Optical Spectrograph And Infrared Imager System Research Articles

Effects of nonmigrating diurnal tides on the Na layer in the mesosphere and lower thermosphere

Abstract. The influence of nonmigrating diurnal tides on Na layer variability in the mesosphere and lower thermosphere regions is investigated for the first time using data from the Optical Spectrograph and InfraRed Imaging System (OSIRIS) on the Odin satellite and Specified Dynamics Whole Atmosphere Community Climate Model (SD-WACCM) with metal chemistry. The Na density from OSIRIS exhibits a clear longitudinal variation indicative of the presence of tidal components. Similar variability is seen in the SD-WACCM result. Analysis shows a significant relationship between the nonmigrating diurnal tides in Na density and the corresponding temperature tidal signal. Below 90 km, the three nonmigrating diurnal tidal components in Na density show a significant positive correlation with the temperature tides. Conversely, the phase mainly indicates a negative correlation above 95 km. Around the metal layer peak, the response of the Na density to a 1 K change in tidal temperature is estimated to be 120 cm−3.

Long-term changes of sodium column abundance at 24.6°S above the Atacama Desert in Chile

Aims. The utilisation of artificial laser guide star (LGS) obviates the necessity for a prominent natural guide star (NGS) within adaptive optics (AO) systems. High-power lasers are fundamental components of most AO systems today. The generation of an LGS relies on the excitation of sodium (denoted by its symbol Na) atoms situated in the upper atmosphere. Therefore, the sodium vertical column density (denoted as CNa) is a crucial parameter. Beyond ensuring the optimal and stable performance of an AO system, knowledge of the return flux from an LGS is imperative during the design phase, aiding in the accurate specification of both the LGS and the AO system. The availability of sodium in the upper atmosphere has been the focal point of diverse studies, exhibiting a pronounced dependence on the specific observatory site. Furthermore, it is well established that CNa varies across multiple timescales, including hours, nights, months, seasons, and even several years. As many of the world’s largest telescopes are located in the Atacama Desert in northern Chile, our objective is to provide CNa statistics pertinent to this specific region. Methods. We used telemetry data from the AO systems operational at the Paranal Observatory (24.6°S, 70.4°W): Ground Atmospheric Layer Adaptive Corrector for Spectroscopic Imaging (GALACSI) and Ground layer Adaptive Optics system Assisted by Lasers (GRAAL). We combined these data with measurements from two space instruments: SCanning Imaging Absorption Spectrometer for Atmospheric CHartographY (SCIAMACHY) and Optical Spectrograph and Infrared Imaging System (OSIRIS), as well as with simulated data from the Whole Atmosphere Community Climate Model (WACCM). We carefully analysed and compared these datasets to develop a statistical model for the temporal variations of CNa. Results. We validated the use of the AO telemetry data from Paranal systems to retrieve the CNa. The near-continuous measurements encompassing the period from mid-2017 to the end of 2023 facilitated the determination of monthly and yearly abundance and variability of Na in the mesopause region. Throughout the complete years of measurement, the annual and semi-annual variations exhibit consistent characteristics that align with previously documented findings in atmospheric studies. Through meticulous comparison and the fitting of various long-term datasets, we formulated a model depicting the evolution of CNa over time. The validity of our data processing and model is scrutinised, and the results obtained for the Paranal latitude exhibit noteworthy concordance with the findings of other studies.

Stratospheric aerosol characteristics from SCIAMACHY limb observations: two-parameter retrieval

Abstract. Stratospheric aerosols play a key role in atmospheric chemistry and climate. Their particle size is a crucial factor controlling the microphysical, radiative, and chemical aerosol processes in the stratosphere. Despite its importance, available observations on aerosol particle size are rather sparse. This limits our understanding and knowledge about the mechanisms and importance of chemical and climate aerosol feedbacks. The retrieval described by Malinina et al. (2018) provides the stratospheric particle size distribution (PSD) from SCIAMACHY (SCanning Imaging Absorption spectroMeter for Atmospheric CHartographY) limb observations in the tropics. This algorithm has now been improved and extended to work on the entire globe. Two PSD parameters of a unimodal lognormal PSD, the median radius and the geometric standard deviation, are retrieved between 18 and 35 km altitude from SCIAMACHY limb observations by a multiwavelength nonlinear regularized inversion. The approach assumes an aerosol particle number density profile that does not change during the retrieval. The effective Lambertian surface albedo pre-retrieved from coinciding SCIAMACHY nadir observations is integrated into the retrieval algorithm to mitigate the influence of the surface albedo on the retrieval results. The extinction coefficient and the effective radius are calculated from the PSD parameters. The aerosol characteristics from SCIAMACHY are compared with in situ balloon-borne measurements from Laramie, Wyoming, and retrievals from the satellite instruments of the Stratospheric Aerosol and Gas Experiment series (SAGE II and SAGE III) and Optical Spectrograph and InfraRed Imager System (OSIRIS). In the Northern Hemisphere, the median radius differs by less than 27 % and the geometric standard deviation by less than 11 % from both balloon-borne and SAGE III data. Differences are mainly attributed to errors in the assumed a priori number density profile. Globally, the SCIAMACHY extinction coefficient at 750 nm deviates by less than 35 % from SAGE II, SAGE III, and OSIRIS data. The effective radii from SCIAMACHY, balloon-borne measurements, and SAGE III agree within about 18 %, while the effective radius based on SAGE II measurements is systematically larger. The novel data set containing the PSD parameters, the effective radius, and the aerosol extinction coefficients at 525, 750, and 1020 nm from SCIAMACHY observations is publicly available.

A multi-decadal time series of upper stratospheric temperature profiles from Odin-OSIRIS limb-scattered spectra

Abstract. A new upper stratospheric (35–60 km) temperature data product has been produced using Optical Spectrograph and InfraRed Imager System (OSIRIS) limb-scattered spectra that now spans over 22 years. Temperature is calculated by first estimating the Rayleigh scattering signal and then integrating hydrostatic balance combined with the ideal gas law. Uncertainties are estimated to be 1–5 K, with a vertical resolution of 3–4 km. Correlative comparisons with the Atmospheric Chemistry Experiment Fourier Transform Spectrometer (ACE-FTS) and the Microwave Limb Sounder on Aura (MLS) are consistent with these uncertainty estimates and generally have no regions of statistically significant drift. The data product has been publicly released as part of the nominal OSIRIS v7.3 processing.

N2O as a regression proxy for dynamical variability in stratospheric trace gas trends

Abstract. Trends in stratospheric trace gases like HCl, N2O, O3, and NOy show a hemispheric asymmetry over the last 2 decades, with trends having opposing signs in the Northern Hemisphere and Southern Hemisphere. Here we use N2O, a long-lived tracer with a tropospheric source, as a proxy for stratospheric circulation in the multiple linear regression model used to calculate stratospheric trace gas trends. This is done in an effort to isolate trends due to circulation changes from trends due to the chemical effects of ozone-depleting substances. Measurements from the Atmospheric Chemistry Experiment Fourier Transform Spectrometer (ACE-FTS) and the Optical Spectrograph and InfraRed Imager System (OSIRIS) are considered, along with model results from the Whole Atmosphere Community Climate Model (WACCM). Trends in HCl, O3, and NOy for 2004–2018 are examined. Using the N2O regression proxy, we show that observed HCl increases in the Northern Hemisphere are due to changes in the stratospheric circulation. We also show that negative O3 trends above 30 hPa in the Northern Hemisphere can be explained by a change in the circulation but that negative ozone trends at lower levels cannot. Trends in stratospheric NOy are found to be largely consistent with trends in N2O.

Updated merged SAGE-CCI-OMPS+ dataset for the evaluation of ozone trends in the stratosphere

Abstract. In this paper, we present the updated SAGE-CCI-OMPS+ climate data record of monthly zonal mean ozone profiles. This dataset covers the stratosphere and combines measurements by nine limb and occultation satellite instruments – SAGE II (Stratospheric Aerosol and Gases Experiment II), OSIRIS (Optical Spectrograph and InfraRed Imaging System), MIPAS (Michelson Interferometer for Passive Atmospheric Sounding), SCIAMACHY (SCanning Imaging Spectrometer for Atmospheric CHartographY), GOMOS (Global Ozone Monitoring by Occultation of Stars), ACE-FTS (Atmospheric Chemistry Experiment Fourier Transform Spectrometer), OMPS-LP (Ozone Monitor Profiling Suite Limb Profiler), POAM (Polar Ozone and Aerosol Measurement) III, and SAGE III/ISS (Stratospheric Aerosol and Gases Experiment III on the International Space Station). Compared to the original version of the SAGE-CCI-OMPS dataset (Sofieva et al., 2017b), the update includes new versions of MIPAS, ACE-FTS, and OSIRIS datasets and introduces data from additional sensors (POAM III and SAGE III/ISS) and retrieval processors (OMPS-LP). In this paper, we show detailed intercomparisons of ozone profiles from different instruments and data versions, with a focus on the detection of possible drifts in the datasets. The SAGE-CCI-OMPS+ dataset has a better coverage of polar regions and of the upper troposphere and the lower stratosphere (UTLS) than the previous dataset. We also studied the influence of including new datasets on ozone trends, which are estimated using multiple linear regression. The changes in the merged dataset do not change the overall morphology of post-1997 ozone trends; statistically significant trends are observed in the upper stratosphere. The largest changes in ozone trends are observed in polar regions, especially in the Southern Hemisphere. The updated SAGE-CCI-OMPS+ dataset contains profiles of deseasonalized anomalies and ozone concentrations from 1984 to 2021, in 10∘ latitude bins from 90∘ S to 90∘ N and in the altitude range from 10 to 50 km. The dataset is open access and available at https://climate.esa.int/en/projects/ozone/data/ (last access: 9 March 2023) and at ftp://cci_web@ftp-ae.oma.be/esacci (ESA Climate Office; last access: 9 March 2023).

An improved OSIRIS NO2 profile retrieval in the upper troposphere–lower stratosphere and intercomparison with ACE-FTS and SAGE III/ISS

Abstract. The v7.2 NO2 retrieval for the Optical Spectrograph and InfraRed Imager System (OSIRIS) was designed to improve sensitivity in the upper troposphere–lower stratosphere (UTLS) and to reduce an observed low bias in the previous version, v6.0. The details of this retrieval are described and then the data are compared to coincident NO2 profiles from the Atmospheric Chemistry Experiment–Fourier Transform Spectrometer (ACE-FTS) and the Stratospheric Aerosol and Gas Experiment III on the International Space Station (SAGE III/ISS). The PRATMO photochemical box model was used to account for differences in the measurement times of the instruments: all datasets were scaled to the same local solar time of 12:00 LST. Coincident ACE-FTS and OSIRIS NO2 measurements agree within 20 % throughout much of the stratosphere. Coincident SAGE III/ISS and OSIRIS NO2 measurements also agree within 20 %, with OSIRIS biased low at all altitudes and latitudes. The ACE-FTS, OSIRIS, and SAGE III-ISS NO2 monthly zonal mean data show very similar variability in time at most altitude and latitudes.

Comparison of middle- and low-latitude sodium layer from a ground-based lidar network, the Odin satellite, and WACCM–Na model

Abstract. The ground-based measurements obtained from a lidar network and the 6-year OSIRIS (optical spectrograph and infrared imager system) limb-scanning radiance measurements made by the Odin satellite are used to study the climatology of the middle- and low-latitude sodium (Na) layer. Up to January 2021, four Na resonance fluorescence lidars at Beijing (40.5∘ N, 116.0∘ E), Hefei (31.8∘ N, 117.3∘ E), Wuhan (30.5∘ N, 114.4∘ E), and Haikou (19.5∘ N, 109.1∘ E) collected vertical profiles of Na density for a total of 2136 nights (19 587 h). These large datasets provide multi-year routine measurements of the Na layer with exceptionally high temporal and vertical resolution. The lidar measurements are particularly useful for filling in OSIRIS data gaps since the OSIRIS measurements were not made during the dark winter months because they utilize the solar-pumped resonance fluorescence from Na atoms. The observations of Na layers from the ground-based lidars and the satellite are comprehensively compared with a global model of meteoric Na in the atmosphere (WACCM–Na). The lidars present a unique test of OSIRIS and WACCM (Whole Atmosphere Community Climate Model), because they cover the latitude range along 120∘ E longitude in an unusual geographic location with significant gravity wave generation. In general, good agreement is found between lidar observations, satellite measurements, and WACCM simulations. On the other hand, the Na number density from OSIRIS is larger than that from the Na lidars at the four stations within one standard deviation of the OSIRIS monthly average, particularly in autumn and early winter arising from significant uncertainties in Na density retrieved from much less satellite radiance measurements. WACCM underestimates the seasonal variability of the Na layer observed at the lower latitude lidar stations (Wuhan and Haikou). This discrepancy suggests the seasonal variability of vertical constituent transport modelled in WACCM is underestimated because much of the gravity wave spectrum is not captured in the model.

Stratospheric ozone trends for 1984–2021 in the SAGE II–OSIRIS–SAGE III/ISS composite dataset

Abstract. After decades of depletion in the 20th century, near-global ozone now shows clear signs of recovery in the upper stratosphere. The ozone column, however, has remained largely constant since the turn of the century, mainly due to the evolution of lower stratospheric ozone. In the tropical lower stratosphere, ozone is expected to decrease as a consequence of enhanced upwelling driven by increasing greenhouse gas concentrations, and this is consistent with observations. There is recent evidence, however, that mid-latitude ozone continues to decrease as well, contrary to model predictions. These changes are likely related to dynamical variability, but the impact of changing circulation patterns on stratospheric ozone is not well understood. Here we use merged measurements from the Stratospheric Aerosol and Gas Experiment II (SAGE II), the Optical Spectrograph and InfraRed Imaging System (OSIRIS), and SAGE III on the International Space Station (SAGE III/ISS) to quantify ozone trends in the 2000–2021 period. We implement a sampling correction for the OSIRIS and SAGE III/ISS datasets and assess trend significance, taking into account the temporal differences with respect to Aura Microwave Limb Sounder data. We show that ozone has increased by 2 %–6 % in the upper and 1 %–3 % in the middle stratosphere since 2000, while lower stratospheric ozone has decreased by similar amounts. These decreases are significant in the tropics (>95 % confidence) but not necessarily at mid-latitudes (>80 % confidence). In the upper and middle stratosphere, changes since 2010 have pointed to hemispheric asymmetries in ozone recovery. Significant positive trends are present in the Southern Hemisphere, while ozone at northern mid-latitudes has remained largely unchanged in the last decade. These differences might be related to asymmetries and long-term variability in the Brewer–Dobson circulation. Circulation changes impact ozone in the lower stratosphere even more. In tropopause-relative coordinates, most of the negative trends in the tropics lose significance, highlighting the impacts of a warming troposphere and increasing tropopause altitudes.

Synergy of Using Nadir and Limb Instruments for Tropospheric Ozone Monitoring (SUNLIT)

Abstract. Satellite measurements in nadir and limb viewing geometry provide a complementary view of the atmosphere. An effective combination of the limb and nadir measurements can give new information about atmospheric composition. In this work, we present tropospheric ozone column datasets that have been created using a combination of total ozone columns from OMI (Ozone Monitoring Instrument) and TROPOMI (TROPOspheric Monitoring Instrument) with stratospheric ozone column datasets from several available limb-viewing instruments: MLS (Microwave Limb Sounder), OSIRIS (Optical Spectrograph and InfraRed Imaging System), MIPAS (Michelson Interferometer for Passive Atmospheric Sounding), SCIAMACHY (SCanning Imaging Spectrometer for Atmospheric CHartographY), OMPS-LP (Ozone Mapping and Profiles Suite – Limb Profiler), and GOMOS (Global Ozone Monitoring by Occultation of Stars). We have developed further the methodological aspects of the assessment of tropospheric ozone using the residual method supported by simulations with the chemistry transport model SILAM (System for Integrated modeLling of Atmospheric coMposition). It has been shown that the accurate assessment of ozone in the upper troposphere and the lower stratosphere (UTLS) is of high importance for detecting the ground-level ozone patterns. The stratospheric ozone column is derived from a combination of ozone profiles from several satellite instruments in limb-viewing geometry. We developed a method for the data homogenization, which includes the removal of biases and a posteriori estimation of random uncertainties, thus making the data from different instruments compatible with each other. The high-horizontal- and vertical-resolution dataset of ozone profiles is created via interpolation of the limb profiles from each day to a 1∘×1∘ horizonal grid. A new kriging-type interpolation method, which takes into account data uncertainties and the information about natural ozone variations from the SILAM-adjusted ozone field, has been developed. To mitigate the limited accuracy and coverage of the limb profile data in the UTLS, a smooth transition to the model data is applied below the tropopause. This allows for the estimation of the stratospheric ozone column with full coverage of the UTLS. The derived ozone profiles are in very good agreement with collocated ozonesonde measurements. The residual method was successfully applied to OMI and TROPOMI clear-sky total ozone data in combination with the stratospheric ozone column from the developed high-resolution limb profile dataset. The resulting tropospheric ozone column is in very good agreement with other satellite data. The global distributions of tropospheric ozone exhibit enhancements associated with the regions of high tropospheric ozone production. The main datasets created are (i) a monthly 1∘×1∘ global tropospheric ozone column dataset (from ground to 3 km below the tropopause) using OMI and limb instruments, (ii) a monthly 1∘×1∘ global tropospheric ozone column dataset using TROPOMI and limb instruments, and (iii) a daily 1∘×1∘ interpolated stratospheric ozone column from limb instruments. Other datasets, which are created as an intermediate step of creating the tropospheric ozone column data, are (i) a daily 1∘×1∘ clear-sky and total ozone column from OMI and TROPOMI, (ii) a daily 1∘×1∘ homogenized and interpolated dataset of ozone profiles from limb instruments, and (iii) a daily 1∘×1∘ dataset of ozone profiles from SILAM simulations with adjustment to satellite data. These datasets can be used in various studies related to variability and trends in ozone distributions in both the troposphere and the stratosphere. The datasets are processed from the beginning of OMI and TROPOMI measurements until December 2020 and are planned to be regularly extended in the future.

11-year solar cycle influence on OH (3-1) nightglow observed by OSIRIS

In the mesosphere, the vibrationally excited hydroxyl layer is sensitive to changes in incoming solar flux. An enhanced photodissociation of molecular oxygen will lead to more atomic oxygen production, thus we expect the OH layer emission rate to be positively with the Lyman-α flux and the emission height to be negatively correlated. The Optical Spectrograph and InfraRed Imager System (OSIRIS) has recorded the Meinel band centred at 1.53 μm from 2001 to 2015. In this study, we show how the 11-year solar cycle signature manifests itself in this data set, in terms of OH zenith emission rate and emission height. As expected, the emission height is negatively correlated with the Lyman-α flux at all latitudes. The zenith emission rate is positively correlated with the Lyman-α flux at most latitudes except near the equator. By the means of a time dependent photochemical model, we show that the changing local time sampling of the Odin satellite was the cause of the observed distortion of the solar cycle signature near the equator.

New insights on polar mesospheric cloud particle size distributions from a two-satellite common volume study

The particle size distribution of Polar Mesospheric Clouds (PMC) is closely related to the fundamental processes of cloud formation and evolution. Still, despite substantial observational efforts, specific details about the particle size distribution have remained obscure. In this study, we aim at deriving more constraints on PMC size distributions by combining optical measurements from two satellite instruments observing a common PMC volume. We use a special set of 2D tomographic limb observations from the Optical Spectrograph and Infrared Imager System (OSIRIS) on the Odin satellite from 2010 to 2011 in the latitude range 78° N to 80° N and compare these to simultaneous PMC observations from the nadir-viewing Cloud Imaging and Particle Size (CIPS) instrument on the AIM satellite. A key goal is to find the assumption on the mathematical shape of the particle size distribution that should be applied to a vertically resolving limb-viewing instrument to reach consistent size results compared to the column-integrated ice distribution as seen by a nadir-viewing instrument. Our results demonstrate that viewing geometry and sampling volume of each instrument must be carefully considered and that the same size distribution assumption cannot simultaneously describe a column-integrated and a local height-resolved size distribution. In particular, applying the standard Gaussian assumption, used by many earlier PMC studies, to both limb and nadir observation leads to an overestimate of particle sizes seen by OSIRIS by about 10 nm as compared to CIPS. We show that the agreement can be improved if a Log-normal assumption with a broad distribution width around σ = 1.42 is adopted for OSIRIS. A reason for this broad distribution best describing the OSIRIS observations we suggest the large retrieval volume of the limb measurement. Gravity waves and other small-scale processes can cause horizontal variations and a co-existence of a wide range of particle populations in the sampling volume. Horizontal integration then leads to apparently much broader size distributions than encountered in a small horizontal sampling volume.

Accounting for the photochemical variation in stratospheric NO<sub>2</sub> in the SAGE III/ISS solar occultation retrieval

Abstract. The Stratospheric Aerosol and Gas Experiment (SAGE) III has been operating on the International Space Station (ISS) since mid-2017. Nitrogen dioxide (NO2) number density profiles are routinely retrieved from SAGE III/ISS solar occultation measurements in the middle atmosphere. Although NO2 density varies throughout the day due to photochemistry, the standard SAGE NO2 retrieval algorithm neglects these variations along the instrument's line of sight by assuming that the number density has a constant gradient within a given vertical layer of the atmosphere. This assumption will result in a retrieval bias for a species like NO2 that changes rapidly across the terminator. In this work we account for diurnal variations in retrievals of NO2 from the SAGE III/ISS measurements, and we determine the impact of this algorithm improvement on the resulting NO2 number densities. The first step in applying the diurnal correction is to use publicly available SAGE III/ISS products to convert the retrieved number density profiles to optical depth profiles. The retrieval is then re-performed with a new matrix that applies photochemical scale factors for each point along the line of sight according to the changing solar zenith angle. In general NO2 that is retrieved by accounting for these diurnal variations is more than 10 % lower than the standard algorithm below 30 km. This effect is greatest in winter at high latitudes and generally greater for sunrise occultations than sunset. Comparisons with coincident profiles from the Optical Spectrograph and InfraRed Imager System (OSIRIS) show that NO2 from SAGE III/ISS is generally biased high; however the agreement improves by up to 20 % in the mid-stratosphere when diurnal variations are accounted for in the retrieval. We conclude that diurnal variations along the SAGE III/ISS line of sight are an important term to consider for NO2 analyses at altitudes below 30 km.

The Global Space-based Stratospheric Aerosol Climatology (version 2.0): 1979–2018

Abstract. A robust stratospheric aerosol climate data record enables the depiction of the radiative forcing of this highly variable component of climate. In addition to the radiative forcing, stratospheric aerosol also plays a key role in the chemical processes leading to ozone depletion. Therefore, stratospheric aerosol is one of the crucial parameters in understanding climate change in the past and potential changes in the future. As a part of Stratospheric-tropospheric Processes and their Role in Climate (SPARC) Stratospheric Sulfur and its Role in Climate (SSiRC) activity, the Global Space-based Stratospheric Aerosol Climatology (GloSSAC) was created (Thomason et al., 2018) to support the World Climate Research Programme's (WCRP) Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6 (CMIP6) (Eyring et al., 2016). This data set is a follow-on to one created as a part of SPARC's Assessment of Stratospheric Aerosol Properties (ASAP) activity (SPARC, 2006) and a data created for the Chemistry-Climate Model Initiative (CCMI) in 2012 (Eyring and Lamarque, 2012). Herein, we discuss changes to the original release version including those as a part of v1.1 that was released in September 2018 that primarily corrects an error in the conversion of Cryogenic Limb Array Etalon Spectrometer (CLAES) data to Stratospheric Aerosol and Gas Experiment (SAGE) II wavelengths, as well as the new release, v2.0. Version 2.0 is focused on improving the post-SAGE II era (after 2005) with the goal of mitigating elevated aerosol extinction in the lower stratosphere at mid- and high latitudes noted in v1.0 as noted in Thomason et al. (2018). Changes include the use of version 7.0 of the Optical Spectrograph and InfraRed Imaging System (OSIRIS), the recently released Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observation (CALIPSO) lidar Level 3 stratospheric aerosol profile monthly product and the new addition of SAGE III/ISS. Here, we use an observed relationship between (i) OSIRIS extinction at 750 nm and (ii) SAGE II and SAGE III/ISS extinction at 525 nm to derive an altitude–latitude-based monthly climatology of Ångström exponent to compute OSIRIS extinction at 525 nm, resulting in a better agreement between OSIRIS and SAGE measurements. We employ a similar approach to convert OSIRIS 750 nm extinction to 1020 nm extinction for the post-SAGE II period. Additionally, we incorporate the recently released standard CALIPSO stratospheric aerosol profile monthly product into GloSSAC with an improved conversion technique of the 532 nm backscatter coefficient to extinction using an observed relationship between OSIRIS 525 nm extinction and CALIPSO 532 nm backscatter. SAGE III/ISS data are also incorporated in GloSSAC to extend the climatology to the present and to test the approach used to correct OSIRIS/CALIPSO data. The GloSSAC v2.0 netCDF file is accessible at https://doi.org/10.5067/glossac-l3-v2.0 (Thomason, 2020).

Stratospheric aerosol extinction profiles from SCIAMACHY solar occultation

Abstract. The Scanning Imaging Absorption spectroMeter for Atmospheric CHartographY (SCIAMACHY) instrument on Envisat provided, between August 2002 and April 2012, measurements of solar and Earthshine spectra from the UV to the shortwave infrared spectral region in multiple viewing geometries. We present a new approach to derive stratospheric aerosol extinction profiles from SCIAMACHY solar occultation measurements based on an onion-peeling method similar to the onion-peeling differential optical absorption spectroscopy (DOAS) retrieval, which has already been successfully used for the derivation of greenhouse gas profiles. Since the retrieval of aerosol extinction requires as input measured transmissions in absolute units, an improved radiometric calibration of the SCIAMACHY solar occultation measurements has been developed, which considers various instrumental and atmospheric effects specific to solar occultation. The aerosol extinction retrieval can in principle be applied to all wavelengths measured by SCIAMACHY. As a first application, we show results for 452, 525 and 750 nm. The SCIAMACHY solar occultation time series has been processed, covering a latitudinal range of about 50–70∘ N. Reasonable aerosol extinctions are derived between about 15 and 30 km with typically larger uncertainties at higher altitudes due to decreasing aerosol extinction. Comparisons with collocated Stratospheric Aerosol and Gas Experiment II (SAGE-II) and SCIAMACHY limb aerosol data products revealed good agreement with essentially no mean bias. However, dependent on altitude, differences of up to ±20 %–30% to SAGE-II at 452 and 525 nm are observed. Similar results are obtained from comparisons with SAGE-III. SCIAMACHY solar occultation data at 750 nm have been compared with corresponding SAGE-III, Optical Spectrograph and InfraRed Imager System (OSIRIS) and SCIAMACHY limb results. The agreement with SCIAMACHY limb data at 750 nm is within 5 %–20 % between 17 and 27 km. SAGE-III and OSIRIS show at this wavelength and altitude range on average about 40 % and 25 % smaller values, with some additional 10 %–20 % modulation with altitude. The altitude variations in the differences are mainly caused by systematic vertical oscillations in the SCIAMACHY occultation data of up to 30 % below about 25 km. These oscillations decrease to amplitudes below 10 % with increasing number of collocations and are no longer visible in monthly anomalies. Major volcanic eruptions as well as occurrences of polar stratospheric clouds (PSCs) can be identified in the time series of aerosol extinction data and related anomalies. The influence of the quasi-biennial oscillation (QBO) is visible above 25 km.

A Method for Retrieving Stratospheric Aerosol Extinction and Particle Size from Ground-Based Rayleigh-Mie-Raman Lidar Observations

We report on the retrieval of stratospheric aerosol particle size and extinction coefficient profiles from multi-color backscatter measurements with the Rayleigh–Mie–Raman lidar operated at the Arctic Lidar Observatory for Middle Atmosphere Research (ALOMAR) in northern Norway. The retrievals are based on a two-step approach. In a first step, the median radius of an assumed monomodal log-normal particle size distribution with fixed width is retrieved based on a color index formed from the measured backscatter ratios at the wavelengths of 1064 nm and 532 nm. An intrinsic ambiguity of the retrieved aerosol size information is discussed. In a second step, this particle size information is used to convert the measured lidar backscatter ratio to aerosol extinction coefficients. The retrieval is currently based on monthly-averaged lidar measurements and the results for March 2013 are discussed. A sensitivity study is presented that allows for establishing an error budget for the aerosol retrievals. Assuming a monomodal log-normal aerosol particle size distribution with a geometric width of S = 1.5, median radii on the order of below 100 nm are retrieved. The median radii are found to generally decrease with increasing altitude. The retrieved aerosol extinction profiles are compared to observations with the OSIRIS (Optical Spectrograph and InfraRed Imager System) and the OMPS-LP (Ozone Mapping Profiling Suite Limb Profiler) satellite instruments in the 60∘ N to 80∘ N latitude band. The extinction profiles that were retrieved from the lidar measurements show good agreement with the observations of the two satellite instruments when taking the different wavelengths of the instruments into account.

Trends and Variability in Stratospheric NOx Derived From Merged SAGE II and OSIRIS Satellite Observations

AbstractNitrogen oxides (NOx) in the stratosphere are produced from N2O, which is the dominant emission contributing to stratospheric ozone depletion in the 21st century and an important anthropogenic greenhouse gas. Decades worth of observations are required in order to quantify the variability and trends in stratospheric NOx so that we can better understand their impact on climate. Here we use the Stratospheric Aerosol and Gas Experiment (SAGE) II, a solar occultation instrument that measured NO2 from 1984 to 2005, and the Optical Spectrograph and InfraRed Imager System (OSIRIS), a limb‐scattering instrument that began measuring NO2 in 2001. By taking advantage of the 4‐year overlap between these instruments it was possible to produce a merged data set of stratospheric NO2, spanning over 34 years. In order to merge the data a photochemical correction was applied to account for the different times of day at which the instruments measure, and to convert the NO2 to NOx. A linear regression model was applied to the merged, deseasonalized data set to identify variability associated with long‐term trends, the quasi‐biennial oscillation (QBO), and volcanic aerosols. High levels of aerosol associated with large volcanic eruptions were found to greatly influence the calculated trend; when volcanic periods are excluded the trend in NOx is around 10% per decade in the tropical lower stratosphere. In this case, the observed trends and variability from the satellite measurements show overall good agreement with simulations from the whole atmosphere community climate model (WACCM).

Common volume satellite studies of polar mesospheric clouds with Odin/OSIRIS tomography and AIM/CIPS nadir imaging

Abstract. Two important approaches for satellite studies of polar mesospheric clouds (PMCs) are nadir measurements adapting phase function analysis and limb measurements adapting spectroscopic analysis. Combining both approaches enables new studies of cloud structures and microphysical processes but is complicated by differences in scattering conditions, observation geometry and sensitivity. In this study, we compare common volume PMC observations from the nadir-viewing Cloud Imaging and Particle Size (CIPS) instrument on the Aeronomy of Ice in the Mesosphere (AIM) satellite and a special set of tomographic limb observations from the Optical Spectrograph and InfraRed Imager System (OSIRIS) on the Odin satellite performed over 18 d for the years 2010 and 2011 and the latitude range 78 to 80∘ N. While CIPS provides preeminent horizontal resolution, the OSIRIS tomographic analysis provides combined horizontal and vertical PMC information. This first direct comparison is an important step towards co-analysing CIPS and OSIRIS data, aiming at unprecedented insights into horizontal and vertical cloud processes. Important scientific questions on how the PMC life cycle is affected by changes in humidity and temperature due to atmospheric gravity waves, planetary waves and tides can be addressed by combining PMC observations in multiple dimensions. Two- and three-dimensional cloud structures simultaneously observed by CIPS and tomographic OSIRIS provide a useful tool for studies of cloud growth and sublimation. Moreover, the combined CIPS/tomographic OSIRIS dataset can be used for studies of even more fundamental character, such as the question of the assumption of the PMC particle size distribution. We perform the first thorough error characterization of OSIRIS tomographic cloud brightness and cloud ice water content (IWC). We establish a consistent method for comparing cloud properties from limb tomography and nadir observations, accounting for differences in scattering conditions, resolution and sensitivity. Based on an extensive common volume and a temporal coincidence criterion of only 5 min, our method enables a detailed comparison of PMC regions of varying brightness and IWC. However, since the dataset is limited to 18 d of observations this study does not include a comparison of cloud frequency. The cloud properties of the OSIRIS tomographic dataset are vertically resolved, while the cloud properties of the CIPS dataset is vertically integrated. To make these different quantities comparable, the OSIRIS tomographic cloud properties cloud scattering coefficient and ice mass density (IMD) have been integrated over the vertical extent of the cloud to form cloud albedo and IWC of the same quantity as CIPS cloud products. We find that the OSIRIS albedo (obtained from the vertical integration of the primary OSIRIS tomography product, cloud scattering coefficient) shows very good agreement with the primary CIPS product, cloud albedo, with a correlation coefficient of 0.96. However, OSIRIS systematically reports brighter clouds than CIPS and the bias between the instruments (OSIRIS – CIPS) is 3.4×10-6 sr−1 (±2.9×10-6 sr−1) on average. The OSIRIS tomography IWC (obtained from the vertical integration of IMD) agrees well with the CIPS IWC, with a correlation coefficient of 0.91. However, the IWC reported by OSIRIS is lower than CIPS, and we quantify the bias to −22 g km−2 (±14 g km−2) on average.

Updated validation of ACE and OSIRIS ozone and NO2 measurements in the Arctic using ground-based instruments at Eureka, Canada

This paper presents long-term intercomparisons (2003–2017) between ozone and NO2 measured by the Optical Spectrograph and Infra-Red Imager System (OSIRIS) and the Atmospheric Chemistry Experiment (ACE) satellite instruments, and by ground-based instruments at the Polar Environment Atmospheric Research Laboratory (PEARL), near Eureka, Nunavut, Canada (80∘N, 86∘W). The ground-based instruments include four zenith-sky differential optical absorption spectroscopy (DOAS) instruments, two Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectrometers, and a Brewer spectrophotometer. Comparisons of 14–52 km ozone partial columns show good agreement between OSIRIS v5.10 and ACE-FTS v3.5/3.6 data (1.2%), while ACE-MAESTRO v3.13 ozone is smaller than the other two datasets by 6.7% and 5.9%, respectively. Satellite profiles were extended to the surface using ozonesonde data, and the resulting columns agree with the ground-based datasets with mean relative differences of 0.1–12.0%. For NO2, 12–40 km partial columns from ACE-FTS v3.5/3.6 and 12–32 km partial columns from OSIRIS v6.0 (scaled to 40 km) agree with ground-based partial columns with mean relative differences of 0.7–33.2%. Dynamical coincidence criteria improved the ACE to ground-based FTIR ozone comparisons, while little to no improvements were seen for other instruments, and for NO2. A ± 1∘ latitude criterion modestly improved the spring and fall NO2 comparisons. The results of this study are consistent with previous validation exercises. In addition, there are no significant drifts between the satellite datasets, or between the satellites and the ground-based measurements, indicating that the OSIRIS and ACE instruments continue to perform well.

Ozone Measurements Using the Refurbished Eureka Stratospheric Differential Absorption Lidar

The Stratospheric Ozone Differential Absorption Lidar (DIAL) located at the Polar Environment Atmospheric Research Laboratory (PEARL) in Eureka, Nunavut (80°N, 86°W) has been a powerful tool for the measurement of stratospheric ozone vertical profiles in the Canadian High Arctic since 1993. The lidar ozone profiles measured during the 2017 Canadian Arctic Atmospheric Chemistry Experiment (ACE) and Optical Spectrograph and InfraRed Imaging System (OSIRIS) Validation Campaign were compared to coincident ozonesonde, ACE-FTS, ACE-MAESTRO and OSIRIS profiles. The results show the lidar overestimates the ozone by ∼10% in the 10 km–20 km altitude range on average in comparison with the ozonesonde. Above 20 km the profiles agree within 10%. The OSIRIS ozone agrees within 10% with DIAL ozone between 15 km and 41 km. A strong stratospheric ozone depletion event was seen on March 3, 2017, during which the ozone concentration dropped below 1012 molecules cm–3 at the 15.5 km and below 6 × 1012 molecules cm–3 at 16 km as measured by the ozonesonde and the lidar correspondingly. Laminated structures were observed in the ozonesonde profiles near the polar vortex edge regions. This together with non-optimal temporal and spatial coincidences between the measurements conducted by different instruments can affect validation accuracy.