Sub-Millimetre Radiometer Research Articles

Semidiurnal nonmigrating tides in low-latitude lower thermospheric NO: A climatology based on 20 years of Odin/SMR measurements

The Sub-Millimetre Radiometer (SMR) on board the Odin satellite provides almost 20 years of nitric oxide (NO) measurements in the mesosphere and lower thermosphere (MLT) at equatorial crossing local solar times (LSTs) of 6AM and 6PM. In this study, we use Odin/SMR observations to estimate how lower thermospheric NO mixing ratios at low latitudes are affected by solar nonmigrating tides. Most of the previous studies based on satellite data have focused on the signatures of diurnal tides in the MLT and above, while we concentrate here on nonmigrating semidiurnal tides. To study the contribution of these tides to NO mixing ratio variations, we average pairs of NO measurements along ascending and descending orbital tracks at 107 km altitude over latitudes between −40°and +40°. We consider monthly climatologies of these pair-averages and analyse residuals with respect to their zonal mean. In this way, it is possible to study the effect of nonmigrating even-numbered tidal components, albeit there is a non-tidal component arising largely from quasi-stationary planetary waves. Spectral wave amplitudes are extracted using a Fourier transform as function of (apparent) zonal wavenumber with a focus around −30°, −20°and 30°latitudes. From our analysis, it appears that the semidiurnal (apparent) zonal wavenumber 4 arising from the SW6 and SE2 tides is dominant close to the equator (e.g., at −20°), except during some boreal summer months (June, July, August). On the other hand, wave-1 plays a more prominent role at subtropical latitudes, especially in the southern hemisphere, where it surpasses wave-4 during 7 months (March and May-to-October) at −30°. There is little observational evidence to date documenting the presence of the semidiurnal nonmigrating tides in NO in the low-latitude MLT. Our results hence provide one of the first evidences of the climatological signature of these tides in NO, in an altitude range that remains poorly observed.

A Novel Ice Cloud Retrieval Algorithm for Submillimeter Wave Radiometers: Simulations and Application to an Airborne Experiment

A retrieval methodology based on the Bayesian neural network (BNN) is presented that inverts the ice water path (IWP), mean mass-weighted diameter (D <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">me</sub> ), and cloud height of ice clouds from sub-millimeter radiometer observations. The training dataset was created using collecting cloud profiles from the DARDAR (raDAR/liDAR) database and running simulations by the Atmospheric Radiative Transfer Simulator (ARTS) model. Since the effective radius (r <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">e</sub> ) is the size descriptor of ice particles in the DARDAR database, a look-up table of ice water content (IWC), D <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">me</sub> , and r <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">e</sub> was constructed to convert r <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">e</sub> profiles into D <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">me</sub> profiles. In addition, random noises corresponding to the measurement uncertainties of the Compact Scanning Submillimeter-wave Imaging Radiometer (CoSSIR) during the TC4 experiment were added to the simulated brightness temperatures before training the BNN. The proposed retrieval method was first applied to the simulated testing database, and then to the observations of CoSSIR. Moreover, the retrieved IWP and D <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">me</sub> were compared to the retrievals of the Bayesian Monte Carlo Integration (BMCI) method. The retrieved cloud height was assessed by cloud height extracted from the reflectivity data of the Cloud Radar System (CPS) flow on the same aircraft with CoSSIR. The comparison showed that the correlation coefficients of the retrieved IWP and D <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">me</sub> from the two methods are above 0.8, and the retrieved cloud height also showed good agreement with that extracted from the CPS.

Long-term mesospheric record of EPP-IE NO measured by Odin/SMR

Due to the long lifetime of nitric oxide (NO) in darkness conditions, during polar winter, the NO produced by energetic particle precipitation (EPP) in the mesosphere and lower thermosphere (MLT) can descend, via the middle atmospheric residual circulation, to the lower mesosphere and stratosphere, where it is involved in catalytic destruction of ozone (O3). This process is known as energetic particle precipitation indirect effect (EPP-IE). There are still significant uncertainties on the estimated amount of EPP-IE NO. To improve such estimations, we measure the total winter flux of EPP-IE NO descending through three isentropic levels in the mesosphere, that is 2600K, 3300K and 4000K, based on 15 years of NO nighttime observations from the Sub-Millimetre Radiometer (SMR) on board Odin satellite. At the moment, Odin/SMR is the only instrument ensuring a global coverage of mesospheric NO observations within a few days and this is the first time EPP-IE NO has been quantified using its NO data set. Moreover, such an estimate had never been calculated for the most recent winters which are included in this study. In our method we calculate the median nighttime NO inside the polar vortex during the month prior to the descent of NO-rich air; this value is assumed as a background, produced by N2O oxidation, to be subtracted from the daily median nighttime concentrations inside the vortex; the result of this subtraction is then multiplied by the area of the vortex and the descent rate to obtain the flux; finally these daily quantities and integrated to calculate the total NO flux for each winter. We thus calculated the total EPP-IE NO flux through the mentioned levels for Northern Hemisphere (NH) winters between 2006–07 and 2020–21 and for Southern Hemisphere (SH) winters between 2007 and 2012. The total winter EPP-IE NO fluxes presented in this study are consistent with the quantities presented in similar studies. NH winters 2008–09, 2012–13 and 2018–19 are the ones presenting the highest NO fluxes at all levels. They are winters characterised by sudden stratospheric warmings followed by elevated stratopause (SSW-ES) events. The measured fluxes vary between 490 and 1000 Mmol at 4000K, 310 and 720 Mmol at 3300K, 270 and 510 Mmol at 2600K. All other NH and SH winters are characterised by sensibly lower values than SSW-ES winters. The fluxes from these more dynamically quiet winters vary from winter to winter following a trend similar to the one of geomagnetic activity, as indicated by the variations in Ap index. These results indicate that the variability in the total EPP-IE NO fluxes is dominated by dynamics during the SSW-ES winters, whereas during the remaining winters it is geomagnetic activity that plays a major role.

Case Study of a Large Mesospheric Front in Polar Mesospheric Clouds

A large mesospheric front structure was observed on 16 July 2010 in Polar Mesospheric Clouds (PMCs) using common volume observations performed by the Aeronomy of Ice in the Mesosphere (AIM) Cloud Imaging and Particle Size (CIPS) instrument and the Odin Optical Spectrograph and Infrared Imager System (OSIRIS) at ∼75°N, 144°E. During the 4.5 hours long observation time, the front structure manifested in the PMC layer as an ice free elongated structure with sharp edges to the surrounding cloud field. A propagation direction from Southeast to Northwest and simultaneous clockwise rotation of 12 deg/hour are observed and the horizontal extent of the structure is found to be about 1800 km long and 190 km wide. Common volume observations of the mesospheric environment in terms of temperatures and water vapor provided by the Odin Sub-Millimetre Radiometer (SMR) indicate an extensive elevated warm air mass during the occurrence of the front structure and colder temperatures at the sharp front edge. The presence of a wave structure with λ<em>_z</em>∼6 km at the altitude of 70–90 km coincides with a sharpening of the front edge. We compare the general characteristics of the current mesospheric front to earlier reports on mesospheric fronts based on ground-based and space-borne airglow and PMC observations.

Synergistic radar and sub-millimeter radiometer retrievals of ice hydrometeors in mid-latitude frontal cloud systems

Abstract. Accurate measurements of ice hydrometeors are required to improve the representation of clouds and precipitation in weather and climate models. In this study, a newly developed, synergistic retrieval algorithm that combines radar with passive millimeter and sub-millimeter observations is applied to observations of three frontally generated, mid-latitude cloud systems in order to validate the retrieval and assess its capabilities to constrain the properties of ice hydrometeors. To account for uncertainty in the assumed shapes of ice particles, the retrieval is run multiple times while the shape is varied. Good agreement with in situ measurements of ice water content and particle concentrations for particle maximum diameters larger than 200 µm is found for one of the flights for the large plate aggregate and the six-bullet rosette shapes. The variational retrieval fits the observations well, although small systematic deviations are observed for some of the sub-millimeter channels pointing towards issues with the sensor calibration or the modeling of gas absorption. For one of the flights the quality of the fit to the observations exhibits a weak dependency on the assumed ice particle shape, indicating that the employed combination of observations may provide limited information on the shape of ice particles in the observed clouds. Compared to a radar-only retrieval, the results show an improved sensitivity of the synergistic retrieval to the microphysical properties of ice hydrometeors at the base of the cloud. Our findings indicate that the synergy between active and passive microwave observations may improve remote-sensing measurements of ice hydrometeors and thus help to reduce uncertainties that affect currently available data products. Due to the increased sensitivity to their microphysical properties, the retrieval may also be a valuable tool to study ice hydrometeors in field campaigns. The good fits obtained to the observations increase confidence in the modeling of clouds in the Atmospheric Radiative Transfer Simulator and the corresponding single scattering database, which were used to implement the retrieval forward model. Our results demonstrate the suitability of these tools to produce realistic simulations for upcoming sub-millimeter sensors such as the Ice Cloud Image or the Arctic Weather Satellite.

The first global 883 GHz cloud ice survey: IceCube Level 1 data calibration, processing and analysis

Abstract. Sub-millimeter (200–1000 GHz) wavelengths contribute a unique capability to fill in the sensitivity gap between operational visible–infrared (VIS–IR) and microwave (MW) remote sensing for atmospheric cloud ice and snow. Being able to penetrate clouds to measure cloud ice mass and microphysical properties in the middle to upper troposphere, a critical spectrum range, is necessary for us to understand the connection between cloud ice and precipitation processes. As the first spaceborne 883 GHz radiometer, the IceCube mission was NASA's latest spaceflight demonstration of commercial sub-millimeter radiometer technology. Successfully launched from the International Space Station, IceCube is essentially a free-running radiometer and collected valuable 15-month measurements of atmosphere and cloud ice. This paper describes the detailed procedures for Level 1 (L1) data calibration, processing and validation. The scientific quality and value of IceCube data are then discussed, including radiative transfer model validation and evaluation, as well as the unique spatial distribution and diurnal cycle of cloud ice that are revealed for the first time on a quasi-global scale at this frequency. IceCube Level 1 dataset is publicly available at Gong and Wu (2021) (https://doi.org/10.25966/3d2p-f515).

Improvement of Odin/SMR water vapour and temperature measurements and validation of the obtained data sets

Abstract. Its long photochemical lifetime makes H2O a good tracer for mesospheric dynamics. Temperature observations are also critical to study middle atmospheric dynamics. In this study, we present the reprocessing of 18 years of mesospheric H2O and temperature measurements from the Sub-Millimetre Radiometer (SMR) aboard the Odin satellite, resulting in a part of the SMR version 3.0 level 2 data set. The previous version of the data set showed poor accordance with measurements from other instruments, which suggested that the retrieved concentrations and temperature were subject to instrumental artefacts. Different hypotheses have been explored, and the idea of an underestimation of the single-sideband leakage turned out to be the most reasonable one. The value of the lowest transmission achievable has therefore been raised to account for greater sideband leakage, and new retrievals have been performed with the new settings. The retrieved profiles extend between 40–100 km altitude and cover the whole globe to reach 85∘ latitudes. A validation study has been carried out, revealing an overall better accordance with the compared instruments. In particular, relative differences in H2O mixing ratio are always in the ±20 % range between 40 and 70 km and diverge at higher altitudes, while temperature absolute differences are within ±5 K between 40–80 km and also diverge at higher altitudes.

Impact of the major SSWs of February 2018 and January 2019 on the middle atmospheric nitric oxide abundance

The Arctic middle atmosphere was affected by major sudden stratospheric warmings (SSW) in February 2018 and January 2019, respectively. In this article, we report for the first time the impact of these two events on the middle atmospheric nitric oxide (NO) abundance. The study is based on measurements obtained during two dedicated observation campaigns, using the Sub-Millimetre Radiometer (SMR) aboard the Odin satellite, measuring NO globally since 2003. The SSW of February 2018 was similar to other, more dynamically quiet, Arctic winters in term of NO downward transport from the upper mesosphere–lower thermosphere to lower altitudes (referred to as energetic particle precipitation indirect effect EPP-IE). On the contrary, the event of January 2019 led to one of the strongest EPP-IE cases observed within the Odin operational period. Important positive NO anomalies were indeed observed in the lower mesosphere–upper stratosphere during the three months following the SSW onset, corresponding to NO volume mixing ratios more than 50 times higher than the climatological values. These different consequences on the middle atmospheric composition are explained by very different dynamical characteristics of these two SSW events.

Recovery and validation of Odin/SMR long-term measurements of mesospheric carbon monoxide

Abstract. The Sub-Millimetre Radiometer (SMR) on board the Odin satellite performs limb sounding measurements of the middle atmosphere to detect molecular emission from different species. Carbon monoxide (CO) is an important tracer of atmospheric dynamics at these altitudes, due to its long photochemical lifetime and high vertical concentration gradient. In this study, we have successfully recovered over 18 years of SMR observations, providing the only dataset to date being so extended in time and stretching out to the polar regions, with regards to satellite-measured mesospheric CO. This new dataset is part of the Odin/SMR version 3.0 level 2 data. Much of the level 1 dataset – except the October 2003 to October 2004 period – was affected by a malfunctioning of the phase-lock loop (PLL) in the front end used for CO observations. Because of this technical issue, the CO line could be shifted away from its normal frequency location, causing the retrieval to fail or leading to an incorrect estimation of the CO concentration. An algorithm was developed to locate the CO line and shift it to its correct location. Nevertheless, another artefact causing an underestimation of the concentration, i.e. a line broadening, stemmed from the PLL malfunctioning. This was accounted for by using a broader response function. The application of these corrections resulted in the recovery of a large amount of data that was previously being flagged as problematic and therefore not processed. A validation study has been carried out, showing how SMR CO volume mixing ratios are in general in good accordance with the other instruments considered in the study. Overall, the agreement is very good between 60 and 80 km altitude, with relative differences close to zero. A positive bias at low altitudes (50–60 km) up to +20 % and a negative bias up to −20 % at high altitudes (80–100 km) were found with respect to the comparison instruments.

A reassessment of the discrepancies in the annual variation of δD-H2O in the tropical lower stratosphere between the MIPAS and ACE-FTS satellite data sets

Abstract. The annual variation of δD in the tropical lower stratosphere is a critical indicator for the relative importance of different processes contributing to the transport of water vapour through the cold tropical tropopause region into the stratosphere. Distinct observational discrepancies of the δD annual variation were visible in the works of Steinwagner et al. (2010) and Randel et al. (2012). Steinwagner et al. (2010) analysed MIPAS (Michelson Interferometer for Passive Atmospheric Sounding) observations retrieved with the IMK/IAA (Institut für Meteorologie und Klimaforschung in Karlsruhe, Germany, in collaboration with the Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía in Granada, Spain) processor, while Randel et al. (2012) focused on ACE-FTS (Atmospheric Chemistry Experiment Fourier Transform Spectrometer) observations. Here we reassess the discrepancies based on newer MIPAS (IMK/IAA) and ACE-FTS data sets, also showing for completeness results from SMR (Sub-Millimetre Radiometer) observations and a ECHAM/MESSy (European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts Hamburg and Modular Earth Submodel System) Atmospheric Chemistry (EMAC) simulation (Eichinger et al., 2015b). Similar to the old analyses, the MIPAS data set yields a pronounced annual variation (maximum about 75 ‰), while that derived from the ACE-FTS data set is rather weak (maximum about 25 ‰). While all data sets exhibit the phase progression typical for the tape recorder, the annual maximum in the ACE-FTS data set precedes that in the MIPAS data set by 2 to 3 months. We critically consider several possible reasons for the observed discrepancies, focusing primarily on the MIPAS data set. We show that the δD annual variation in the MIPAS data up to an altitude of 40 hPa is substantially impacted by a “start altitude effect”, i.e. dependency between the lowermost altitude where MIPAS retrievals are possible and retrieved data at higher altitudes. In itself this effect does not explain the differences with the ACE-FTS data. In addition, there is a mismatch in the vertical resolution of the MIPAS HDO and H2O data (being consistently better for HDO), which actually results in an artificial tape-recorder-like signal in δD. Considering these MIPAS characteristics largely removes any discrepancies between the MIPAS and ACE-FTS data sets and shows that the MIPAS data are consistent with a δD tape recorder signal with an amplitude of about 25 ‰ in the lowermost stratosphere.

The SPARC water vapour assessment II: profile-to-profile and climatological comparisons of stratospheric &amp;lt;i&amp;gt;δ&amp;lt;/i&amp;gt;D(H&amp;lt;sub&amp;gt;2&amp;lt;/sub&amp;gt;O) observations from satellite

Abstract. Within the framework of the second SPARC (Stratosphere-troposphere Processes And their Role in Climate) water vapour assessment (WAVAS-II), we evaluated five data sets of δD(H2O) obtained from observations by Odin/SMR (Sub-Millimetre Radiometer), Envisat/MIPAS (Environmental Satellite/Michelson Interferometer for Passive Atmospheric Sounding), and SCISAT/ACE-FTS (Science Satellite/Atmospheric Chemistry Experiment – Fourier Transform Spectrometer) using profile-to-profile and climatological comparisons. These comparisons aimed to provide a comprehensive overview of typical uncertainties in the observational database that could be considered in the future in observational and modelling studies. Our primary focus is on stratospheric altitudes, but results for the upper troposphere and lower mesosphere are also shown. There are clear quantitative differences in the measurements of the isotopic ratio, mainly with regard to comparisons between the SMR data set and both the MIPAS and ACE-FTS data sets. In the lower stratosphere, the SMR data set shows a higher depletion in δD than the MIPAS and ACE-FTS data sets. The differences maximise close to 50 hPa and exceed 200 ‰. With increasing altitude, the biases decrease. Above 4 hPa, the SMR data set shows a lower δD depletion than the MIPAS data sets, occasionally exceeding 100 ‰. Overall, the δD biases of the SMR data set are driven by HDO biases in the lower stratosphere and by H2O biases in the upper stratosphere and lower mesosphere. In between, in the middle stratosphere, the biases in δD are the result of deviations in both HDO and H2O. These biases are attributed to issues with the calibration, in particular in terms of the sideband filtering, and uncertainties in spectroscopic parameters. The MIPAS and ACE-FTS data sets agree rather well between about 100 and 10 hPa. The MIPAS data sets show less depletion below approximately 15 hPa (up to about 30 ‰), due to differences in both HDO and H2O. Higher up this behaviour is reversed, and towards the upper stratosphere the biases increase. This is driven by increasing biases in H2O, and on occasion the differences in δD exceed 80 ‰. Below 100 hPa, the differences between the MIPAS and ACE-FTS data sets are even larger. In the climatological comparisons, the MIPAS data sets continue to show less depletion in δD than the ACE-FTS data sets below 15 hPa during all seasons, with some variations in magnitude. The differences between the MIPAS and ACE-FTS data have multiple causes, such as differences in the temporal and spatial sampling (except for the profile-to-profile comparisons), cloud influence, vertical resolution, and the microwindows and spectroscopic database chosen. Differences between data sets from the same instrument are typically small in the stratosphere. Overall, if the data sets are considered together, the differences in δD among them in key areas of scientific interest (e.g. tropical and polar lower stratosphere, lower mesosphere, and upper troposphere) are too large to draw robust conclusions on atmospheric processes affecting the water vapour budget and distribution, e.g. the relative importance of different mechanisms transporting water vapour into the stratosphere.

An empirical model of nitric oxide in the upper mesosphere and lower thermosphere based on 12 years of Odin SMR measurements

Abstract. Nitric oxide (NO) is produced by solar photolysis and auroral activity in the upper mesosphere and lower thermosphere region and can, via transport processes, eventually impact the ozone layer in the stratosphere. This work uses measurements of NO taken between 2004 and 2016 by the Odin sub-millimeter radiometer (SMR) to build an empirical model that links the prevailing solar and auroral conditions with the measured number density of NO. The measurement data are averaged daily and sorted into altitude and magnetic latitude bins. For each bin, a multivariate linear fit with five inputs, the planetary K index, solar declination, and the F10.7 cm flux, as well as two newly devised indices that take the planetary K index and the solar declination as inputs in order to take NO created on previous days into account, constitutes the link between environmental conditions and measured NO. This results in a new empirical model, SANOMA, which only requires the three indices to estimate NO between 85 and 115 km and between 80∘ S and 80∘ N in magnetic latitude. Furthermore, this work compares the NO calculated with SANOMA and an older model, NOEM, with measurements of the original SMR dataset, as well as measurements from four other instruments: ACE, MIPAS, SCIAMACHY, and SOFIE. The results suggest that SANOMA can capture roughly 31 %–70 % of the variance of the measured datasets near the magnetic poles, and between 16 % and 73 % near the magnetic equator. The corresponding values for NOEM are 12 %–38 % and 7 %–40 %, indicating that SANOMA captures more of the variance of the measured datasets than NOEM. The simulated NO for these regions was on average 20 % larger for SANOMA, and 78 % larger for NOEM, than the measured NO. Two main reasons for SANOMA outperforming NOEM are identified. Firstly, the input data (Odin SMR NO) for SANOMA span over 12 years, while the input data for NOEM from the Student Nitric Oxide Experiment (SNOE) only cover 1998–2000. Additionally, some of the improvement can be accredited to the introduction of the two new indices, since they include information of auroral activity on prior days that can significantly enhance the number density of NO in the MLT during winter in the absence of sunlight. As a next step, SANOMA could be used as input in chemical models, as a priori information for the retrieval of NO from measurements, or as a tool to compare Odin SMR NO with other instruments. SANOMA and accompanying scripts are available on http://odin.rss.chalmers.se (last access: 15 September 2018).

Stable Water Isotopologues in the Stratosphere Retrieved from Odin/SMR Measurements

Stable Water Isotopologues (SWIs) are important diagnostic tracers for understanding processes in the atmosphere and the global hydrological cycle. Using eight years (2002–2009) of retrievals from Odin/SMR (Sub-Millimetre Radiometer), the global climatological features of three SWIs, H216O, HDO and H218O, the isotopic composition δD and δ18O in the stratosphere are analysed for the first time. Spatially, SWIs are found to increase with altitude due to stratospheric methane oxidation. In the tropics, highly depleted SWIs in the lower stratosphere indicate the effect of dehydration when the air comes through the cold tropopause, while, at higher latitudes, more enriched SWIs in the upper stratosphere during summer are produced and transported to the other hemisphere via the Brewer–Dobson circulation. Furthermore, we found that more H216O is produced over summer Northern Hemisphere and more HDO is produced over summer Southern Hemisphere. Temporally, a tape recorder in H216O is observed in the lower tropical stratosphere, in addition to a pronounced downward propagating seasonal signal in SWIs from the upper to the lower stratosphere over the polar regions. These observed features in SWIs are further compared to SWI-enabled model outputs. This helped to identify possible causes of model deficiencies in reproducing main stratospheric features. For instance, choosing a better advection scheme and including methane oxidation process in a specific model immediately capture the main features of stratospheric water vapor. The representation of other features, such as the observed inter-hemispheric difference of isotopic component, is also discussed.

Modelling the descent of nitric oxide during the elevated stratopause event of January 2013

Using simulations with a whole-atmosphere chemistry-climate model nudged by meteorological analyses, global satellite observations of nitrogen oxide (NO) and water vapour by the Sub-Millimetre Radiometer instrument (SMR), of temperature by the Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS), as well as local radar observations, this study examines the recent major stratospheric sudden warming accompanied by an elevated stratopause event (ESE) that occurred in January 2013. We examine dynamical processes during the ESE, including the role of planetary wave, gravity wave and tidal forcing on the initiation of the descent in the mesosphere-lower thermosphere (MLT) and its continuation throughout the mesosphere and stratosphere, as well as the impact of model eddy diffusion. We analyse the transport of NO and find the model underestimates the large descent of NO compared to SMR observations. We demonstrate that the discrepancy arises abruptly in the MLT region at a time when the resolved wave forcing and the planetary wave activity increase, just before the elevated stratopause reforms. The discrepancy persists despite doubling the model eddy diffusion. While the simulations reproduce an enhancement of the semi-diurnal tide following the onset of the 2013 SSW, corroborating new meteor radar observations at high northern latitudes over Trondheim (63.4°N), the modelled tidal contribution to the forcing of the mean meridional circulation and to the descent is a small portion of the resolved wave forcing, and lags it by about ten days.

Validation of revised methane and nitrous oxide profiles from MIPAS–ENVISAT

Abstract. Improved versions of CH4 and N2O profiles derived at the Institute of Meteorology and Climate Research and Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía (CSIC) from spectra measured by the Michelson Interferometer for Passive Atmospheric Sounding (MIPAS) have become available. For the MIPAS full-resolution period (2002–2004) these are V5H_CH4_21 and V5H_N2O_21 and for the reduced-resolution period (2005–2012) these are V5R_CH4_224, V5R_CH4_225, V5R_N2O_224 and V5R_N2O_225. Here, we compare CH4 profiles to those measured by the Fourier Transform Spectrometer on board of the Atmospheric Chemistry Experiment (ACE-FTS), the HALogen Occultation Experiment (HALOE) and the Scanning Imaging Absorption Spectrometer for Atmospheric CHartographY (SCIAMACHY), to the Global Cooperative Air Sampling Network (GCASN) surface data. We find the MIPAS CH4 profiles below 25 km to be typically higher of the order of 0.1 ppmv for both measurement periods. N2O profiles are compared to those measured by ACE-FTS, the Microwave Limb Sounder on board of the Aura satellite (Aura-MLS) and the Sub-millimetre Radiometer on board of the Odin satellite (Odin-SMR) as well as to the Halocarbons and other Atmospheric Trace Species Group (HATS) surface data. The mixing ratios of the satellite instruments agree well with each other for the full-resolution period. For the reduced-resolution period, MIPAS produces similar values as Odin-SMR, but higher values than ACE-FTS and HATS. Below 27 km, the MIPAS profiles show higher mixing ratios than Aura-MLS, and lower values between 27 and 41 km. Cross-comparisons between the two MIPAS measurement periods show that they generally agree quite well, but, especially for CH4, the reduced-resolution period seems to produce slightly higher mixing ratios than the full-resolution data.

Sensitivity study of ice crystal optical properties in the 874 GHz submillimeter band

Testing of an 874GHz submillimeter radiometer on meteorological satellites is being planned to improve ice water content retrievals. In this paper we study the optical properties of ice cloud particles in the 874GHz band. The results show that the bulk scattering and absorption coefficients of an ensemble of ice cloud particles are sensitive to the particle shape and effective diameter, whereas the latter is also sensitive to temperature. The co-polar back scattering cross-section is not sensitive to particle shape, temperature, and the effective diameter in the range of 50–200μm.

Comparison of nitric oxide measurements in the mesosphere and lower thermosphere from ACE-FTS, MIPAS, SCIAMACHY, and SMR

Abstract. We compare the nitric oxide measurements in the mesosphere and lower thermosphere (60 to 150 km) from four instruments: the Atmospheric Chemistry Experiment–Fourier Transform Spectrometer (ACE-FTS), the Michelson Interferometer for Passive Atmospheric Sounding (MIPAS), the SCanning Imaging Absorption spectroMeter for Atmospheric CHartographY (SCIAMACHY), and the Sub-Millimetre Radiometer (SMR). We use the daily zonal mean data in that altitude range for the years 2004–2010 (ACE-FTS), 2005–2012 (MIPAS), 2008–2012 (SCIAMACHY), and 2003–2012 (SMR). We first compare the data qualitatively with respect to the morphology, focussing on the major features, and then compare the time series directly and quantitatively. In three geographical regions, we compare the vertical density profiles on coincident measurement days. Since none of the instruments delivers continuous daily measurements in this altitude region, we carried out a multi-linear regression analysis. This regression analysis considers annual and semi-annual variability in the form of harmonic terms and inter-annual variability by responding linearly to the solar Lyman-α radiation index and the geomagnetic Kp index. This analysis helps to find similarities and differences in the individual data sets with respect to the inter-annual variations caused by geomagnetic and solar variability. We find that the data sets are consistent and that they only disagree on minor aspects. SMR and ACE-FTS deliver the longest time series in the mesosphere, and they agree with each other remarkably well. The shorter time series from MIPAS and SCIAMACHY also agree with them where they overlap. The data agree within 30 % when the number densities are large, but they can differ by 50 to 100 % in some cases.

Tomographic retrieval of water vapour and temperature around polar mesospheric clouds using Odin-SMR

Abstract. A special observation mode of the Odin satellite provides the first simultaneous measurements of water vapour, temperature and polar mesospheric cloud (PMC) brightness over a large geographical area while still resolving both horizontal and vertical structures in the clouds and background atmosphere. The observation mode was activated during June, July and August of 2010 and 2011, and for latitudes between 50 and 82° N. This paper focuses on the water vapour and temperature measurements carried out with Odin's sub-millimetre radiometer (SMR). The tomographic retrieval approach used provides water vapour and temperature between 75 and 90 km with a vertical resolution of about 2.5 km and a horizontal resolution of about 200 km. The precision of the measurements is estimated to 0.2 ppmv for water vapour and 2 K for temperature. Due to limited information about the pressure at the measured altitudes, the results have large uncertainties (&gt; 3 ppmv) in the retrieved water vapour. These errors, however, influence mainly the mean atmosphere retrieved for each orbit, and variations around this mean are still reliably captured by the measurements. SMR measurements are performed using two different mixer chains, denoted as frequency mode 19 and 13. Systematic differences between the two frontends have been noted. A first comparison with the Solar Occultation For Ice Experiment instrument (SOFIE) on-board the Aeronomy of Ice in the Mesosphere (AIM) satellite and the Fourier Transform Spectrometer of the Atmospheric Chemistry Experiment (ACE-FTS) on-board SCISAT indicates that the measurements using the frequency mode 19 have a significant low bias in both temperature (&gt; 15 K) and water vapour (&gt; 0.5 ppmv), while the measurements using frequency mode 13 agree with the other instruments considering estimated errors. PMC brightness data is provided by OSIRIS, Odin's other sensor. Combined SMR and OSIRIS data for some example orbits is considered. For these orbits, effects of PMCs on the water vapour distribution are clearly seen. Areas depleted of water vapour are found above layers with PMC, while regions of enhanced water vapour due to ice particle sedimentation are primarily placed between and under the clouds.

The use of SMILES data to study ozone loss in the Arctic winter 2009/2010 and comparison with Odin/SMR data using assimilation techniques

Abstract. The Superconducting Submillimeter-Wave Limb-Emission Sounder (SMILES) on board the International Space Station observed ozone in the stratosphere with high precision from October 2009 to April 2010. Although SMILES measurements only cover latitudes from 38° S to 65° N, the combination of data assimilation methods and an isentropic advection model allows us to quantify the ozone depletion in the 2009/2010 Arctic polar winter by making use of the instability of the polar vortex in the northern hemisphere. Ozone data from both SMILES and Odin/SMR (Sub-Millimetre Radiometer) for the winter were assimilated into the Dynamical Isentropic Assimilation Model for OdiN Data (DIAMOND). DIAMOND is an off-line wind-driven transport model on isentropic surfaces. Wind data from the operational analyses of the European Centre for Medium- Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) were used to drive the model. In this study, particular attention is paid to the cross isentropic transport of the tracer in order to accurately assess the ozone loss. The assimilated SMILES ozone fields agree well with the limitation of noise induced variability within the SMR fields despite the limited latitude coverage of the SMILES observations. Ozone depletion has been derived by comparing the ozone field acquired by sequential assimilation with a passively transported ozone field initialized on 1 December 2009. Significant ozone loss was found in different periods and altitudes from using both SMILES and SMR data: The initial depletion occurred at the end of January below 550 K with an accumulated loss of 0.6–1.0 ppmv (approximately 20%) by 1 April. The ensuing loss started from the end of February between 575 K and 650 K. Our estimation shows that 0.8–1.3 ppmv (20–25 %) of O3 has been removed at the 600 K isentropic level by 1 April in volume mixing ratio (VMR).

Overview and sample applications of SMILES and Odin-SMR retrievals of upper tropospheric humidity and cloud ice mass

Abstract. Retrievals of cloud ice mass and humidity from the Superconducting Submillimeter-Wave Limb-Emission Sounder (SMILES) and the Odin-SMR (Sub-Millimetre Radiometer) limb sounder are presented and example applications of the data are given. SMILES data give an unprecedented view of the diurnal variation of cloud ice mass. Mean regional diurnal cycles are reported and compared to some global climate models. Some improvements in the models regarding diurnal timing and relative amplitude were noted, but the models' mean ice mass around 250 hPa is still low compared to the observations. The influence of the ENSO (El Niño–Southern Oscillation) state on the upper troposphere is demonstrated using 12 years of Odin-SMR data. The same retrieval scheme is applied for both sensors, and gives low systematic differences between the two data sets. A special feature of this Bayesian retrieval scheme, of Monte Carlo integration type, is that values are produced for all measurements but for some atmospheric states retrieved values only reflect a priori assumptions. However, this "all-weather" capability allows a direct statistical comparison to model data, in contrast to many other satellite data sets. Another strength of the retrievals is the detailed treatment of "beam filling" that otherwise would cause large systematic biases for these passive cloud ice mass retrievals. The main retrieval inputs are spectra around 635/525 GHz from tangent altitudes below 8/9 km for SMILES/Odin-SMR, respectively. For both sensors, the data cover the upper troposphere between 30° S and 30° N. Humidity is reported as both relative humidity and volume mixing ratio. The vertical coverage of SMILES is restricted to a single layer, while Odin-SMR gives some profiling capability between 300 and 150 hPa. Ice mass is given as the partial ice water path above 260 hPa, but for Odin-SMR ice water content, estimates are also provided. Besides a smaller contrast between most dry and wet cases, the agreement with Aura MLS (Microwave Limb Sounder) humidity data is good. In terms of tropical mean humidity, all three data sets agree within 3.5 %RHi. Mean ice mass is about a factor of 2 lower compared to CloudSat. This deviation is caused by the fact that different particle size distributions are assumed, combined with saturation and a priori influences in the SMILES and Odin-SMR data.