Identification

Title

Validation of HNO₃, CIONO₂, and N₂O₅ from the Atmospheric Chemistry Experiment Fourier Transform Spectrometer (ACE-FTS)

Abstract

The Atmospheric Chemistry Experiment (ACE) satellite was launched on 12 August 2003. Its two instruments measure vertical profiles of over 30 atmospheric trace gases by analyzing solar occultation spectra in the ultraviolet/visible and infrared wavelength regions. The reservoir gases HNO₃, CIONO₂, and N₂O₅ are three of the key species provided by the primary instrument, the ACE Fourier Transform Spectrometer (ACE-FTS). This paper describes the ACE-FTS version 2.2 data products, including the N₂O₅ update, for the three species and presents validation comparisons with available observations. We have compared volume mixing ratio (VMR) profiles of HNO₃, CIONO₂, and N₂O₅ with measurements by other satellite instruments (SMR, MLS, MIPAS), aircraft measurements (ASUR), and single balloon-flights (SPIRALE, FIRS-2). Partial columns of HNO₃ and CIONO₂ were also compared with measurements by ground-based Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectrometers. Overall the quality of the ACE-FTS v2.2 HNO₃ VMR profiles is good from 18 to 35 km. For the statistical satellite comparisons, the mean absolute differences are generally within ±1 ppbv (±20%) from 18 to 35 km. For MIPAS and MLS comparisons only, mean relative differences lie within ±10% between 10 and 36 km. ACE-FTS HNO₃ partial columns (~15-30 km) show a slight negative bias of -1.3% relative to the ground-based FTIRs at latitudes ranging from 77.8° S-76.5° N. Good agreement between ACE-FTS CIONO₂ and MIPAS, using the Institut für Meteorologie und Klimaforschung and Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía (IMK-IAA) data processor is seen. Mean absolute differences are typically within ±0.01 ppbv between 16 and 27 km and less than +0.09 ppbv between 27 and 34 km. The CIONO₂ partial column comparisons show varying degrees of agreement, depending on the location and the quality of the FTIR measurements. Good agreement was found for the comparisons with the midlatitude Jungfraujoch partial columns for which the mean relative difference is 4.7%. ACE-FTS N₂O₅ has a low bias relative to MIPAS IMK-IAA, reaching -0.25 ppbv at the altitude of the N₂O₅ maximum (around 30 km). Mean absolute differences at lower altitudes (16-27 km) are typically -0.05 ppbv for MIPAS nighttime and ±0.02 ppbv for MIPAS daytime measurements.

Resource type

document

Resource locator

Unique resource identifier

code

https://n2t.org/ark:/85065/d7zg6sf8

codeSpace

Dataset language

eng

Spatial reference system

code identifying the spatial reference system

Classification of spatial data and services

Topic category

geoscientificInformation

Keywords

Keyword set

keyword value

Text

originating controlled vocabulary

title

Resource Type

reference date

date type

publication

effective date

2016-01-01T00:00:00Z

Geographic location

West bounding longitude

East bounding longitude

North bounding latitude

South bounding latitude

Temporal reference

Temporal extent

Begin position

End position

Dataset reference date

date type

publication

effective date

2008-07-07T00:00:00Z

Frequency of update

Quality and validity

Lineage

Conformity

Data format

name of format

version of format

Constraints related to access and use

Constraint set

Use constraints

Limitations on public access

None

Responsible organisations

Responsible party

contact position

OpenSky Support

organisation name

UCAR/NCAR - Library

full postal address

PO Box 3000

Boulder

80307-3000

email address

opensky@ucar.edu

web address

http://opensky.ucar.edu/

name: homepage

responsible party role

pointOfContact

Metadata on metadata

Metadata point of contact