmological observations from ground at millimetre and sub-millimetre wavelengths are affected by atmospheric absorption and consequent emission. The low and high frequency (sky noise) fluctuations of atmospheric performance imply careful observational strategies and/or instrument technical solutions. Measurements of atmospheric emission spectra are necessary for accurate calibration procedures as well as for site testing statistics. CASPER2, an instrument to explore the 90-450 GHz (3-15 1/cm) spectral region, was developed and verified its operation in the Alps. A Martin-Puplett Interferometer (MPI) operates comparing sky radiation, coming from a field of view (fov) of 28 arcminutes (FWHM) collected by a 62-cm in diameter Pressman-Camichel telescope, with a reference source. The two output ports of the interferometer are detected by two bolometers cooled down to 300 mK inside a wet cryostat. Three different and complementary interferometric techniques can be performed with CASPER2: Amplitude Modulation (AM), Fast-Scan (FS) and Phase Modulation (PM). An altazimuthal mount allows the sky pointing, possibly co-alligned to the optical axis of the 2.6-m in diameter telescope of MITO (Millimetre and Infrared Testagrigia Observatory, Italy). Optimal timescale to average acquired spectra is inferred by Allan variance analysis at 5 fiducial frequencies. We present the motivation for and design of the atmospheric spectrometer CASPER2. The adopted procedure to calibrate the instrument and preliminary performance of the instrument are described. Instrument capabilities were checked during the summer observational campaign at MITO in July 2010 by measuring atmospheric emission spectra with the three different procedures.

First middle-atmospheric zonal wind profile measurements with a new ground-based microwave Doppler-spectro-radiometer

Abstract. We report on the wind radiometer WIRA, a new ground-based microwave Doppler-spectro-radiometer specifically designed for the measurement of middle-atmospheric horizontal wind by observing ozone emission spectra at 142.17504 GHz. Currently, wind speeds in five levels between 30 and 79 km can be retrieved which makes WIRA the first instrument able to continuously measure horizontal wind in this altitude range. For an integration time of one day the measurement error on each level lies at around 25 m s−1. With a planned upgrade this value is expected to be reduced by a factor of 2 in the near future. On the altitude levels where our measurement can be compared to wind data from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) very good agreement in the long-term statistics as well as in short time structures with a duration of a few days has been found. WIRA uses a passive double sideband heterodyne receiver together with a digital Fourier transform spectrometer for the data acquisition. A big advantage of the radiometric approach is that such instruments can also operate under adverse weather conditions and thus provide a continuous time series for the given location. The optics enables the instrument to scan a wide range of azimuth angles including the directions east, west, north, and south for zonal and meridional wind measurements. The design of the radiometer is fairly compact and its calibration does not rely on liquid nitrogen which makes it transportable and suitable for campaign use. WIRA is conceived in a way that it can be operated remotely and does hardly require any maintenance. In the present paper, a description of the instrument is given, and the techniques used for the wind retrieval based on the determination of the Doppler shift of the measured atmospheric ozone emission spectra are outlined. Their reliability was tested using Monte Carlo simulations. Finally, a time series of 11 months of zonal wind measurements over Bern (46°57′ N, 7°26′ E) is presented and compared to ECMWF wind data.

Spectroscopic Determination of Atmospheric Water Vapor

ABSTRACTAtmospheric water vapor is the principal source of opacity at infrared wavelengths. Spectral observations of a star with a featureless continuum, such as a white dwarf, provide a method of determining atmospheric absorption along the line of sight to the star. Through fitting a site-specific atmospheric transmission model to high-resolution atmospheric absorption measurements, it is possible to determine the water vapor column abundance expressed in millimeters of precipitable water vapor (PWV). While more challenging in interpretation, emission spectra can also be used to derive PWV. This article describes a general algorithm that we have developed for retrieving PWV from both atmospheric transmission and emission spectra. The retrieved PWV values have been validated by intercomparison with contemporaneous measurements provided by radiosonde balloons and emission radiometers.

Mesopause temperature perturbations caused by infrasonic waves as a potential indicator for the detection of tsunamis and other geo-hazards

Abstract. Many geo-hazards such as earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanic eruptions, severe weather, etc., produce acoustic waves with sub-audible frequency, so called infrasound. This sound propagates from the surface to the middle and upper atmosphere causing pressure and temperature perturbations. Temperature fluctuations connected with the above mentioned events usually are very weak at the surface, but the amplitude increases with height because of the exponential decrease of atmospheric pressure with increasing altitude. At the mesopause region (80–100 km height) signal amplitudes are about two to three orders of magnitude larger than on the ground. The GRIPS (GRound-based Infrared P-branch Spectrometer) measurement system operated by the German Remote Sensing Data Center of the German Aerospace Center (DLR-DFD) derives temperatures of the mesopause region by observing hydroxyl (OH) airglow emissions in the near infrared atmospheric emission spectrum originating from a thin layer at approximately 87 km height. The GRIPS instrument is in principle suited for the detection of infrasonic signals generated by e.g. tsunamis and other geo-hazards. This is due to the fact that the infrasound caused by such events should induce observable short-period fluctuations in the OH airglow temperatures. First results obtained during a field campaign performed at the Environmental Research Station "Schneefernerhaus", Zugspitze (47.4° N, 11.0° E) from October to December 2008 are presented regarding potential sources of meteorological and orographical origin. An adequate distinction of the overlapping infrasonic signatures caused by different infrasound sources in the OH temperature record is needed for the ascription to the proper source. The approach presented here could form a contribution to a hazard monitoring and early warning system.

Detection of a tropospheric ozone anomaly using a newly developed ozone retrieval algorithm for an up‐looking infrared interferometer

On 2 June 2003, the Baltimore Bomem Atmospheric Emitted Radiance Interferometer (BBAERI) recorded an infrared spectral time series indicating the presence of a tropospheric ozone anomaly. The measurements were collected during an Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) validation campaign called the 2003 AIRS BBAERI Ocean Validation Experiment (ABOVE03) conducted at the United States Coast Guard Chesapeake Light station located 14 miles due east of Virginia Beach, Virginia (36.91°N, 75.71°W). Ozone retrievals were performed with the Kurt Lightner Ozone BBAERI Retrieval (KLOBBER) algorithm, which retrieves tropospheric column ozone, surface to 300 mbar, from zenith‐viewing atmospheric thermal emission spectra. KLOBBER is modeled after the AIRS retrieval algorithm consisting of a synthetic statistical regression followed by a physical retrieval. The physical retrieval is implemented using the k‐Compressed Atmospheric Radiative Transfer Algorithm (kCARTA) to compute spectra. The time series of retrieved integrated ozone column on 2 June 2003 displays spikes of about 10 Dobson units, well above the error of the KLOBBER algorithm. Using instrumentation at Chesapeake Light, satellite imaging, trace gas retrievals from satellites, and Potential Vorticity (PV) computations, it was determined that these sudden increases in column ozone likely were caused by a combination of midtropospheric biomass burning products from forest fires in Siberia, Russia, and stratospheric intrusion by a tropopause fold occurring over central Canada and the midwestern United States.