Articles | Volume 14, issue 10
https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-14-6749-2021
© Author(s) 2021. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-14-6749-2021
© Author(s) 2021. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| 
20 Oct 2021
Research article |
| 20 Oct 2021
| 20 Oct 2021
Comparison of mid-latitude single- and mixed-phase cloud optical depth from co-located infrared spectrometer and backscatter lidar measurements
Gianluca Di Natale
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
National Institute of Optics, CNR-INO, Via Madonna del Piano 10, Sesto Fiorentino, Florence, Italy
Marco Barucci
National Institute of Optics, CNR-INO, Via Madonna del Piano 10, Sesto Fiorentino, Florence, Italy
Claudio Belotti
National Institute of Optics, CNR-INO, Via Madonna del Piano 10, Sesto Fiorentino, Florence, Italy
Giovanni Bianchini
National Institute of Optics, CNR-INO, Via Madonna del Piano 10, Sesto Fiorentino, Florence, Italy
Francesco D'Amato
National Institute of Optics, CNR-INO, Via Madonna del Piano 10, Sesto Fiorentino, Florence, Italy
Samuele Del Bianco
Institute of Applied Physics, CNR-IFAC, Via Madonna del Piano 10, Sesto Fiorentino, Firenze, Italy
Marco Gai
Institute of Applied Physics, CNR-IFAC, Via Madonna del Piano 10, Sesto Fiorentino, Firenze, Italy
Alessio Montori
National Institute of Optics, CNR-INO, Via Madonna del Piano 10, Sesto Fiorentino, Florence, Italy
Ralf Sussmann
Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, IMK-IFU, Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany
Silvia Viciani
National Institute of Optics, CNR-INO, Via Madonna del Piano 10, Sesto Fiorentino, Florence, Italy
Hannes Vogelmann
Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, IMK-IFU, Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany
Luca Palchetti
National Institute of Optics, CNR-INO, Via Madonna del Piano 10, Sesto Fiorentino, Florence, Italy
Related authors
Gianluca Di Natale, Helen Brindley, Laura Warwick, Sanjeevani Panditharatne, Ping Yang, Robert Oscar David, Tim Carlsen, Sorin Nicolae Vâjâiac, Alex Vlad, Sorin Ghemulet, Richard Bantges, Andreas Foth, Martin Flügge, Reidar Lyngra, Hilke Oetjen, Dirk Schuettemeyer, Luca Palchetti, and Jonathan Murray
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-3547, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-3547, 2025
This preprint is open for discussion and under review for Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics (ACP).
Short summary
Short summary
Cirrus clouds play a vital role in regulating the energy balance of our planet. Unfortunately, these are still not completely understood representing the major source of error in the predictive performance of climate models. We show that a good consinstency between in situ measurements of cirrus cloud microphysics and remote sensing observations from ground base is achievable by simulating the emitted spectrum with the current parameterization of cirrus optical properties.
Federico Donat, Tiziano Maestri, Elisa Fabbri, Michele Martinazzo, Giovanni Bianchini, Massimo Del Guasta, Gianluca Di Natale, Luca Palchetti, Guido Masiello, Carmine Serio, and Giuliano Liuzzi
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-2793, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-2793, 2025
This preprint is open for discussion and under review for Atmospheric Measurement Techniques (AMT).
Short summary
Short summary
The cloud occurrence over the Antarctic Plateau is characterized using ground-based interferometric data from 2012 to 2020. The results show a yearly pattern, and a six-month cycle linked to atmospheric oscillations. The cloud radiative forcing at far infrared doubles during cloud occurrence oscillation peaks. Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer (IASI) Level 2 products are compared to ground data, showing an improved agreement in cloud identification from year 2020.
Gianluca Di Natale, Marco Ridolfi, and Luca Palchetti
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 17, 3171–3186, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-3171-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-3171-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
This work aims to define a new approach to retrieve the distribution of the main ice crystal shapes occurring inside ice and cirrus clouds from infrared spectral measurements. The capability of retrieving these shapes of the ice crystals from satellites will allow us to extend the currently available climatologies to be used as physical constraints in general circulation models. This could could allow us to improve their accuracy and prediction performance.
Claudio Belotti, Flavio Barbara, Marco Barucci, Giovanni Bianchini, Francesco D'Amato, Samuele Del Bianco, Gianluca Di Natale, Marco Gai, Alessio Montori, Filippo Pratesi, Markus Rettinger, Christian Rolf, Ralf Sussmann, Thomas Trickl, Silvia Viciani, Hannes Vogelmann, and Luca Palchetti
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 16, 2511–2529, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-16-2511-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-16-2511-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
FIRMOS (Far-Infrared Radiation Mobile Observation System) is a spectroradiometer measuring in the far-infrared, developed to support the preparation of the FORUM (Far-infrared Outgoing Radiation Understanding and Monitoring) satellite mission. In this paper, we describe the instrument, its data products, and the results of the comparison with a suite of observations made from a high-altitude site during a field campaign, in winter 2018–2019.
Gianluca Di Natale, David D. Turner, Giovanni Bianchini, Massimo Del Guasta, Luca Palchetti, Alessandro Bracci, Luca Baldini, Tiziano Maestri, William Cossich, Michele Martinazzo, and Luca Facheris
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 15, 7235–7258, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-15-7235-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-15-7235-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
In this paper, we describe a new approach to test the consistency of the precipitating ice cloud optical and microphysical properties in Antarctica, Dome C, retrieved from hyperspectral measurements in the far-infrared, with the reflectivity detected by a co-located micro rain radar operating at 24 GHz. The retrieved ice crystal sizes were found in accordance with the direct measurements of an optical imager, also installed at Dome C, which can collect the falling ice particles.
Luca Sgheri, Claudio Belotti, Maya Ben-Yami, Giovanni Bianchini, Bernardo Carnicero Dominguez, Ugo Cortesi, William Cossich, Samuele Del Bianco, Gianluca Di Natale, Tomás Guardabrazo, Dulce Lajas, Tiziano Maestri, Davide Magurno, Hilke Oetjen, Piera Raspollini, and Cristina Sgattoni
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 15, 573–604, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-15-573-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-15-573-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
The FORUM instrument will look at the Earth's atmosphere from a satellite, covering a spectral range responsible for about 95 % of the radiation lost by our planet. FORUM helps to measure the imbalance between incoming and outgoing radiation that is responsible for the increasing average temperatures on Earth. The end-to-end simulator is a chain of codes that simulates the FORUM measurement process. The goal of the project is to study how the instrument reacts to different retrieval conditions.
William Cossich, Tiziano Maestri, Davide Magurno, Michele Martinazzo, Gianluca Di Natale, Luca Palchetti, Giovanni Bianchini, and Massimo Del Guasta
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 21, 13811–13833, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-13811-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-13811-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
The presence of clouds over Concordia, in the Antarctic Plateau, is investigated. Results are obtained by applying a machine learning algorithm to measurements of the infrared radiation emitted by the atmosphere toward the surface. The clear-sky, ice cloud, and mixed-phase cloud occurrence at different timescales is studied. A comparison with satellite measurements highlights the ability of the algorithm to identify multiple cloud conditions and study their variability at different timescales.
Luca Palchetti, Marco Barucci, Claudio Belotti, Giovanni Bianchini, Bertrand Cluzet, Francesco D'Amato, Samuele Del Bianco, Gianluca Di Natale, Marco Gai, Dina Khordakova, Alessio Montori, Hilke Oetjen, Markus Rettinger, Christian Rolf, Dirk Schuettemeyer, Ralf Sussmann, Silvia Viciani, Hannes Vogelmann, and Frank Gunther Wienhold
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 13, 4303–4312, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-13-4303-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-13-4303-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
The FIRMOS far-infrared (IR) prototype, developed for the preparation of the ESA FORUM mission, was deployed for the first time at Mt. Zugspitze at 3000 m altitude to measure the far-IR spectrum of atmospheric emissions. The measurements, including co-located radiometers, lidars, radio soundings, weather, and surface properties, provide a unique dataset to study radiative properties of water vapour, cirrus clouds, and snow emissivity over the IR emissions, including the under-explored far-IR.
Gianluca Di Natale, Helen Brindley, Laura Warwick, Sanjeevani Panditharatne, Ping Yang, Robert Oscar David, Tim Carlsen, Sorin Nicolae Vâjâiac, Alex Vlad, Sorin Ghemulet, Richard Bantges, Andreas Foth, Martin Flügge, Reidar Lyngra, Hilke Oetjen, Dirk Schuettemeyer, Luca Palchetti, and Jonathan Murray
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-3547, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-3547, 2025
This preprint is open for discussion and under review for Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics (ACP).
Short summary
Short summary
Cirrus clouds play a vital role in regulating the energy balance of our planet. Unfortunately, these are still not completely understood representing the major source of error in the predictive performance of climate models. We show that a good consinstency between in situ measurements of cirrus cloud microphysics and remote sensing observations from ground base is achievable by simulating the emitted spectrum with the current parameterization of cirrus optical properties.
Aki Tsuruta, Akihiko Kuze, Kei Shiomi, Fumie Kataoka, Nobuhiro Kikuchi, Tuula Aalto, Leif Backman, Ella Kivimäki, Maria K. Tenkanen, Kathryn McKain, Omaira E. García, Frank Hase, Rigel Kivi, Isamu Morino, Hirofumi Ohyama, David F. Pollard, Mahesh K. Sha, Kimberly Strong, Ralf Sussmann, Yao Te, Voltaire A. Velazco, Mihalis Vrekoussis, Thorsten Warneke, Minqiang Zhou, and Hiroshi Suto
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 7829–7862, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-7829-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-7829-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
Satellite data bring invaluable information about greenhouse gas emissions globally. We found that a new type of data from the Greenhouse Gas Observing Satellite (GOSAT), which contains information about methane in the lowest layer of Earth's atmosphere, could provide reliable estimates of recent methane emissions when combined with atmospheric modelling. Therefore, the use of such data is encouraged to improve emission quantification methods and advance our understanding of methane cycles.
Roeland Van Malderen, Anne M. Thompson, Debra E. Kollonige, Ryan M. Stauffer, Herman G. J. Smit, Eliane Maillard Barras, Corinne Vigouroux, Irina Petropavlovskikh, Thierry Leblanc, Valérie Thouret, Pawel Wolff, Peter Effertz, David W. Tarasick, Deniz Poyraz, Gérard Ancellet, Marie-Renée De Backer, Stéphanie Evan, Victoria Flood, Matthias M. Frey, James W. Hannigan, José L. Hernandez, Marco Iarlori, Bryan J. Johnson, Nicholas Jones, Rigel Kivi, Emmanuel Mahieu, Glen McConville, Katrin Müller, Tomoo Nagahama, Justus Notholt, Ankie Piters, Natalia Prats, Richard Querel, Dan Smale, Wolfgang Steinbrecht, Kimberly Strong, and Ralf Sussmann
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 7187–7225, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-7187-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-7187-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
Tropospheric ozone is an important greenhouse gas and is an air pollutant. The time variability of tropospheric ozone is mainly driven by anthropogenic emissions. In this paper, we study the distribution and time variability of ozone from harmonized ground-based observations from five different measurement techniques. Our findings provide clear standard references for atmospheric models and evolving tropospheric ozone satellite data for the 2000–2022 period.
Federico Donat, Tiziano Maestri, Elisa Fabbri, Michele Martinazzo, Giovanni Bianchini, Massimo Del Guasta, Gianluca Di Natale, Luca Palchetti, Guido Masiello, Carmine Serio, and Giuliano Liuzzi
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-2793, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-2793, 2025
This preprint is open for discussion and under review for Atmospheric Measurement Techniques (AMT).
Short summary
Short summary
The cloud occurrence over the Antarctic Plateau is characterized using ground-based interferometric data from 2012 to 2020. The results show a yearly pattern, and a six-month cycle linked to atmospheric oscillations. The cloud radiative forcing at far infrared doubles during cloud occurrence oscillation peaks. Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer (IASI) Level 2 products are compared to ground data, showing an improved agreement in cloud identification from year 2020.
Andrew Gerald Barr, Jochen Landgraf, Mari Martinez-Velarte, Mihalis Vrekoussis, Ralf Sussmann, Isamu Morino, Kimberly Strong, Minqiang Zhou, Voltaire A. Velazco, Hirofumi Ohyama, Thorsten Warneke, Frank Hase, and Tobias Borsdorff
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-3990, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-3990, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
In 2019 GOSAT-2 was launched, to realise the second in a series of satellites dedicated to measuring concentrations of greenhouse gases from space. The datasets obtained from GOSAT-2 are used in the Copernicus atmospheric services to monitor the climate, in light of the Paris Agreement. Over the five years the increase of CH4 and CO2 concentration in the atmosphere is clear. Here we present three robust datasets from GOSAT-2, including a novel machine learning approach to data quality filtering.
Cecilia Tirelli, Simone Ceccherini, Samuele Del Bianco, Bernd Funke, Michael Höpfner, Ugo Cortesi, and Piera Raspollini
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-1283, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-1283, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
The Complete Data Fusion is an a posteriori method to combine remote sensing products from independent observations of the same air mass. In this study, we extended the algorithm’s applicability to two-dimensional products, testing it with simulated ozone datasets from nadir and limb measurements. We demonstrated that the exploitation of the tomographic capabilities of future atmospheric sensors maximizes the information extracted from complementary datasets.
Paul Konopka, Felix Ploeger, Francesco D'Amato, Teresa Campos, Marc von Hobe, Shawn B. Honomichl, Peter Hoor, Laura L. Pan, Michelle L. Santee, Silvia Viciani, Kaley A. Walker, and Michaela I. Hegglin
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-1155, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-1155, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
We present an improved version of the Chemical Lagrangian Model of the Stratosphere (CLaMS-3.0), which better represents transport from the lower atmosphere to the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere. By refining grid resolution and improving convection representation, the model more accurately simulates carbon monoxide transport. Comparisons with satellite and in situ observations highlight its ability to capture seasonal variations and improve our understanding of atmospheric transport.
Sina Voshtani, Dylan B. A. Jones, Debra Wunch, Drew C. Pendergrass, Paul O. Wennberg, David F. Pollard, Isamu Morino, Hirofumi Ohyama, Nicholas M. Deutscher, Frank Hase, Ralf Sussmann, Damien Weidmann, Rigel Kivi, Omaira García, Yao Té, Jack Chen, Kerry Anderson, Robin Stevens, Shobha Kondragunta, Aihua Zhu, Douglas Worthy, Senen Racki, Kathryn McKain, Maria V. Makarova, Nicholas Jones, Emmanuel Mahieu, Andrea Cadena-Caicedo, Paolo Cristofanelli, Casper Labuschagne, Elena Kozlova, Thomas Seitz, Martin Steinbacher, Reza Mahdi, and Isao Murata
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-858, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-858, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
We assess the complementarity of the greater temporal coverage provided by ground-based remote sensing data with the spatial coverage of satellite observations when these data are used together to quantify CO emissions from extreme wildfires in 2023. Our results reveal that the commonly used biomass burning emission inventories significantly underestimate the fire emissions and emphasize the importance of the ground-based remote sensing data in reducing uncertainties in the estimated emissions.
Kelley C. Wells, Dylan B. Millet, Jared F. Brewer, Vivienne H. Payne, Karen E. Cady-Pereira, Rick Pernak, Susan Kulawik, Corinne Vigouroux, Nicholas Jones, Emmanuel Mahieu, Maria Makarova, Tomoo Nagahama, Ivan Ortega, Mathias Palm, Kimberly Strong, Matthias Schneider, Dan Smale, Ralf Sussmann, and Minqiang Zhou
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 18, 695–716, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-18-695-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-18-695-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
Atmospheric volatile organic compounds (VOCs) affect both air quality and climate. Satellite measurements can help us to assess and predict their global impacts. We present new decadal (2012–2023) measurements of four key VOCs – methanol, ethene, ethyne, and hydrogen cyanide (HCN) – from the Cross-track Infrared Sounder. The measurements reflect emissions from major forests, wildfires, and industry and provide new information to advance understanding of these sources and their changes over time.
Roeland Van Malderen, Zhou Zang, Kai-Lan Chang, Robin Björklund, Owen R. Cooper, Jane Liu, Eliane Maillard Barras, Corinne Vigouroux, Irina Petropavlovskikh, Thierry Leblanc, Valérie Thouret, Pawel Wolff, Peter Effertz, Audrey Gaudel, David W. Tarasick, Herman G. J. Smit, Anne M. Thompson, Ryan M. Stauffer, Debra E. Kollonige, Deniz Poyraz, Gérard Ancellet, Marie-Renée De Backer, Matthias M. Frey, James W. Hannigan, José L. Hernandez, Bryan J. Johnson, Nicholas Jones, Rigel Kivi, Emmanuel Mahieu, Isamu Morino, Glen McConville, Katrin Müller, Isao Murata, Justus Notholt, Ankie Piters, Maxime Prignon, Richard Querel, Vincenzo Rizi, Dan Smale, Wolfgang Steinbrecht, Kimberly Strong, and Ralf Sussmann
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-3745, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-3745, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
Tropospheric ozone is an important greenhouse gas and an air pollutant, whose distribution and time variability is mainly governed by anthropogenic emissions and dynamics. In this paper, we assess regional trends of tropospheric ozone column amounts, based on two different approaches of merging or synthesizing ground-based observations and their trends within specific regions. Our findings clearly demonstrate regional trend differences, but also consistently higher pre- than post-COVID trends.
Kavitha Mottungan, Chayan Roychoudhury, Vanessa Brocchi, Benjamin Gaubert, Wenfu Tang, Mohammad Amin Mirrezaei, John McKinnon, Yafang Guo, David W. T. Griffith, Dietrich G. Feist, Isamu Morino, Mahesh K. Sha, Manvendra K. Dubey, Martine De Mazière, Nicholas M. Deutscher, Paul O. Wennberg, Ralf Sussmann, Rigel Kivi, Tae-Young Goo, Voltaire A. Velazco, Wei Wang, and Avelino F. Arellano Jr.
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 17, 5861–5885, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-5861-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-5861-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
A combination of data analysis techniques is introduced to separate local and regional influences on observed levels of carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, and methane from an established ground-based remote sensing network. We take advantage of the covariations in these trace gases to identify the dominant type of sources driving these levels. Applying these methods in conjunction with existing approaches to other datasets can better address uncertainties in identifying sources and sinks.
Pinchas Nürnberg, Sarah A. Strode, and Ralf Sussmann
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 24, 10001–10012, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-10001-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-10001-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
We created a set of scaling factors describing the diurnal increase in stratospheric nitrogen oxides above Zugspitze, Germany. We used these factors to validate recently published model simulation data. On the one hand, this validation enables the use of the validated data to better understand the stratospheric photochemistry. On the other hand, it can improve satellite validation, which has implications for the understanding of urban smog events and other pollution events in the troposphere.
Karen De Los Ríos, Paulina Ordoñez, Gabriele P. Stiller, Piera Raspollini, Marco Gai, Kaley A. Walker, Cristina Peña-Ortiz, and Luis Acosta
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 17, 3401–3418, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-3401-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-3401-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
This study examines newer versions of H2O and HDO retrievals from Envisat/MIPAS and SCISAT/ACE-FTS. Results reveal a better agreement in stratospheric H2O profiles than in HDO profiles. The H2O tape recorder signal is consistent across databases, but δD tape recorder composites show differences that impact the interpretation of water vapour transport. These findings enhance the need for intercomparisons to refine our insights.
Gianluca Di Natale, Marco Ridolfi, and Luca Palchetti
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 17, 3171–3186, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-3171-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-3171-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
This work aims to define a new approach to retrieve the distribution of the main ice crystal shapes occurring inside ice and cirrus clouds from infrared spectral measurements. The capability of retrieving these shapes of the ice crystals from satellites will allow us to extend the currently available climatologies to be used as physical constraints in general circulation models. This could could allow us to improve their accuracy and prediction performance.
Joshua L. Laughner, Geoffrey C. Toon, Joseph Mendonca, Christof Petri, Sébastien Roche, Debra Wunch, Jean-Francois Blavier, David W. T. Griffith, Pauli Heikkinen, Ralph F. Keeling, Matthäus Kiel, Rigel Kivi, Coleen M. Roehl, Britton B. Stephens, Bianca C. Baier, Huilin Chen, Yonghoon Choi, Nicholas M. Deutscher, Joshua P. DiGangi, Jochen Gross, Benedikt Herkommer, Pascal Jeseck, Thomas Laemmel, Xin Lan, Erin McGee, Kathryn McKain, John Miller, Isamu Morino, Justus Notholt, Hirofumi Ohyama, David F. Pollard, Markus Rettinger, Haris Riris, Constantina Rousogenous, Mahesh Kumar Sha, Kei Shiomi, Kimberly Strong, Ralf Sussmann, Yao Té, Voltaire A. Velazco, Steven C. Wofsy, Minqiang Zhou, and Paul O. Wennberg
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 16, 2197–2260, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-16-2197-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-16-2197-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
This paper describes a new version, called GGG2020, of a data set containing column-integrated observations of greenhouse and related gases (including CO2, CH4, CO, and N2O) made by ground stations located around the world. Compared to the previous version (GGG2014), improvements have been made toward site-to-site consistency. This data set plays a key role in validating space-based greenhouse gas observations and in understanding the carbon cycle.
Pinchas Nürnberg, Markus Rettinger, and Ralf Sussmann
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 24, 3743–3757, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-3743-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-3743-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
For a better understanding of stratospheric photochemistry, we analyzed long-term data from spectroscopic measurements at Zugspitze and Garmisch, Germany. We provide information about the seasonal cycle of diurnal nitrogen oxide variation in the stratosphere. For the first time we create an experimental data set to validate stratospheric model simulation that can improve satellite validation to gain further insights into ozone depletion and smog prevention.
Jean-François Müller, Trissevgeni Stavrakou, Glenn-Michael Oomen, Beata Opacka, Isabelle De Smedt, Alex Guenther, Corinne Vigouroux, Bavo Langerock, Carlos Augusto Bauer Aquino, Michel Grutter, James Hannigan, Frank Hase, Rigel Kivi, Erik Lutsch, Emmanuel Mahieu, Maria Makarova, Jean-Marc Metzger, Isamu Morino, Isao Murata, Tomoo Nagahama, Justus Notholt, Ivan Ortega, Mathias Palm, Amelie Röhling, Wolfgang Stremme, Kimberly Strong, Ralf Sussmann, Yao Té, and Alan Fried
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 24, 2207–2237, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-2207-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-2207-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Formaldehyde observations from satellites can be used to constrain the emissions of volatile organic compounds, but those observations have biases. Using an atmospheric model, aircraft and ground-based remote sensing data, we quantify these biases, propose a correction to the data, and assess the consequence of this correction for the evaluation of emissions.
Paul Konopka, Christian Rolf, Marc von Hobe, Sergey M. Khaykin, Benjamin Clouser, Elisabeth Moyer, Fabrizio Ravegnani, Francesco D'Amato, Silvia Viciani, Nicole Spelten, Armin Afchine, Martina Krämer, Fred Stroh, and Felix Ploeger
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 23, 12935–12947, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-12935-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-12935-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
We studied water vapor in a critical region of the atmosphere, the Asian summer monsoon anticyclone, using rare in situ observations. Our study shows that extremely high water vapor values observed in the stratosphere within the Asian monsoon anticyclone still undergo significant freeze-drying and that water vapor concentrations set by the Lagrangian dry point are a better proxy for the stratospheric water vapor budget than rare observations of enhanced water mixing ratios.
Claudio Belotti, Flavio Barbara, Marco Barucci, Giovanni Bianchini, Francesco D'Amato, Samuele Del Bianco, Gianluca Di Natale, Marco Gai, Alessio Montori, Filippo Pratesi, Markus Rettinger, Christian Rolf, Ralf Sussmann, Thomas Trickl, Silvia Viciani, Hannes Vogelmann, and Luca Palchetti
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 16, 2511–2529, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-16-2511-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-16-2511-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
FIRMOS (Far-Infrared Radiation Mobile Observation System) is a spectroradiometer measuring in the far-infrared, developed to support the preparation of the FORUM (Far-infrared Outgoing Radiation Understanding and Monitoring) satellite mission. In this paper, we describe the instrument, its data products, and the results of the comparison with a suite of observations made from a high-altitude site during a field campaign, in winter 2018–2019.
Yifan Guan, Gretchen Keppel-Aleks, Scott C. Doney, Christof Petri, Dave Pollard, Debra Wunch, Frank Hase, Hirofumi Ohyama, Isamu Morino, Justus Notholt, Kei Shiomi, Kim Strong, Rigel Kivi, Matthias Buschmann, Nicholas Deutscher, Paul Wennberg, Ralf Sussmann, Voltaire A. Velazco, and Yao Té
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 23, 5355–5372, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-5355-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-5355-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
We characterize spatial–temporal patterns of interannual variability (IAV) in atmospheric CO2 based on NASA’s Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2 (OCO-2). CO2 variation is strongly impacted by climate events, with higher anomalies during El Nino years. We show high correlation in IAV between space-based and ground-based CO2 from long-term sites. Because OCO-2 has near-global coverage, our paper provides a roadmap to study IAV where in situ observation is sparse, such as open oceans and remote lands.
Gianluca Di Natale, David D. Turner, Giovanni Bianchini, Massimo Del Guasta, Luca Palchetti, Alessandro Bracci, Luca Baldini, Tiziano Maestri, William Cossich, Michele Martinazzo, and Luca Facheris
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 15, 7235–7258, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-15-7235-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-15-7235-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
In this paper, we describe a new approach to test the consistency of the precipitating ice cloud optical and microphysical properties in Antarctica, Dome C, retrieved from hyperspectral measurements in the far-infrared, with the reflectivity detected by a co-located micro rain radar operating at 24 GHz. The retrieved ice crystal sizes were found in accordance with the direct measurements of an optical imager, also installed at Dome C, which can collect the falling ice particles.
Marco Ridolfi, Cecilia Tirelli, Simone Ceccherini, Claudio Belotti, Ugo Cortesi, and Luca Palchetti
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 15, 6723–6737, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-15-6723-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-15-6723-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
Synergistic retrieval (SR) and complete data fusion (CDF) methods exploit the complementarity of coinciding remote-sensing measurements. We assess the performance of the SR and CDF methods on the basis of synthetic measurements of the FORUM and IASI-NG missions. In the case of perfectly matching measurements, SR and CDF results differ by less than 1 / 10 of the error due to measurement noise. In the case of a realistic mismatch, the two methods show differences in the order of their error bars.
Sophie Godin-Beekmann, Niramson Azouz, Viktoria F. Sofieva, Daan Hubert, Irina Petropavlovskikh, Peter Effertz, Gérard Ancellet, Doug A. Degenstein, Daniel Zawada, Lucien Froidevaux, Stacey Frith, Jeannette Wild, Sean Davis, Wolfgang Steinbrecht, Thierry Leblanc, Richard Querel, Kleareti Tourpali, Robert Damadeo, Eliane Maillard Barras, René Stübi, Corinne Vigouroux, Carlo Arosio, Gerald Nedoluha, Ian Boyd, Roeland Van Malderen, Emmanuel Mahieu, Dan Smale, and Ralf Sussmann
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 22, 11657–11673, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-11657-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-11657-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
An updated evaluation up to 2020 of stratospheric ozone profile long-term trends at extrapolar latitudes based on satellite and ground-based records is presented. Ozone increase in the upper stratosphere is confirmed, with significant trends at most latitudes. In this altitude region, a very good agreement is found with trends derived from chemistry–climate model simulations. Observed and modelled trends diverge in the lower stratosphere, but the differences are non-significant.
Stefan Noël, Maximilian Reuter, Michael Buchwitz, Jakob Borchardt, Michael Hilker, Oliver Schneising, Heinrich Bovensmann, John P. Burrows, Antonio Di Noia, Robert J. Parker, Hiroshi Suto, Yukio Yoshida, Matthias Buschmann, Nicholas M. Deutscher, Dietrich G. Feist, David W. T. Griffith, Frank Hase, Rigel Kivi, Cheng Liu, Isamu Morino, Justus Notholt, Young-Suk Oh, Hirofumi Ohyama, Christof Petri, David F. Pollard, Markus Rettinger, Coleen Roehl, Constantina Rousogenous, Mahesh Kumar Sha, Kei Shiomi, Kimberly Strong, Ralf Sussmann, Yao Té, Voltaire A. Velazco, Mihalis Vrekoussis, and Thorsten Warneke
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 15, 3401–3437, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-15-3401-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-15-3401-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
We present a new version (v3) of the GOSAT and GOSAT-2 FOCAL products.
In addition to an increased number of XCO2 data, v3 also includes products for XCH4 (full-physics and proxy), XH2O and the relative ratio of HDO to H2O (δD). For GOSAT-2, we also present first XCO and XN2O results. All FOCAL data products show reasonable spatial distribution and temporal variations and agree well with TCCON. Global XN2O maps show a gradient from the tropics to higher latitudes on the order of 15 ppb.
Piera Raspollini, Enrico Arnone, Flavio Barbara, Massimo Bianchini, Bruno Carli, Simone Ceccherini, Martyn P. Chipperfield, Angelika Dehn, Stefano Della Fera, Bianca Maria Dinelli, Anu Dudhia, Jean-Marie Flaud, Marco Gai, Michael Kiefer, Manuel López-Puertas, David P. Moore, Alessandro Piro, John J. Remedios, Marco Ridolfi, Harjinder Sembhi, Luca Sgheri, and Nicola Zoppetti
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 15, 1871–1901, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-15-1871-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-15-1871-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
The MIPAS instrument onboard the ENVISAT satellite provided 10 years of measurements of the atmospheric emission al limb that allow for the retrieval of latitude- and altitude-resolved atmospheric composition. We describe the improvements implemented in the retrieval algorithm used for the full mission reanalysis, which allows for the generation of the global distributions of 21 atmospheric constituents plus temperature with increased accuracy with respect to previously generated data.
Luca Sgheri, Claudio Belotti, Maya Ben-Yami, Giovanni Bianchini, Bernardo Carnicero Dominguez, Ugo Cortesi, William Cossich, Samuele Del Bianco, Gianluca Di Natale, Tomás Guardabrazo, Dulce Lajas, Tiziano Maestri, Davide Magurno, Hilke Oetjen, Piera Raspollini, and Cristina Sgattoni
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 15, 573–604, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-15-573-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-15-573-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
The FORUM instrument will look at the Earth's atmosphere from a satellite, covering a spectral range responsible for about 95 % of the radiation lost by our planet. FORUM helps to measure the imbalance between incoming and outgoing radiation that is responsible for the increasing average temperatures on Earth. The end-to-end simulator is a chain of codes that simulates the FORUM measurement process. The goal of the project is to study how the instrument reacts to different retrieval conditions.
Thomas E. Taylor, Christopher W. O'Dell, David Crisp, Akhiko Kuze, Hannakaisa Lindqvist, Paul O. Wennberg, Abhishek Chatterjee, Michael Gunson, Annmarie Eldering, Brendan Fisher, Matthäus Kiel, Robert R. Nelson, Aronne Merrelli, Greg Osterman, Frédéric Chevallier, Paul I. Palmer, Liang Feng, Nicholas M. Deutscher, Manvendra K. Dubey, Dietrich G. Feist, Omaira E. García, David W. T. Griffith, Frank Hase, Laura T. Iraci, Rigel Kivi, Cheng Liu, Martine De Mazière, Isamu Morino, Justus Notholt, Young-Suk Oh, Hirofumi Ohyama, David F. Pollard, Markus Rettinger, Matthias Schneider, Coleen M. Roehl, Mahesh Kumar Sha, Kei Shiomi, Kimberly Strong, Ralf Sussmann, Yao Té, Voltaire A. Velazco, Mihalis Vrekoussis, Thorsten Warneke, and Debra Wunch
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 14, 325–360, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-14-325-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-14-325-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
We provide an analysis of an 11-year record of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations derived using an optimal estimation retrieval algorithm on measurements made by the GOSAT satellite. The new product (version 9) shows improvement over the previous version (v7.3) as evaluated against independent estimates of CO2 from ground-based sensors and atmospheric inversion systems. We also compare the new GOSAT CO2 values to collocated estimates from NASA's Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2.
Bianca Maria Dinelli, Piera Raspollini, Marco Gai, Luca Sgheri, Marco Ridolfi, Simone Ceccherini, Flavio Barbara, Nicola Zoppetti, Elisa Castelli, Enzo Papandrea, Paolo Pettinari, Angelika Dehn, Anu Dudhia, Michael Kiefer, Alessandro Piro, Jean-Marie Flaud, Manuel López-Puertas, David Moore, John Remedios, and Massimo Bianchini
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 14, 7975–7998, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-14-7975-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-14-7975-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
The level-2 v8 database from the measurements of the Michelson Interferometer for Passive Atmospheric Sounding (MIPAS), aboard the European Space Agency Envisat satellite, containing atmospheric fields of pressure, temperature, and volume mixing ratio of 21 trace gases, is described in this paper. The database covers all the measurements acquired by MIPAS (from July 2002 to April 2012). The number of species included makes it of particular importance for the studies of stratospheric chemistry.
Paolo Pettinari, Flavio Barbara, Simone Ceccherini, Bianca Maria Dinelli, Marco Gai, Piera Raspollini, Luca Sgheri, Massimo Valeri, Gerald Wetzel, Nicola Zoppetti, and Marco Ridolfi
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 14, 7959–7974, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-14-7959-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-14-7959-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
Phosgene (COCl2) is a toxic gas whose presence is a consequence of human activity. Besides its direct injection in the troposphere, stratospheric COCl2 is produced from the decomposition of CCl4, an anthropogenic gas regulated by the Montreal Protocol. As a consequence, COCl2 negative trends characterize the lower and part of the middle stratosphere. However, we find positive trends in the upper troposphere, demonstrating the non-negligible role of other Cl-containing species not yet regulated.
Christoph Mahnke, Ralf Weigel, Francesco Cairo, Jean-Paul Vernier, Armin Afchine, Martina Krämer, Valentin Mitev, Renaud Matthey, Silvia Viciani, Francesco D'Amato, Felix Ploeger, Terry Deshler, and Stephan Borrmann
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 21, 15259–15282, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-15259-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-15259-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
In 2017, in situ aerosol measurements were conducted aboard the M55 Geophysica in the Asian monsoon region. The vertical particle mixing ratio profiles show a distinct layer (15–18.5 km), the Asian tropopause aerosol layer (ATAL). The backscatter ratio (BR) was calculated based on the aerosol size distributions and compared with the BRs detected by a backscatter probe and a lidar aboard M55, and by the CALIOP lidar. All four methods show enhanced BRs in the ATAL altitude range (max. at 17.5 km).
Mahesh Kumar Sha, Bavo Langerock, Jean-François L. Blavier, Thomas Blumenstock, Tobias Borsdorff, Matthias Buschmann, Angelika Dehn, Martine De Mazière, Nicholas M. Deutscher, Dietrich G. Feist, Omaira E. García, David W. T. Griffith, Michel Grutter, James W. Hannigan, Frank Hase, Pauli Heikkinen, Christian Hermans, Laura T. Iraci, Pascal Jeseck, Nicholas Jones, Rigel Kivi, Nicolas Kumps, Jochen Landgraf, Alba Lorente, Emmanuel Mahieu, Maria V. Makarova, Johan Mellqvist, Jean-Marc Metzger, Isamu Morino, Tomoo Nagahama, Justus Notholt, Hirofumi Ohyama, Ivan Ortega, Mathias Palm, Christof Petri, David F. Pollard, Markus Rettinger, John Robinson, Sébastien Roche, Coleen M. Roehl, Amelie N. Röhling, Constantina Rousogenous, Matthias Schneider, Kei Shiomi, Dan Smale, Wolfgang Stremme, Kimberly Strong, Ralf Sussmann, Yao Té, Osamu Uchino, Voltaire A. Velazco, Corinne Vigouroux, Mihalis Vrekoussis, Pucai Wang, Thorsten Warneke, Tyler Wizenberg, Debra Wunch, Shoma Yamanouchi, Yang Yang, and Minqiang Zhou
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 14, 6249–6304, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-14-6249-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-14-6249-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
This paper presents, for the first time, Sentinel-5 Precursor methane and carbon monoxide validation results covering a period from November 2017 to September 2020. For this study, we used global TCCON and NDACC-IRWG network data covering a wide range of atmospheric and surface conditions across different terrains. We also show the influence of a priori alignment, smoothing uncertainties and the sensitivity of the validation results towards the application of advanced co-location criteria.
William Cossich, Tiziano Maestri, Davide Magurno, Michele Martinazzo, Gianluca Di Natale, Luca Palchetti, Giovanni Bianchini, and Massimo Del Guasta
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 21, 13811–13833, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-13811-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-13811-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
The presence of clouds over Concordia, in the Antarctic Plateau, is investigated. Results are obtained by applying a machine learning algorithm to measurements of the infrared radiation emitted by the atmosphere toward the surface. The clear-sky, ice cloud, and mixed-phase cloud occurrence at different timescales is studied. A comparison with satellite measurements highlights the ability of the algorithm to identify multiple cloud conditions and study their variability at different timescales.
Ralf Weigel, Christoph Mahnke, Manuel Baumgartner, Martina Krämer, Peter Spichtinger, Nicole Spelten, Armin Afchine, Christian Rolf, Silvia Viciani, Francesco D'Amato, Holger Tost, and Stephan Borrmann
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 21, 13455–13481, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-13455-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-13455-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
In July and August 2017, the StratoClim mission took place in Nepal with eight flights of the M-55 Geophysica at up to 20 km in the Asian monsoon anticyclone. New particle formation (NPF) next to cloud ice was detected in situ by abundant nucleation-mode aerosols (> 6 nm) along with ice particles (> 3 µm). NPF was observed mainly below the tropopause, down to 15 % being non-volatile residues. Observed intra-cloud NPF indicates its importance for the composition in the tropical tropopause layer.
Luca Palchetti, Marco Barucci, Claudio Belotti, Giovanni Bianchini, Bertrand Cluzet, Francesco D'Amato, Samuele Del Bianco, Gianluca Di Natale, Marco Gai, Dina Khordakova, Alessio Montori, Hilke Oetjen, Markus Rettinger, Christian Rolf, Dirk Schuettemeyer, Ralf Sussmann, Silvia Viciani, Hannes Vogelmann, and Frank Gunther Wienhold
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 13, 4303–4312, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-13-4303-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-13-4303-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
The FIRMOS far-infrared (IR) prototype, developed for the preparation of the ESA FORUM mission, was deployed for the first time at Mt. Zugspitze at 3000 m altitude to measure the far-IR spectrum of atmospheric emissions. The measurements, including co-located radiometers, lidars, radio soundings, weather, and surface properties, provide a unique dataset to study radiative properties of water vapour, cirrus clouds, and snow emissivity over the IR emissions, including the under-explored far-IR.
Ralf Weigel, Christoph Mahnke, Manuel Baumgartner, Antonis Dragoneas, Bärbel Vogel, Felix Ploeger, Silvia Viciani, Francesco D'Amato, Silvia Bucci, Bernard Legras, Beiping Luo, and Stephan Borrmann
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 21, 11689–11722, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-11689-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-11689-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
In July and August 2017, eight StratoClim mission flights of the Geophysica reached up to 20 km in the Asian monsoon anticyclone. New particle formation (NPF) was identified in situ by abundant nucleation-mode aerosols (6–15 nm in diameter) with mixing ratios of up to 50 000 mg−1. NPF occurred most frequently at 12–16 km with fractions of non-volatile residues of down to 15 %. Abundance and productivity of observed NPF indicate its ability to promote the Asian tropopause aerosol layer.
Ilya Stanevich, Dylan B. A. Jones, Kimberly Strong, Martin Keller, Daven K. Henze, Robert J. Parker, Hartmut Boesch, Debra Wunch, Justus Notholt, Christof Petri, Thorsten Warneke, Ralf Sussmann, Matthias Schneider, Frank Hase, Rigel Kivi, Nicholas M. Deutscher, Voltaire A. Velazco, Kaley A. Walker, and Feng Deng
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 21, 9545–9572, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-9545-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-9545-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
We explore the utility of a weak-constraint (WC) four-dimensional variational (4D-Var) data assimilation scheme for mitigating systematic errors in methane simulation in the GEOS-Chem model. We use data from the Greenhouse Gases Observing Satellite (GOSAT) and show that, compared to the traditional 4D-Var approach, the WC scheme improves the agreement between the model and independent observations. We find that the WC corrections to the model provide insight into the source of the errors.
Stefan Noël, Maximilian Reuter, Michael Buchwitz, Jakob Borchardt, Michael Hilker, Heinrich Bovensmann, John P. Burrows, Antonio Di Noia, Hiroshi Suto, Yukio Yoshida, Matthias Buschmann, Nicholas M. Deutscher, Dietrich G. Feist, David W. T. Griffith, Frank Hase, Rigel Kivi, Isamu Morino, Justus Notholt, Hirofumi Ohyama, Christof Petri, James R. Podolske, David F. Pollard, Mahesh Kumar Sha, Kei Shiomi, Ralf Sussmann, Yao Té, Voltaire A. Velazco, and Thorsten Warneke
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 14, 3837–3869, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-14-3837-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-14-3837-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
We present the first GOSAT and GOSAT-2 XCO2 data derived with the FOCAL retrieval algorithm. Comparisons of the GOSAT-FOCAL product with other data reveal long-term agreement within about 1 ppm over 1 decade, differences in seasonal variations of about 0.5 ppm, and a mean regional bias to ground-based TCCON data of 0.56 ppm with a mean scatter of 1.89 ppm. GOSAT-2-FOCAL data are preliminary only, but first comparisons show that they compare well with the GOSAT-FOCAL results and TCCON.
Nicola Zoppetti, Simone Ceccherini, Bruno Carli, Samuele Del Bianco, Marco Gai, Cecilia Tirelli, Flavio Barbara, Rossana Dragani, Antti Arola, Jukka Kujanpää, Jacob C. A. van Peet, Ronald van der A, and Ugo Cortesi
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 14, 2041–2053, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-14-2041-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-14-2041-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
The new platforms for Earth observation from space will provide an enormous amount of data that can be hard to exploit as a whole. The Complete Data Fusion algorithm can reduce the data volume while retaining the information of the full dataset. In this work, we applied the Complete Data Fusion algorithm to simulated ozone profiles, and the results show that the fused products are characterized by higher information content compared to individual L2 products.
Thomas Blumenstock, Frank Hase, Axel Keens, Denis Czurlok, Orfeo Colebatch, Omaira Garcia, David W. T. Griffith, Michel Grutter, James W. Hannigan, Pauli Heikkinen, Pascal Jeseck, Nicholas Jones, Rigel Kivi, Erik Lutsch, Maria Makarova, Hamud K. Imhasin, Johan Mellqvist, Isamu Morino, Tomoo Nagahama, Justus Notholt, Ivan Ortega, Mathias Palm, Uwe Raffalski, Markus Rettinger, John Robinson, Matthias Schneider, Christian Servais, Dan Smale, Wolfgang Stremme, Kimberly Strong, Ralf Sussmann, Yao Té, and Voltaire A. Velazco
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 14, 1239–1252, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-14-1239-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-14-1239-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
This study investigates the level of channeling (optical resonances) of each FTIR spectrometer within the Network for the Detection of Atmospheric Composition Change (NDACC). Since the air gap of the beam splitter is a significant source of channeling, we propose new beam splitters with an increased wedge of the air gap. This study shows the potential for reducing channeling in the FTIR spectrometers operated by the NDACC, thereby increasing the quality of recorded spectra across the network.
Robert J. Parker, Alex Webb, Hartmut Boesch, Peter Somkuti, Rocio Barrio Guillo, Antonio Di Noia, Nikoleta Kalaitzi, Jasdeep S. Anand, Peter Bergamaschi, Frederic Chevallier, Paul I. Palmer, Liang Feng, Nicholas M. Deutscher, Dietrich G. Feist, David W. T. Griffith, Frank Hase, Rigel Kivi, Isamu Morino, Justus Notholt, Young-Suk Oh, Hirofumi Ohyama, Christof Petri, David F. Pollard, Coleen Roehl, Mahesh K. Sha, Kei Shiomi, Kimberly Strong, Ralf Sussmann, Yao Té, Voltaire A. Velazco, Thorsten Warneke, Paul O. Wennberg, and Debra Wunch
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 12, 3383–3412, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-12-3383-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-12-3383-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
This work presents the latest release of the University of Leicester GOSAT methane data and acts as the definitive description of this dataset. We detail the processing, validation and evaluation involved in producing these data and highlight its many applications. With now over a decade of global atmospheric methane observations, this dataset has helped, and will continue to help, us better understand the global methane budget and investigate how it may respond to a future changing climate.
Erik Lutsch, Kimberly Strong, Dylan B. A. Jones, Thomas Blumenstock, Stephanie Conway, Jenny A. Fisher, James W. Hannigan, Frank Hase, Yasuko Kasai, Emmanuel Mahieu, Maria Makarova, Isamu Morino, Tomoo Nagahama, Justus Notholt, Ivan Ortega, Mathias Palm, Anatoly V. Poberovskii, Ralf Sussmann, and Thorsten Warneke
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 20, 12813–12851, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-12813-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-12813-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
This paper describes the use of a network of 10 Arctic and midlatitude ground-based FTIR measurement sites to detect enhancements of the wildfire tracers carbon monoxide, hydrogen cyanide, and ethane from 2003 to 2018. A tagged CO GEOS-Chem simulation is used for source attribution and to evaluate the relative contribution of CO sources to the FTIR measurements. The use of FTIR measurements allowed for the emission ratios of hydrogen cyanide and ethane to be quantified.
Silvia Bucci, Bernard Legras, Pasquale Sellitto, Francesco D'Amato, Silvia Viciani, Alessio Montori, Antonio Chiarugi, Fabrizio Ravegnani, Alexey Ulanovsky, Francesco Cairo, and Fred Stroh
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 20, 12193–12210, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-12193-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-12193-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
The paper presents and evaluates a transport analysis method to study the convective injection of air in the upper troposphere–lower stratosphere of the Asian monsoon anticyclone region. The approach is thereby used to analyse the trace gas data collected during the StratoClim aircraft campaign. The results showed that fresh convective air can be injected fast at a high level of the atmosphere (above 17 km), with potential impacts on the stratospheric chemistry of the Northern Hemisphere.
Ilya Stanevich, Dylan B. A. Jones, Kimberly Strong, Robert J. Parker, Hartmut Boesch, Debra Wunch, Justus Notholt, Christof Petri, Thorsten Warneke, Ralf Sussmann, Matthias Schneider, Frank Hase, Rigel Kivi, Nicholas M. Deutscher, Voltaire A. Velazco, Kaley A. Walker, and Feng Deng
Geosci. Model Dev., 13, 3839–3862, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-13-3839-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-13-3839-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
Systematic errors in atmospheric models pose a challenge for inverse modeling studies of methane (CH4) emissions. We evaluated the CH4 simulation in the GEOS-Chem model at the horizontal resolutions of 4° × 5° and 2° × 2.5°. Our analysis identified resolution-dependent biases in the model, which we attributed to discrepancies between the two model resolutions in vertical transport in the troposphere and in stratosphere–troposphere exchange.
Corinne Vigouroux, Bavo Langerock, Carlos Augusto Bauer Aquino, Thomas Blumenstock, Zhibin Cheng, Martine De Mazière, Isabelle De Smedt, Michel Grutter, James W. Hannigan, Nicholas Jones, Rigel Kivi, Diego Loyola, Erik Lutsch, Emmanuel Mahieu, Maria Makarova, Jean-Marc Metzger, Isamu Morino, Isao Murata, Tomoo Nagahama, Justus Notholt, Ivan Ortega, Mathias Palm, Gaia Pinardi, Amelie Röhling, Dan Smale, Wolfgang Stremme, Kim Strong, Ralf Sussmann, Yao Té, Michel van Roozendael, Pucai Wang, and Holger Winkler
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 13, 3751–3767, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-13-3751-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-13-3751-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
We validate the TROPOMI HCHO product with ground-based FTIR (Fourier-transform infrared) measurements from 25 stations. We find that TROPOMI overestimates HCHO under clean conditions, while it underestimates it at high HCHO levels. Both TROPOMI precision and accuracy reach the pre-launch requirements, and its precision can even be 2 times better. The observed TROPOMI seasonal variability is in agreement with the FTIR data. The TROPOMI random uncertainty and data filtering should be refined.
Maximilian Reuter, Michael Buchwitz, Oliver Schneising, Stefan Noël, Heinrich Bovensmann, John P. Burrows, Hartmut Boesch, Antonio Di Noia, Jasdeep Anand, Robert J. Parker, Peter Somkuti, Lianghai Wu, Otto P. Hasekamp, Ilse Aben, Akihiko Kuze, Hiroshi Suto, Kei Shiomi, Yukio Yoshida, Isamu Morino, David Crisp, Christopher W. O'Dell, Justus Notholt, Christof Petri, Thorsten Warneke, Voltaire A. Velazco, Nicholas M. Deutscher, David W. T. Griffith, Rigel Kivi, David F. Pollard, Frank Hase, Ralf Sussmann, Yao V. Té, Kimberly Strong, Sébastien Roche, Mahesh K. Sha, Martine De Mazière, Dietrich G. Feist, Laura T. Iraci, Coleen M. Roehl, Christian Retscher, and Dinand Schepers
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 13, 789–819, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-13-789-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-13-789-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
We present new satellite-derived data sets of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4). The data products are column-averaged dry-air mole fractions of CO2 and CH4, denoted XCO2 and XCH4. The products cover the years 2003–2018 and are merged Level 2 (satellite footprints) and merged Level 3 (gridded at monthly time and 5° x 5° spatial resolution) products obtained from combining several individual sensor products. We present the merging algorithms and product validation results.
Jonas Simon Wilzewski, Anke Roiger, Johan Strandgren, Jochen Landgraf, Dietrich G. Feist, Voltaire A. Velazco, Nicholas M. Deutscher, Isamu Morino, Hirofumi Ohyama, Yao Té, Rigel Kivi, Thorsten Warneke, Justus Notholt, Manvendra Dubey, Ralf Sussmann, Markus Rettinger, Frank Hase, Kei Shiomi, and André Butz
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 13, 731–745, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-13-731-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-13-731-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
Through spectral degradation of GOSAT measurements in the 1.6 and 2.0 μm spectral bands, we mimic a single-band, passive satellite sensor for monitoring of CO2 emissions at fine spatial scales. We compare retrievals of XCO2 from these bands to TCCON and native GOSAT retrievals. At spectral resolutions near 1.3 nm, XCO2 retrievals from both bands show promising performance, but the 2.0 μm band is favorable due to better noise performance and the potential to retrieve some aerosol information.
Oliver Schneising, Michael Buchwitz, Maximilian Reuter, Heinrich Bovensmann, John P. Burrows, Tobias Borsdorff, Nicholas M. Deutscher, Dietrich G. Feist, David W. T. Griffith, Frank Hase, Christian Hermans, Laura T. Iraci, Rigel Kivi, Jochen Landgraf, Isamu Morino, Justus Notholt, Christof Petri, David F. Pollard, Sébastien Roche, Kei Shiomi, Kimberly Strong, Ralf Sussmann, Voltaire A. Velazco, Thorsten Warneke, and Debra Wunch
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 12, 6771–6802, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-12-6771-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-12-6771-2019, 2019
Short summary
Short summary
We introduce an algorithm that is used to simultaneously derive the abundances of the important atmospheric constituents carbon monoxide and methane from the TROPOMI instrument onboard the Sentinel-5 Precursor satellite, which enables the determination of both gases with an unprecedented level of detail on a global scale. The quality of the resulting data sets is assessed and the first results are presented.
Susan S. Kulawik, Sean Crowell, David Baker, Junjie Liu, Kathryn McKain, Colm Sweeney, Sebastien C. Biraud, Steve Wofsy, Christopher W. O'Dell, Paul O. Wennberg, Debra Wunch, Coleen M. Roehl, Nicholas M. Deutscher, Matthäus Kiel, David W. T. Griffith, Voltaire A. Velazco, Justus Notholt, Thorsten Warneke, Christof Petri, Martine De Mazière, Mahesh K. Sha, Ralf Sussmann, Markus Rettinger, Dave F. Pollard, Isamu Morino, Osamu Uchino, Frank Hase, Dietrich G. Feist, Sébastien Roche, Kimberly Strong, Rigel Kivi, Laura Iraci, Kei Shiomi, Manvendra K. Dubey, Eliezer Sepulveda, Omaira Elena Garcia Rodriguez, Yao Té, Pascal Jeseck, Pauli Heikkinen, Edward J. Dlugokencky, Michael R. Gunson, Annmarie Eldering, David Crisp, Brendan Fisher, and Gregory B. Osterman
Atmos. Meas. Tech. Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-2019-257, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-2019-257, 2019
Publication in AMT not foreseen
Short summary
Short summary
This paper provides a benchmark of OCO-2 v8 and ACOS-GOSAT v7.3 XCO2 and lowermost tropospheric (LMT) errors. The paper focuses on the systematic errors and subtracts out validation, co-location, and random errors, looks at the correlation scale-length (spatially and temporally) of systematic errors, finding that the scale lengths are similar to bias correction scale-lengths. The assimilates of the bias correction term is used to place an error on fluxes estimates.
Jacob K. Hedelius, Tai-Long He, Dylan B. A. Jones, Bianca C. Baier, Rebecca R. Buchholz, Martine De Mazière, Nicholas M. Deutscher, Manvendra K. Dubey, Dietrich G. Feist, David W. T. Griffith, Frank Hase, Laura T. Iraci, Pascal Jeseck, Matthäus Kiel, Rigel Kivi, Cheng Liu, Isamu Morino, Justus Notholt, Young-Suk Oh, Hirofumi Ohyama, David F. Pollard, Markus Rettinger, Sébastien Roche, Coleen M. Roehl, Matthias Schneider, Kei Shiomi, Kimberly Strong, Ralf Sussmann, Colm Sweeney, Yao Té, Osamu Uchino, Voltaire A. Velazco, Wei Wang, Thorsten Warneke, Paul O. Wennberg, Helen M. Worden, and Debra Wunch
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 12, 5547–5572, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-12-5547-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-12-5547-2019, 2019
Short summary
Short summary
We seek ways to improve the accuracy of column measurements of carbon monoxide (CO) – an important tracer of pollution – made from the MOPITT satellite instrument. We devise a filtering scheme which reduces the scatter and also eliminates bias among the MOPITT detectors. Compared to ground-based observations, MOPITT measurements are about 6 %–8 % higher. When MOPITT data are implemented in a global assimilation model, they tend to reduce the model mismatch with aircraft measurements.
Tobias Borsdorff, Joost aan de Brugh, Andreas Schneider, Alba Lorente, Manfred Birk, Georg Wagner, Rigel Kivi, Frank Hase, Dietrich G. Feist, Ralf Sussmann, Markus Rettinger, Debra Wunch, Thorsten Warneke, and Jochen Landgraf
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 12, 5443–5455, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-12-5443-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-12-5443-2019, 2019
Short summary
Short summary
The study presents possible improvements of the TROPOMI CO dataset, which is a primary product of ESA's Sentinel-5P mission. We discuss the use of different molecular spectroscopic databases in the CO retrieval, the induced biases between TROPOMI CO and TCCON validation measurements, and the latitudinally dependent bias between TROPOMI CO and the CAMS-IFS model. Additionally, two methods for the stripe correction of single TROPOMI CO orbits are presented.
Christophe Bellisario, Helen E. Brindley, Simon F. B. Tett, Rolando Rizzi, Gianluca Di Natale, Luca Palchetti, and Giovanni Bianchini
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 19, 7927–7937, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-19-7927-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-19-7927-2019, 2019
Short summary
Short summary
We explore the possibility of inferring far-infrared downwelling radiances from mid-infrared observations to better constrain radiation schemes in climate models. Our results imply that while it is feasible to use this type of approach, the quality of the extension will be strongly dependent on the noise characteristics of the observations and on the accurate characterisation of the atmospheric state.
Simone Ceccherini, Nicola Zoppetti, Bruno Carli, Ugo Cortesi, Samuele Del Bianco, and Cecilia Tirelli
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 12, 2967–2977, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-12-2967-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-12-2967-2019, 2019
Short summary
Short summary
We have analytically calculated the expected value and the variance of the cost function that is minimized in the complete data fusion and propose a procedure that uses these quantities to constrain the values of the inconsistency covariance matrices. These matrices have to be added to the error covariance matrices of the measurements in order to fuse measurements that are inconsistent because of different vertical grids, not perfect time and space coincidence and different forward model errors.
Debra Wunch, Dylan B. A. Jones, Geoffrey C. Toon, Nicholas M. Deutscher, Frank Hase, Justus Notholt, Ralf Sussmann, Thorsten Warneke, Jeroen Kuenen, Hugo Denier van der Gon, Jenny A. Fisher, and Joannes D. Maasakkers
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 19, 3963–3980, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-19-3963-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-19-3963-2019, 2019
Short summary
Short summary
We used five atmospheric observatories in Europe measuring total column dry-air mole fractions of methane and carbon monoxide to infer methane emissions in the area between the observatories. We find that the methane emissions are overestimated by the state-of-the-art inventories, and that this is likely due, at least in part, to the inventory disaggregation. We find that there is significant uncertainty in the carbon monoxide inventories that requires further investigation.
Giovanni Bianchini, Francesco Castagnoli, Gianluca Di Natale, and Luca Palchetti
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 12, 619–635, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-12-619-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-12-619-2019, 2019
Short summary
Short summary
The characterization of infrared radiation emitted by the atmosphere is a crucial task in the study of the Earth's climate. The Radiation Explorer in the Far Infrared (REFIR) spectroradiometer allows us to perform this task adding the capability of resolving, through spectroscopy, the atmospheric components responsible for the measured radiative effects. The analysis of the measurements also allows us to retrieve the atmospheric structure, making REFIR a complete tool for atmospheric studies.
Christopher W. O'Dell, Annmarie Eldering, Paul O. Wennberg, David Crisp, Michael R. Gunson, Brendan Fisher, Christian Frankenberg, Matthäus Kiel, Hannakaisa Lindqvist, Lukas Mandrake, Aronne Merrelli, Vijay Natraj, Robert R. Nelson, Gregory B. Osterman, Vivienne H. Payne, Thomas E. Taylor, Debra Wunch, Brian J. Drouin, Fabiano Oyafuso, Albert Chang, James McDuffie, Michael Smyth, David F. Baker, Sourish Basu, Frédéric Chevallier, Sean M. R. Crowell, Liang Feng, Paul I. Palmer, Mavendra Dubey, Omaira E. García, David W. T. Griffith, Frank Hase, Laura T. Iraci, Rigel Kivi, Isamu Morino, Justus Notholt, Hirofumi Ohyama, Christof Petri, Coleen M. Roehl, Mahesh K. Sha, Kimberly Strong, Ralf Sussmann, Yao Te, Osamu Uchino, and Voltaire A. Velazco
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 11, 6539–6576, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-11-6539-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-11-6539-2018, 2018
Tobias Borsdorff, Joost aan de Brugh, Haili Hu, Otto Hasekamp, Ralf Sussmann, Markus Rettinger, Frank Hase, Jochen Gross, Matthias Schneider, Omaira Garcia, Wolfgang Stremme, Michel Grutter, Dietrich G. Feist, Sabrina G. Arnold, Martine De Mazière, Mahesh Kumar Sha, David F. Pollard, Matthäus Kiel, Coleen Roehl, Paul O. Wennberg, Geoffrey C. Toon, and Jochen Landgraf
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 11, 5507–5518, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-11-5507-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-11-5507-2018, 2018
Short summary
Short summary
On 13 October 2017, the S5-P satellite was launched with TROPOMI as its only payload. One of the primary products is atmospheric CO observed with daily global coverage and spatial resolution of 7 × 7 km2. The new dataset allows the sensing of CO enhancements above cities and industrial areas and can track pollution transport from biomass burning regions. Through validation with ground-based TCCON measurements we show that the CO data product is already well within the mission requirement.
Anne Boynard, Daniel Hurtmans, Katerina Garane, Florence Goutail, Juliette Hadji-Lazaro, Maria Elissavet Koukouli, Catherine Wespes, Corinne Vigouroux, Arno Keppens, Jean-Pierre Pommereau, Andrea Pazmino, Dimitris Balis, Diego Loyola, Pieter Valks, Ralf Sussmann, Dan Smale, Pierre-François Coheur, and Cathy Clerbaux
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 11, 5125–5152, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-11-5125-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-11-5125-2018, 2018
Short summary
Short summary
In this paper, we perform a comprehensive validation of the IASI/Metop ozone data using independent observations (satellite, ground-based and ozonesonde). The quality of the IASI total and tropospheric ozone columns in terms of bias and long-term stability is generally good. Compared with ozonesonde data, IASI overestimates (underestimates) the ozone abundance in the stratosphere (troposphere). A negative drift in tropospheric ozone is observed, which is not well understood at this point.
Corinne Vigouroux, Carlos Augusto Bauer Aquino, Maite Bauwens, Cornelis Becker, Thomas Blumenstock, Martine De Mazière, Omaira García, Michel Grutter, César Guarin, James Hannigan, Frank Hase, Nicholas Jones, Rigel Kivi, Dmitry Koshelev, Bavo Langerock, Erik Lutsch, Maria Makarova, Jean-Marc Metzger, Jean-François Müller, Justus Notholt, Ivan Ortega, Mathias Palm, Clare Paton-Walsh, Anatoly Poberovskii, Markus Rettinger, John Robinson, Dan Smale, Trissevgeni Stavrakou, Wolfgang Stremme, Kim Strong, Ralf Sussmann, Yao Té, and Geoffrey Toon
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 11, 5049–5073, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-11-5049-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-11-5049-2018, 2018
Short summary
Short summary
A few ground-based stations have provided time series of HCHO columns until now, which was not optimal for providing good diagnostics for satellite or model validation. In this work, HCHO time series have been determined in a harmonized way at 21 stations ensuring, in addition to a better spatial and level of abundances coverage, that internal biases within the network have been minimized. This data set shows consistent good agreement with model data and is ready for future satellite validation.
Lianghai Wu, Otto Hasekamp, Haili Hu, Jochen Landgraf, Andre Butz, Joost aan de Brugh, Ilse Aben, Dave F. Pollard, David W. T. Griffith, Dietrich G. Feist, Dmitry Koshelev, Frank Hase, Geoffrey C. Toon, Hirofumi Ohyama, Isamu Morino, Justus Notholt, Kei Shiomi, Laura Iraci, Matthias Schneider, Martine de Mazière, Ralf Sussmann, Rigel Kivi, Thorsten Warneke, Tae-Young Goo, and Yao Té
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 11, 3111–3130, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-11-3111-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-11-3111-2018, 2018
Simone Ceccherini, Bruno Carli, Cecilia Tirelli, Nicola Zoppetti, Samuele Del Bianco, Ugo Cortesi, Jukka Kujanpää, and Rossana Dragani
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 11, 1009–1017, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-11-1009-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-11-1009-2018, 2018
Short summary
Short summary
Data fusion is an important tool to reduce data volume and to improve data quality.
This paper introduces a generalization of the complete data fusion method, which takes into account interpolation and coincidence errors.
This upgraded algorithm extends the applicability of the technique to a wider range of cases. In fact, it also makes it possible to fuse vertical profiles of atmospheric parameters when they are represented on different altitude grids and refer to different true profiles.
Antonio Chiarugi, Silvia Viciani, Francesco D'Amato, and Mike Burton
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 11, 329–339, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-11-329-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-11-329-2018, 2018
Short summary
Short summary
Assessing emissions of volcanos has a three-fold importance: providing input for climate evolution models (CO2 is one of the major constituents of emissions), quantifying pollutant emissions (HCl, HF and SO2 are released in hundreds of tons/day) and monitoring the status of the magmatic chambers. For these purposes we realized gas analysers based on spectroscopic techniques, which must be sensitive, light and resistant to the emitted gases. This paper reports on the measurement of CO2 and HF.
Zhiting Wang, Thorsten Warneke, Nicholas M. Deutscher, Justus Notholt, Ute Karstens, Marielle Saunois, Matthias Schneider, Ralf Sussmann, Harjinder Sembhi, David W. T. Griffith, Dave F. Pollard, Rigel Kivi, Christof Petri, Voltaire A. Velazco, Michel Ramonet, and Huilin Chen
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 17, 13283–13295, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-13283-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-13283-2017, 2017
Short summary
Short summary
In this paper we separate the biases of atmospheric methane models into stratospheric and tropospheric parts. It is observed in other studies that simulated total columns of atmospheric methane present a latitudinal bias compared to measurements. The latitudinal gradients are considered to be from the stratosphere. However, our results show that the latitudinal biases could come from the troposphere in two of three models evaluated in this study.
Kevin S. Olsen, Kimberly Strong, Kaley A. Walker, Chris D. Boone, Piera Raspollini, Johannes Plieninger, Whitney Bader, Stephanie Conway, Michel Grutter, James W. Hannigan, Frank Hase, Nicholas Jones, Martine de Mazière, Justus Notholt, Matthias Schneider, Dan Smale, Ralf Sussmann, and Naoko Saitoh
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 10, 3697–3718, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-10-3697-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-10-3697-2017, 2017
Short summary
Short summary
The primary instrument on the Greenhouse gases Observing SATellite (GOSAT) is the Thermal And Near infrared Sensor for carbon Observations (TANSO) Fourier transform spectrometer (FTS). TANSO-FTS has a thermal infrared channel to retrieve vertical profiles of CO2 and CH4 volume mixing ratios in the troposphere. We compare the retrieved vertical profiles of CH4 from TANSO-FTS with those from two other spaceborne FTSs and with ground-based FTS observatories to assess their quality.
Massimo Valeri, Flavio Barbara, Chris Boone, Simone Ceccherini, Marco Gai, Guido Maucher, Piera Raspollini, Marco Ridolfi, Luca Sgheri, Gerald Wetzel, and Nicola Zoppetti
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 17, 10143–10162, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-10143-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-10143-2017, 2017
Short summary
Short summary
Atmospheric emissions of CCl4 are regulated by the Montreal Protocol due to its role as a strong ozone-depleting substance. The molecule is the subject of recent increased interest as a consequence of the discrepancy between atmospheric observations and reported production and consumption. We use MIPAS/ENVISAT data (2002–2012) to estimate CCl4 trends and lifetime. At 50 hPa we find a decline of about 30–35 % per decade. In the lower stratosphere our lifetime estimate is 47 (39–61) years.
Petra Hausmann, Ralf Sussmann, Thomas Trickl, and Matthias Schneider
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 17, 7635–7651, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-7635-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-7635-2017, 2017
Short summary
Short summary
We present FTIR soundings (2005–15) of water vapor (H2O) and its isotope ratio (δD) at Zugspitze. Significant {H2O, δD} signatures are found for intercontinental transport events and stratospheric air intrusions to central Europe using backward trajectories and validation by lidar and in situ data. Our results show that {H2O, δD} observations at Zugspitze can serve as indicators for moisture pathways and long-range-transport events, potentially impacting central European climate and air quality.
Debra Wunch, Paul O. Wennberg, Gregory Osterman, Brendan Fisher, Bret Naylor, Coleen M. Roehl, Christopher O'Dell, Lukas Mandrake, Camille Viatte, Matthäus Kiel, David W. T. Griffith, Nicholas M. Deutscher, Voltaire A. Velazco, Justus Notholt, Thorsten Warneke, Christof Petri, Martine De Maziere, Mahesh K. Sha, Ralf Sussmann, Markus Rettinger, David Pollard, John Robinson, Isamu Morino, Osamu Uchino, Frank Hase, Thomas Blumenstock, Dietrich G. Feist, Sabrina G. Arnold, Kimberly Strong, Joseph Mendonca, Rigel Kivi, Pauli Heikkinen, Laura Iraci, James Podolske, Patrick W. Hillyard, Shuji Kawakami, Manvendra K. Dubey, Harrison A. Parker, Eliezer Sepulveda, Omaira E. García, Yao Te, Pascal Jeseck, Michael R. Gunson, David Crisp, and Annmarie Eldering
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 10, 2209–2238, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-10-2209-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-10-2209-2017, 2017
Short summary
Short summary
This paper describes the comparisons between NASA's Orbiting Carbon Observatory (OCO-2) column-averaged dry-air mole fractions of CO2 with its primary ground-based validation network, the Total Carbon Column Observing Network (TCCON). The paper shows that while the standard bias correction reduces much of the spurious variability in the satellite measurements, residual biases remain.
Rebecca R. Buchholz, Merritt N. Deeter, Helen M. Worden, John Gille, David P. Edwards, James W. Hannigan, Nicholas B. Jones, Clare Paton-Walsh, David W. T. Griffith, Dan Smale, John Robinson, Kimberly Strong, Stephanie Conway, Ralf Sussmann, Frank Hase, Thomas Blumenstock, Emmanuel Mahieu, and Bavo Langerock
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 10, 1927–1956, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-10-1927-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-10-1927-2017, 2017
Short summary
Short summary
The study presents the first systematic use of ground-based remote-sensing data from the Network for the Detection of Atmospheric Composition Change (NDACC) to validate satellite-based Measurements of Pollution in the Troposphere (MOPITT) total column carbon monoxide (CO). MOPITT generally shows low bias with respect to the ground-based instruments. The geographic and temporal dependence of validation results are determined. Our findings inform some recommendations for using MOPITT measurements.
Liang Feng, Paul I. Palmer, Hartmut Bösch, Robert J. Parker, Alex J. Webb, Caio S. C. Correia, Nicholas M. Deutscher, Lucas G. Domingues, Dietrich G. Feist, Luciana V. Gatti, Emanuel Gloor, Frank Hase, Rigel Kivi, Yi Liu, John B. Miller, Isamu Morino, Ralf Sussmann, Kimberly Strong, Osamu Uchino, Jing Wang, and Andreas Zahn
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 17, 4781–4797, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-4781-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-4781-2017, 2017
Short summary
Short summary
We use the GEOS-Chem global 3-D model of atmospheric chemistry and transport and an ensemble Kalman filter to simultaneously infer regional fluxes of methane (CH4) and carbon dioxide (CO2) directly from GOSAT retrievals of XCH4:XCO2, using sparse ground-based CH4 and CO2 mole fraction data to anchor the ratio. Our results show that assimilation of GOSAT data significantly reduced the posterior uncertainty and changed the a priori spatial distribution of CH4 emissions.
Gianluca Di Natale, Luca Palchetti, Giovanni Bianchini, and Massimo Del Guasta
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 10, 825–837, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-10-825-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-10-825-2017, 2017
Short summary
Short summary
We evaluate the simultaneous remote sensing of atmospheric vertical profiles of water vapour and temperature along with some micro-physical parameters, such as ice-particle effective diameter and ice water content of cirrus clouds, using far infrared spectral measurements of the downwelling longwave radiation. The developed methodology allows to retrieve the atmospheric state with good accuracy and high repetition rate, about 12 min, opening the capability to identify fast atmospheric events.
Whitney Bader, Benoît Bovy, Stephanie Conway, Kimberly Strong, Dan Smale, Alexander J. Turner, Thomas Blumenstock, Chris Boone, Martine Collaud Coen, Ancelin Coulon, Omaira Garcia, David W. T. Griffith, Frank Hase, Petra Hausmann, Nicholas Jones, Paul Krummel, Isao Murata, Isamu Morino, Hideaki Nakajima, Simon O'Doherty, Clare Paton-Walsh, John Robinson, Rodrigue Sandrin, Matthias Schneider, Christian Servais, Ralf Sussmann, and Emmanuel Mahieu
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 17, 2255–2277, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-2255-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-2255-2017, 2017
Short summary
Short summary
An increase of 0.31 ± 0.03 % year−1 of atmospheric methane is reported using 10 years of solar observations performed at 10 ground-based stations since 2005. These trend agree with a GEOS-Chem-tagged simulation that accounts for the contribution of each emission source and one sink in the total methane. The GEOS-Chem simulation shows that anthropogenic emissions from coal mining and gas and oil transport and exploration have played a major role in the increase methane since 2005.
Ulrich Schumann, Christoph Kiemle, Hans Schlager, Ralf Weigel, Stephan Borrmann, Francesco D'Amato, Martina Krämer, Renaud Matthey, Alain Protat, Christiane Voigt, and C. Michael Volk
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 17, 2311–2346, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-2311-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-2311-2017, 2017
Short summary
Short summary
A long-lived (1 h) contrail and overshooting convection were observed in the tropics, near Darwin, Australia. The data are used to study the contrail life cycle at low temperatures and cirrus from deep overturning convection in the lower tropical stratosphere. Airborne in situ, lidar, profiler, radar, and satellite data, as well as a photo, are used to distinguish contrail cirrus from convective cirrus and to study the origin of the observed ice and aerosol, up to 2.3 km above the tropopause.
Dmitry A. Belikov, Shamil Maksyutov, Alexander Ganshin, Ruslan Zhuravlev, Nicholas M. Deutscher, Debra Wunch, Dietrich G. Feist, Isamu Morino, Robert J. Parker, Kimberly Strong, Yukio Yoshida, Andrey Bril, Sergey Oshchepkov, Hartmut Boesch, Manvendra K. Dubey, David Griffith, Will Hewson, Rigel Kivi, Joseph Mendonca, Justus Notholt, Matthias Schneider, Ralf Sussmann, Voltaire A. Velazco, and Shuji Aoki
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 17, 143–157, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-143-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-143-2017, 2017
Massimo Carlotti, Bianca Maria Dinelli, Giada Innocenti, and Luca Palchetti
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 9, 5853–5867, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-9-5853-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-9-5853-2016, 2016
Short summary
Short summary
We introduce a strategy for the measurement of CO2 in the stratosphere. We use an orbiting limb sounder to measure both the thermal infrared (TIR) and far-infrared (FIR) atmospheric emissions. The rotational transitions of O2 in the FIR are exploited to derive the temperature and pressure fields that are needed to retrieve the CO2 from its spectrum in the TIR. The proposed experiment can determine two-dimensional distributions of the CO2 with precision of 1 ppm at altitudes between 10 and 50 km.
Katherine M. Saad, Debra Wunch, Nicholas M. Deutscher, David W. T. Griffith, Frank Hase, Martine De Mazière, Justus Notholt, David F. Pollard, Coleen M. Roehl, Matthias Schneider, Ralf Sussmann, Thorsten Warneke, and Paul O. Wennberg
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 16, 14003–14024, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-14003-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-14003-2016, 2016
Short summary
Short summary
Current approaches to constrain the global methane budget assimilate total column measurements into models, but model biases can impact results. We use tropospheric methane columns to evaluate model transport errors and identify a seasonal time lag in the Northern Hemisphere troposphere masked by stratospheric compensating effects. We find systematic biases in the stratosphere will alias into model-derived emissions estimates, especially those in the high Northern latitudes that vary seasonally.
Andreas Ostler, Ralf Sussmann, Prabir K. Patra, Sander Houweling, Marko De Bruine, Gabriele P. Stiller, Florian J. Haenel, Johannes Plieninger, Philippe Bousquet, Yi Yin, Marielle Saunois, Kaley A. Walker, Nicholas M. Deutscher, David W. T. Griffith, Thomas Blumenstock, Frank Hase, Thorsten Warneke, Zhiting Wang, Rigel Kivi, and John Robinson
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 9, 4843–4859, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-9-4843-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-9-4843-2016, 2016
Short summary
Short summary
Our evaluation of column-averaged methane (XCH4) in models and TCCON reveals latitudinal biases between 0.4 % and 2.1 % originating from an inter-model spread in stratospheric CH4. Substituting model stratospheric CH4 fields by satellite data significantly reduces the large XCH4 bias observed for one model. For other models, showing only minor biases, the impact is ambiguous; i.e., the satellite uncertainty range hinders a more accurate model evaluation needed to improve inverse modeling.
Ralf Sussmann, Andreas Reichert, and Markus Rettinger
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 16, 11649–11669, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-11649-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-11649-2016, 2016
Short summary
Short summary
Quantitative knowledge of infrared absorption by water vapor is crucial for remote sensing and climate simulations. Under cold atmospheric conditions this information can only be attained via field experiments. Therefore, we set upa radiative closure study covering 1.28–25 µm at the Zugspitze (47° N, 2964 m a.s.l.). We describe the setup and elaborate on the radiance uncertainty budget. Water vapor continuum quantification in the far infrared shows consistency with the MT_CKD continuum model.
Andreas Reichert and Ralf Sussmann
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 16, 11671–11686, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-11671-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-11671-2016, 2016
Short summary
Short summary
Quantitative knowledge of water vapor infrared absorption is crucial for remote sensing and climate simulations. The water vapor continuum is a major contribution to atmospheric absorption in the near infrared (NIR), but recent laboratory studies show inconsistent results and cannot be transferred to atmospheric conditions. Therefore, we performed atmospheric measurements of the NIR continuum (2500–7800 cm−1) and found significant differences relative to the MT_CKD model and laboratory studies.
Andreas Reichert, Markus Rettinger, and Ralf Sussmann
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 9, 4673–4686, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-9-4673-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-9-4673-2016, 2016
Short summary
Short summary
Quantitative knowledge of infrared absorption by water vapor is crucial for remote sensing and climate simulations. Near-infrared (NIR) continuum absorption currently still lacks quantification by atmospheric measurements but can be investigated with radiative closure experiments using radiometrically calibrated solar spectra. We demonstrate for the first time a calibration method with sufficient accuracy (1.0–1.7 %) for continuum quantification in the 2500 to 7800 cm−1spectral range.
Makoto Inoue, Isamu Morino, Osamu Uchino, Takahiro Nakatsuru, Yukio Yoshida, Tatsuya Yokota, Debra Wunch, Paul O. Wennberg, Coleen M. Roehl, David W. T. Griffith, Voltaire A. Velazco, Nicholas M. Deutscher, Thorsten Warneke, Justus Notholt, John Robinson, Vanessa Sherlock, Frank Hase, Thomas Blumenstock, Markus Rettinger, Ralf Sussmann, Esko Kyrö, Rigel Kivi, Kei Shiomi, Shuji Kawakami, Martine De Mazière, Sabrina G. Arnold, Dietrich G. Feist, Erica A. Barrow, James Barney, Manvendra Dubey, Matthias Schneider, Laura T. Iraci, James R. Podolske, Patrick W. Hillyard, Toshinobu Machida, Yousuke Sawa, Kazuhiro Tsuboi, Hidekazu Matsueda, Colm Sweeney, Pieter P. Tans, Arlyn E. Andrews, Sebastien C. Biraud, Yukio Fukuyama, Jasna V. Pittman, Eric A. Kort, and Tomoaki Tanaka
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 9, 3491–3512, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-9-3491-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-9-3491-2016, 2016
Short summary
Short summary
In this study, we correct the biases of GOSAT XCO2 and XCH4 using TCCON data. To evaluate the effectiveness of our correction method, uncorrected/corrected GOSAT data are compared to independent XCO2 and XCH4 data derived from aircraft measurements. Consequently, we suggest that this method is effective for reducing the biases of the GOSAT data. We consider that our work provides GOSAT data users with valuable information and contributes to the further development of studies on greenhouse gases.
Ugo Cortesi, Samuele Del Bianco, Simone Ceccherini, Marco Gai, Bianca Maria Dinelli, Elisa Castelli, Hermann Oelhaf, Wolfgang Woiwode, Michael Höpfner, and Daniel Gerber
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 9, 2267–2289, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-9-2267-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-9-2267-2016, 2016
Petra Hausmann, Ralf Sussmann, and Dan Smale
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 16, 3227–3244, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-3227-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-3227-2016, 2016
Short summary
Short summary
After a period of stagnation, atmospheric methane started to rise again in 2007. The main drivers are assumed to be increased wetland emissions and fossil fuel production. Here, we quantify the oil and natural gas emission contribution. Our estimate is inferred from ground-based column observations of methane and ethane. We find a significant oil-gas contribution of at least 39% (18%, 73%) in three emission scenarios, calling for emission reduction strategies in growing oil and gas industries.
Susan Kulawik, Debra Wunch, Christopher O'Dell, Christian Frankenberg, Maximilian Reuter, Tomohiro Oda, Frederic Chevallier, Vanessa Sherlock, Michael Buchwitz, Greg Osterman, Charles E. Miller, Paul O. Wennberg, David Griffith, Isamu Morino, Manvendra K. Dubey, Nicholas M. Deutscher, Justus Notholt, Frank Hase, Thorsten Warneke, Ralf Sussmann, John Robinson, Kimberly Strong, Matthias Schneider, Martine De Mazière, Kei Shiomi, Dietrich G. Feist, Laura T. Iraci, and Joyce Wolf
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 9, 683–709, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-9-683-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-9-683-2016, 2016
Short summary
Short summary
To accurately estimate source and sink locations of carbon dioxide, systematic errors in satellite measurements and models must be characterized. This paper examines two satellite data sets (GOSAT, launched 2009, and SCIAMACHY, launched 2002), and two models (CarbonTracker and MACC) vs. the TCCON CO2 validation data set. We assess biases and errors by season and latitude, satellite performance under averaging, and diurnal variability. Our findings are useful for assimilation of satellite data.
Sébastien Massart, Anna Agustí-Panareda, Jens Heymann, Michael Buchwitz, Frédéric Chevallier, Maximilian Reuter, Michael Hilker, John P. Burrows, Nicholas M. Deutscher, Dietrich G. Feist, Frank Hase, Ralf Sussmann, Filip Desmet, Manvendra K. Dubey, David W. T. Griffith, Rigel Kivi, Christof Petri, Matthias Schneider, and Voltaire A. Velazco
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 16, 1653–1671, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-1653-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-1653-2016, 2016
Short summary
Short summary
This study presents the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) monitoring of atmospheric CO2 using measurements from the Greenhouse gases Observing Satellite (GOSAT). We show that the modelled CO2 has a better precision than standard CO2 satellite products compared to ground-based measurements. We also present the CO2 forecast based on our best knowledge of the atmospheric CO2 distribution. We show that it has skill to forecast the largest scale CO2 patterns up to day 5.
L. Feng, P. I. Palmer, R. J. Parker, N. M. Deutscher, D. G. Feist, R. Kivi, I. Morino, and R. Sussmann
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 16, 1289–1302, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-1289-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-1289-2016, 2016
Short summary
Short summary
There is an on-going debate on the larger European biospheric uptake inferred from GOSAT XCO2 retrievals than those inferred from in situ data. Using a set of 15 experiments, we found that the elevated uptake over Europe could largely be explained by mis-fitting data due to regional XCO2 biases: 50–80 % of the elevated European uptake is due to retrievals outside the immediate European; and a varying monthly bias of up to 0.5 ppm for XCO2 retrievals over Europe could explain most of the remainder.
H. Lindqvist, C. W. O'Dell, S. Basu, H. Boesch, F. Chevallier, N. Deutscher, L. Feng, B. Fisher, F. Hase, M. Inoue, R. Kivi, I. Morino, P. I. Palmer, R. Parker, M. Schneider, R. Sussmann, and Y. Yoshida
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 15, 13023–13040, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-15-13023-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-15-13023-2015, 2015
Short summary
Short summary
Atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration varies seasonally mainly due to plant photosynthesis in the Northern Hemisphere. We found that the satellite GOSAT can capture this variability from space to within 1ppm. We also found that models can differ by more than 1ppm. This implies that the satellite measurements could be useful in evaluating models and their prior estimates of carbon dioxide sources and sinks.
R. J. Parker, H. Boesch, K. Byckling, A. J. Webb, P. I. Palmer, L. Feng, P. Bergamaschi, F. Chevallier, J. Notholt, N. Deutscher, T. Warneke, F. Hase, R. Sussmann, S. Kawakami, R. Kivi, D. W. T. Griffith, and V. Velazco
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 8, 4785–4801, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-8-4785-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-8-4785-2015, 2015
Short summary
Short summary
Atmospheric CH4 is an important greenhouse gas. Long-term global observations are necessary to understand its behaviour, with satellite observations playing a key role. The "proxy" retrieval method is one of the most successful but relies on the contribution from atmospheric CO2 models. This work assesses the significance of the uncertainty from the model CO2 within the retrieval and determines that despite this uncertainty the data are still valuable for determining sources and sinks of CH4.
A. Reichert, P. Hausmann, and R. Sussmann
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 8, 3715–3728, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-8-3715-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-8-3715-2015, 2015
Short summary
Short summary
A method for quantification of sun-pointing inaccuracies in solar absorption spectrometry is presented along with a correction scheme for the resulting errors in trace gas vertical column or profile retrievals. The mispointing is constrained by combining subsequent measurements of solar line shifts with differing orientations of the solar rotation axis relative to the zenith direction. The implementation and benefits of the method are demonstrated using the Zugspitze XCH4 measurements.
A. Ostler, R. Sussmann, P. K. Patra, P. O. Wennberg, N. M. Deutscher, D. W. T. Griffith, T. Blumenstock, F. Hase, R. Kivi, T. Warneke, Z. Wang, M. De Mazière, J. Robinson, and H. Ohyama
Atmos. Chem. Phys. Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/acpd-15-20395-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/acpd-15-20395-2015, 2015
Preprint withdrawn
Short summary
Short summary
We find that stratospheric model-transport errors are common for chemical transport models that are used for inverse estimates of CH4 emissions. These model-transport errors cause latitudinal as well as seasonal biases in simulated stratospheric and, hence, column-averaged CH4 mixing ratios (XCH4). Such a model bias corresponds to an overestimation of arctic and mid-latitude CH4 emissions if inversion studies do not apply an ad hoc bias correction before inverting fluxes from XCH4 observations.
J. Heymann, M. Reuter, M. Hilker, M. Buchwitz, O. Schneising, H. Bovensmann, J. P. Burrows, A. Kuze, H. Suto, N. M. Deutscher, M. K. Dubey, D. W. T. Griffith, F. Hase, S. Kawakami, R. Kivi, I. Morino, C. Petri, C. Roehl, M. Schneider, V. Sherlock, R. Sussmann, V. A. Velazco, T. Warneke, and D. Wunch
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 8, 2961–2980, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-8-2961-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-8-2961-2015, 2015
Short summary
Short summary
Long-term data sets of global atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations based on observations from different satellite instruments may suffer from inconsistencies originating from the use of different retrieval algorithms. This issue has been addressed by applying the Bremen Optimal Estimation DOAS retrieval algorithm to SCIAMACHY and TANSO-FTS observations. Detailed comparisons with TCCON and CarbonTracker show good consistency between the SCIAMACHY and TANSO-FTS data sets.
A. J. Turner, D. J. Jacob, K. J. Wecht, J. D. Maasakkers, E. Lundgren, A. E. Andrews, S. C. Biraud, H. Boesch, K. W. Bowman, N. M. Deutscher, M. K. Dubey, D. W. T. Griffith, F. Hase, A. Kuze, J. Notholt, H. Ohyama, R. Parker, V. H. Payne, R. Sussmann, C. Sweeney, V. A. Velazco, T. Warneke, P. O. Wennberg, and D. Wunch
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 15, 7049–7069, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-15-7049-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-15-7049-2015, 2015
W. Frey, R. Schofield, P. Hoor, D. Kunkel, F. Ravegnani, A. Ulanovsky, S. Viciani, F. D'Amato, and T. P. Lane
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 15, 6467–6486, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-15-6467-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-15-6467-2015, 2015
Short summary
Short summary
This study examines the simulated downward transport and mixing of stratospheric air into the upper tropical troposphere as observed on a research flight during the SCOUT-O3 campaign in connection with a deep convective system, using the WRF model. Passive tracers are initialised to study the impact of the deep convection on the tracers and water vapour. We use the model to explain the processes causing the transport and also expose areas of inconsistencies between the model and observations.
H. Vogelmann, R. Sussmann, T. Trickl, and A. Reichert
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 15, 3135–3148, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-15-3135-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-15-3135-2015, 2015
Short summary
Short summary
We quantitatively analyzed the spatiotemporal variability (minutes to hours, 500m to 10km) of water vapor (IWV and profiles) in the free troposphere recorded at the Zugspitze (Germany) with lidar and solar FTIR. We found that long-range transport of heterogeneous air masses may cause relative short-term variations of the water-vapor density which exceed the impact of local convection by 1 order of magnitude. Our results could be useful for issues of model parametrization and co-location.
R. Pommrich, R. Müller, J.-U. Grooß, P. Konopka, F. Ploeger, B. Vogel, M. Tao, C. M. Hoppe, G. Günther, N. Spelten, L. Hoffmann, H.-C. Pumphrey, S. Viciani, F. D'Amato, C. M. Volk, P. Hoor, H. Schlager, and M. Riese
Geosci. Model Dev., 7, 2895–2916, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-7-2895-2014, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-7-2895-2014, 2014
Short summary
Short summary
A version of the chemical transport model CLaMS is presented, which features a simplified (numerically inexpensive) chemistry scheme. The model results using this version of CLaMS show a good representation of anomaly fields of CO, CH4, N2O, and CFC-11 in the lower stratosphere. CO measurements of three instruments (COLD, HAGAR, and Falcon-CO) in the lower tropical stratosphere (during the campaign TROCCINOX in 2005) have been compared and show a good agreement within the error bars.
A. Ostler, R. Sussmann, M. Rettinger, N. M. Deutscher, S. Dohe, F. Hase, N. Jones, M. Palm, and B.-M. Sinnhuber
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 7, 4081–4101, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-7-4081-2014, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-7-4081-2014, 2014
Short summary
Short summary
Ground-based FTIR soundings of column-average methane from NDACC and TCCON can be combined without the need to apply an overall calibration factor. NDACC and TCCON measurements complement one another and provide valuable information for satellite validation, evaluation of chemical-transport models, and source-sink inversions. The impact of dynamical variability on NDACC and TCCON retrievals of column-average methane is reflected in different smoothing effects.
F. Deng, D. B. A. Jones, D. K. Henze, N. Bousserez, K. W. Bowman, J. B. Fisher, R. Nassar, C. O'Dell, D. Wunch, P. O. Wennberg, E. A. Kort, S. C. Wofsy, T. Blumenstock, N. M. Deutscher, D. W. T. Griffith, F. Hase, P. Heikkinen, V. Sherlock, K. Strong, R. Sussmann, and T. Warneke
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 14, 3703–3727, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-14-3703-2014, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-14-3703-2014, 2014
F. Hase, B. J. Drouin, C. M. Roehl, G. C. Toon, P. O. Wennberg, D. Wunch, T. Blumenstock, F. Desmet, D. G. Feist, P. Heikkinen, M. De Mazière, M. Rettinger, J. Robinson, M. Schneider, V. Sherlock, R. Sussmann, Y. Té, T. Warneke, and C. Weinzierl
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 6, 3527–3537, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-6-3527-2013, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-6-3527-2013, 2013
E. Castelli, B. M. Dinelli, S. Del Bianco, D. Gerber, B. P. Moyna, R. Siddans, B. J. Kerridge, and U. Cortesi
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 6, 2683–2701, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-6-2683-2013, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-6-2683-2013, 2013
Y. Yoshida, N. Kikuchi, I. Morino, O. Uchino, S. Oshchepkov, A. Bril, T. Saeki, N. Schutgens, G. C. Toon, D. Wunch, C. M. Roehl, P. O. Wennberg, D. W. T. Griffith, N. M. Deutscher, T. Warneke, J. Notholt, J. Robinson, V. Sherlock, B. Connor, M. Rettinger, R. Sussmann, P. Ahonen, P. Heikkinen, E. Kyrö, J. Mendonca, K. Strong, F. Hase, S. Dohe, and T. Yokota
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 6, 1533–1547, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-6-1533-2013, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-6-1533-2013, 2013
Related subject area
Subject: Clouds | Technique: Remote Sensing | Topic: Data Processing and Information Retrieval
Assessment of horizontally oriented ice crystals with a combination of multiangle polarization lidar and cloud Doppler radar
Benchmarking and improving algorithms for attributing satellite-observed contrails to flights
Riming-dependent snowfall rate and ice water content retrievals for W-band cloud radar
Radiative closure assessment of retrieved cloud and aerosol properties for the EarthCARE mission: the ACMB-DF product
Satellite-based detection of deep-convective clouds: the sensitivity of infrared methods and implications for cloud climatology
Infrared radiometric image classification and segmentation of cloud structures using a deep-learning framework from ground-based infrared thermal camera observations
Classifying Thermodynamic Cloud Phase Using Machine Learning Models
Algorithm for continual monitoring of fog based on geostationary satellite imagery
Mitigation of satellite OCO-2 CO2 biases in the vicinity of clouds with 3D calculations using the Education and Research 3D Radiative Transfer Toolbox (EaR3T)
Wet-radome attenuation in ARM cloud radars and its utilization in radar calibration using disdrometer measurements
Tomographic reconstruction algorithms for retrieving two-dimensional ice cloud microphysical parameters using along-track (sub)millimeter-wave radiometer observations
Empirical model for backscattering polarimetric variables in rain at W-band: motivation and implications
Synergy of millimeter-wave radar and radiometer measurements for retrieving frozen hydrometeors in deep convective systems
JAXA Level 2 cloud and precipitation microphysics retrievals based on EarthCARE radar, lidar, and imager: the CPR_CLP, AC_CLP, and ACM_CLP products
Augmenting the German weather radar network with vertically pointing cloud radars: implications of resolution and attenuation
Peering into the heart of thunderstorm clouds: insights from cloud radar and spectral polarimetry
Vertical Wind and Drop Size Distribution Retrieval with the CloudCube G-band Doppler Radar
Improved Simulation of Thunderstorm Characteristics and Polarimetric Signatures with LIMA 2-Moment Microphysics in AROME
Harmonized Cloud Datasets for OMI and TROPOMI Using the O2‐O2 477 nm Absorption Band
Retrieving cloud-base height and geometric thickness using the oxygen A-band channel of GCOM-C/SGLI
Retrieving Vertical Profiles of Cloud Droplet Effective Radius using Multispectral Measurements from MODIS: Examples and Limitations
Extension of AVHRR-based climate data records: Exploring ways to simulate AVHRR radiances from Suomi-NPP VIIRS data
Discriminating between “drizzle or rain” and sea salt aerosols in Cloudnet for measurements over the Barbados Cloud Observatory
Cancellation of cloud shadow effects in the absorbing aerosol index retrieval algorithm of TROPOMI
Simulations of Spectral Polarimetric Variables measured in rain at W-band
Optimal estimation of cloud properties from thermal infrared observations with a combination of deep learning and radiative transfer simulation
3D cloud masking across a broad swath using multi-angle polarimetry and deep learning
Dual-frequency (Ka-band and G-band) radar estimates of liquid water content profiles in shallow clouds
Retrieval of cloud fraction and optical thickness of liquid water clouds over the ocean from multi-angle polarization observations
Severe-hail detection with C-band dual-polarisation radars using convolutional neural networks
Retrieval of cloud fraction using machine learning algorithms based on FY-4A AGRI observations
Identification of multiple co-located hydrometeor types in Doppler spectra from scanning polarimetric cloud radar observations
PEAKO and peakTree: tools for detecting and interpreting peaks in cloud radar Doppler spectra – capabilities and limitations
An advanced spatial coregistration of cloud properties for the atmospheric Sentinel missions: application to TROPOMI
Contrail altitude estimation using GOES-16 ABI data and deep learning
The Ice Cloud Imager: retrieval of frozen water column properties
Supercooled liquid water cloud classification using lidar backscatter peak properties
Marine cloud base height retrieval from MODIS cloud properties using machine learning
How well can brightness temperature differences of spaceborne imagers help to detect cloud phase? A sensitivity analysis regarding cloud phase and related cloud properties
ampycloud: an open-source algorithm to determine cloud base heights and sky coverage fractions from ceilometer data
Simulation and detection efficiency analysis for measurements of polar mesospheric clouds using a spaceborne wide-field-of-view ultraviolet imager
The Chalmers Cloud Ice Climatology: retrieval implementation and validation
The algorithm of microphysical-parameter profiles of aerosol and small cloud droplets based on the dual-wavelength lidar data
Bayesian cloud-top phase determination for Meteosat Second Generation
Lidar–radar synergistic method to retrieve ice, supercooled water and mixed-phase cloud properties
Deriving cloud droplet number concentration from surface-based remote sensors with an emphasis on lidar measurements
A random forest algorithm for the prediction of cloud liquid water content from combined CloudSat–CALIPSO observations
Identification of ice-over-water multilayer clouds using multispectral satellite data in an artificial neural network
A new approach to crystal habit retrieval from far-infrared spectral radiance measurements
Multiple-scattering effects on single-wavelength lidar sounding of multi-layered clouds
Zhaolong Wu, Patric Seifert, Yun He, Holger Baars, Haoran Li, Cristofer Jimenez, Chengcai Li, and Albert Ansmann
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 18, 3611–3634, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-18-3611-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-18-3611-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
This study introduces a novel method to detect horizontally oriented ice crystals (HOICs) using two ground-based polarization lidars at different zenith angles, based on a yearlong dataset collected in Beijing. Combined with cloud radar and reanalysis data, the fine categorization results reveal HOICs occur in calm winds and moderately cold temperatures and are influenced by turbulence near cloud bases. The results enhance our understanding of cloud processes and improve atmospheric models.
Aaron Sarna, Vincent Meijer, Rémi Chevallier, Allie Duncan, Kyle McConnaughay, Scott Geraedts, and Kevin McCloskey
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 18, 3495–3532, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-18-3495-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-18-3495-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
Contrails, the clouds formed by aircraft, are have a substantial climate impact. Determining which flight formed each contrail is a critical step to decreasing this impact. We introduce a dataset of synthetic contrail observations with known flight attributions that can be used to develop and assess geostationary-satellite-based contrail-to-flight attribution systems. We additionally introduce a new attribution algorithm and show that it outperforms previous methods.
Nina Maherndl, Alessandro Battaglia, Anton Kötsche, and Maximilian Maahn
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 18, 3287–3304, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-18-3287-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-18-3287-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
Accurate measurements of ice water content (IWC) and snowfall rate (SR) are challenging due to high spatial variability and limitations of our measurement techniques. Here, we present a novel method to derive IWC and SR from W-band cloud radar observations, considering the degree of riming. We also investigate the use of the liquid water path (LWP) as a proxy for the occurrence of riming. LWP is easier to measure, so that the method can be applied to both ground-based and space-based instruments.
Howard W. Barker, Jason N. S. Cole, Najda Villefranque, Zhipeng Qu, Almudena Velázquez Blázquez, Carlos Domenech, Shannon L. Mason, and Robin J. Hogan
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 18, 3095–3107, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-18-3095-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-18-3095-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
Measurements made by three instruments aboard EarthCARE are used to retrieve estimates of cloud and aerosol properties. A radiative closure assessment of these retrievals is performed by the ACMB-DF processor. Radiative transfer models acting on retrieved information produce broadband radiances commensurate with measurements made by EarthCARE’s broadband radiometer. Measured and modelled radiances for small domains are compared, and the likelihood of them differing by 10 W m2 defines the closure.
Andrzej Z. Kotarba and Izabela Wojciechowska
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 18, 2721–2738, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-18-2721-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-18-2721-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
The research investigates methods for detecting deep convective clouds (DCCs) using satellite infrared data, essential for understanding long-term climate trends. By validating three popular detection methods against lidar–radar data, it found moderate accuracy (below 75 %), emphasizing the importance of fine-tuning thresholds regionally. The study shows how small threshold changes significantly affect the climatology of severe storms.
Kélian Sommer, Wassim Kabalan, and Romain Brunet
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 18, 2083–2101, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-18-2083-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-18-2083-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
Our research introduces a novel deep-learning approach for classifying and segmenting ground-based infrared thermal images, a crucial step in cloud monitoring. Tests based on self-captured data showcase its excellent accuracy in distinguishing image types and in structure segmentation. With potential applications in astronomical observations, our work pioneers a robust solution for ground-based sky quality assessment, promising advancements in the photometric observation experiments.
Lexie Goldberger, Maxwell Levin, Carlandra Harris, Andrew Geiss, Matthew D. Shupe, and Damao Zhang
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-1501, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-1501, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
This study leverages machine learning models to classify cloud thermodynamic phases using multi-sensor remote sensing data collected at the Department of Energy Atmospheric Radiation Measurement North Slope of Alaska observatory. We evaluate model performance, feature importance, application of the model to another observatory, and quantify how the models respond to instrument outages.
Babak Jahani, Steffen Karalus, Julia Fuchs, Tobias Zech, Marina Zara, and Jan Cermak
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 18, 1927–1941, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-18-1927-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-18-1927-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
Fog and low stratus (FLS) are both persistent clouds close to the Earth's surface. This study introduces a new machine-learning-based algorithm developed for the Meteosat Second Generation geostationary satellites that can provide a coherent and detailed view of FLS development over large areas over the 24 h day cycle.
Yu-Wen Chen, K. Sebastian Schmidt, Hong Chen, Steven T. Massie, Susan S. Kulawik, and Hironobu Iwabuchi
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 18, 1859–1884, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-18-1859-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-18-1859-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
CO2 column-averaged dry-air mole fractions can be retrieved from space using spectrometers like OCO-2. However, nearby clouds induce spectral distortions that bias these retrievals beyond the accuracy needed for global CO2 source and sink assessments. This study employs a physics-based linearization approach to represent 3D cloud effects and introduces radiance-level mitigation techniques for actual OCO-2 data, enabling the operational implementation of these corrections.
Min Deng, Scott E. Giangrande, Michael P. Jensen, Karen Johnson, Christopher R. Williams, Jennifer M. Comstock, Ya-Chien Feng, Alyssa Matthews, Iosif A. Lindenmaier, Timothy G. Wendler, Marquette Rocque, Aifang Zhou, Zeen Zhu, Edward Luke, and Die Wang
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 18, 1641–1657, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-18-1641-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-18-1641-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
A relative calibration technique is developed for the cloud radar by monitoring the intercept of the wet-radome attenuation log-linear behavior as a function of rainfall rates in light and moderate rain conditions. This resulting reflectivity offset during the recent field campaign is compared favorably with the traditional disdrometer comparison near the rain onset, while it also demonstrates similar trends with respect to collocated and independently calibrated reference radars.
Yuli Liu and Ian Stuart Adams
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 18, 1659–1674, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-18-1659-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-18-1659-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
This paper presents our latest development in tomographic reconstruction algorithms that use multi-angle (sub)millimeter-wave brightness temperature to reconstruct the spatial distribution of ice clouds. Compared to nadir-only retrievals, the tomography technique provides a detailed reconstruction of ice clouds’ inner structure with high spatial resolution and significantly improves retrieval accuracy. Also, the technique effectively increases detection sensitivity for small ice cloud particles.
Alexander Myagkov, Tatiana Nomokonova, and Michael Frech
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 18, 1621–1640, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-18-1621-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-18-1621-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
The study examines the use of the spheroidal shape approximation for calculating cloud radar observables in rain and identifies some limitations. To address these, it introduces the empirical scattering model (ESM) based on high-quality Doppler spectra from a 94 GHz radar. The ESM offers improved accuracy and directly incorporates natural rain's microphysical effects. This new model can enhance retrieval and calibration methods, benefiting cloud radar polarimetry experts and scattering modelers.
Keiichi Ohara and Hirohiko Masunaga
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-173, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-173, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
Ice particles (e.g., cloud ice, snow and graupel) in convective clouds play key roles in cloud and precipitation formation. This study combines satellite millimeter-wave radar and radiometer observations to estimate the vertical distributions of physical parameters of ice particles such as mass, size, and number densities. CPR radar and GPM radiometer observations together reduce the estimation errors of the physical parameters and provide information on the optimal ice particle shape.
Kaori Sato, Hajime Okamoto, Tomoaki Nishizawa, Yoshitaka Jin, Takashi Y. Nakajima, Minrui Wang, Masaki Satoh, Woosub Roh, Hiroshi Ishimoto, and Rei Kudo
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 18, 1325–1338, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-18-1325-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-18-1325-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
This study introduces the JAXA EarthCARE Level 2 (L2) cloud product using satellite observations and simulated EarthCARE data. The outputs from the product feature a 3D global view of the dominant ice habit categories and corresponding microphysics. Habit and size distribution transitions from cloud to precipitation are quantified by the L2 cloud algorithms. With Doppler data, the products can be beneficial for further understanding of the coupling of cloud microphysics, radiation, and dynamics.
Christian Heske, Florian Ewald, and Silke Groß
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-691, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-691, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
This study proposes a new technique to augment polarimetric radar measurements of the national German operational radar network with vertically looking cloud radars. The method is tested in two different case studies by comparison to dedicated scanning radars revealing promising results. Future usage of the method is motivated by analyzing the coverage of the operational radar network finding advantageous locations with good radar coverage.
Ho Yi Lydia Mak and Christine Unal
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 18, 1209–1242, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-18-1209-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-18-1209-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
The dynamics of thunderclouds are studied using cloud radar. Supercooled liquid water and conical graupel are likely present, while chain-like ice crystals may occur at cloud top. Ice crystals are vertically aligned seconds before lightning and resume their usual horizontal alignment afterwards in some cases. Updrafts and downdrafts are found near cloud core and edges respectively. Turbulence is strong. Radar measurement modes that are more suited for investigating thunderstorms are recommended.
Nitika Yadlapalli Yurk, Matthew Lebsock, Juan Socuellamos, Raquel Rodriguez Monje, Ken Cooper, and Pavlos Kollias
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-618, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-618, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
Current knowledge of the link between clouds and climate is limited by lack of observations of the drop size distribution (DSD) within clouds, especially for the smallest drops. We demonstrate a method of retrieving DSDs down to small drop sizes using observations of drizzling marine layer clouds captured by the CloudCube millimeter-wave Doppler radar. We compare the shape of the observed spectra to theoretical expectations of radar echoes to solve for DSDs at each time and elevation.
Cloé David, Clotilde Augros, Benoît Vié, François Bouttier, and Tony Le Bastard
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-685, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-685, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
Simulations of storm characteristics and associated radar signatures were improved, especially under the freezing level, using an advanced cloud scheme. Discrepancies between observations and forecasts at and above the melting layer highlighted issues in both the radar forward operator and the microphysics. To overcome part of these issues, different parametrizations of the operator were suggested. This work aligns with the future integration of polarimetric data into assimilation systems.
Huan Yu, Isabelle De Smedt, Nicolas Theys, Maarten Sneep, Pepijn Veefkind, and Michel Van Roozendael
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-478, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-478, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
We introduce a new cloud retrieval algorithm using the O2-O2 absorption band at 477 nm to generate harmonized cloud datasets from OMI and TROPOMI. The algorithm improves upon the OMI O2-O2 operational cloud algorithm in several aspects. The new approach improves consistency in cloud parameters and NO2 retrievals between two sensors.
Takashi M. Nagao, Kentaroh Suzuki, and Makoto Kuji
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 18, 773–792, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-18-773-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-18-773-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
In satellite remote sensing, estimating cloud-base height (CBH) is more challenging than estimating cloud-top height because the cloud base is obscured by the cloud itself. We developed an algorithm using the specific channel (known as the oxygen A-band channel) of the SGLI on JAXA’s GCOM-C satellite to estimate CBHs together with other cloud properties. This algorithm can provide global distributions of CBH across various cloud types, including liquid, ice, and mixed-phase clouds.
Andrew John Buggee and Peter Andrew Pilewskie
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-546, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-546, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
A constrained optimal estimation technique was developed to utilize space-borne hyperspectral measurements of reflected solar radiation for retrieving a vertical profile of cloud droplet size, providing insight into the internal structure of a cloud. The improved accuracy and, to a lesser extent, the enhanced spectral sampling provided by next-generation space-borne spectrometers are essential for extracting vertically resolved droplet size information from moderately thick, warm clouds.
Karl-Göran Karlsson, Nina Håkansson, Salomon Eliasson, Erwin Wolters, and Ronald Scheirer
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-379, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-379, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
The topic is finding methods to extend climate data records from single-instrument satellite observations, in this case the Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR). Several modern instruments include AVHRR-heritage channels but some corrections are necessary to account for some differences. We have simulated AVHRR data from the VIIIRS sensor on NOAA polar satellites. We find that methods based on machine learning are capable of performing these corrections.
Johanna Roschke, Jonas Witthuhn, Marcus Klingebiel, Moritz Haarig, Andreas Foth, Anton Kötsche, and Heike Kalesse-Los
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 18, 487–508, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-18-487-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-18-487-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
We present a technique to discriminate between the Cloudnet target classification of "drizzle or rain" and sea salt aerosols that is applicable to marine Cloudnet sites. The method is crucial for investigating the occurrence of precipitation and significantly improves the Cloudnet target classification scheme for measurements over the Barbados Cloud Observatory (BCO). A first-ever analysis of the Cloudnet product including the new "haze echo" target over 2 years at the BCO is presented.
Victor J. H. Trees, Ping Wang, Piet Stammes, Lieuwe G. Tilstra, David P. Donovan, and A. Pier Siebesma
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 18, 73–91, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-18-73-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-18-73-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
Our study investigates the impact of cloud shadows on satellite-based aerosol index measurements over Europe by TROPOMI. Using a cloud shadow detection algorithm and simulations, we found that the overall effect on the aerosol index is minimal. Interestingly, we found that cloud shadows are significantly bluer than their shadow-free surroundings, but the traditional algorithm already (partly) automatically corrects for this increased blueness.
Ioanna Tsikoudi, Alessandro Battaglia, Christine Unal, and Eleni Marinou
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-3164, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-3164, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
The study simulates spectral polarimetric variables for raindrops as observed by a cloud radar. Raindrops are modelled as oblate spheroids and backscattering properties are computed via the T-matrix method including noise, turbulence and spectral averaging effects. When comparing simulations to measurements, differences on the amplitudes of polarimetric variables are noted. This shows the challenge of using simplified shapes to model raindrop polarimetric variables when moving to mm wavelengths.
He Huang, Quan Wang, Chao Liu, and Chen Zhou
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 17, 7129–7141, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-7129-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-7129-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
This study introduces a cloud property retrieval method which integrates traditional radiative transfer simulations with a machine learning method. Retrievals from a machine learning algorithm are used to provide a priori states, and a radiative transfer model is used to create lookup tables for later iteration processes. The new method combines the advantages of traditional and machine learning algorithms, and it is applicable to both daytime and nighttime conditions.
Sean R. Foley, Kirk D. Knobelspiesse, Andrew M. Sayer, Meng Gao, James Hays, and Judy Hoffman
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 17, 7027–7047, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-7027-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-7027-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Measuring the shape of clouds helps scientists understand how the Earth will continue to respond to climate change. Satellites measure clouds in different ways. One way is to take pictures of clouds from multiple angles and to use the differences between the pictures to measure cloud structure. However, doing this accurately can be challenging. We propose a way to use machine learning to recover the shape of clouds from multi-angle satellite data.
Juan M. Socuellamos, Raquel Rodriguez Monje, Matthew D. Lebsock, Ken B. Cooper, and Pavlos Kollias
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 17, 6965–6981, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-6965-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-6965-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
This article presents a novel technique to estimate liquid water content (LWC) profiles in shallow warm clouds using a pair of collocated Ka-band (35 GHz) and G-band (239 GHz) radars. We demonstrate that the use of a G-band radar allows retrieving the LWC with 3 times better accuracy than previous works reported in the literature, providing improved ability to understand the vertical profile of LWC and characterize microphysical and dynamical processes more precisely in shallow clouds.
Claudia Emde, Veronika Pörtge, Mihail Manev, and Bernhard Mayer
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 17, 6769–6789, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-6769-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-6769-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
We introduce an innovative method to retrieve the cloud fraction and optical thickness of liquid water clouds over the ocean based on polarimetry. This is well suited for satellite observations providing multi-angle polarization measurements. Cloud fraction and cloud optical thickness can be derived from measurements at two viewing angles: one within the cloudbow and one in the sun glint region.
Vincent Forcadell, Clotilde Augros, Olivier Caumont, Kévin Dedieu, Maxandre Ouradou, Cloé David, Jordi Figueras i Ventura, Olivier Laurantin, and Hassan Al-Sakka
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 17, 6707–6734, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-6707-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-6707-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
This study demonstrates the potential of enhancing severe-hail detection through the application of convolutional neural networks (CNNs) to dual-polarization radar data. It is shown that current methods can be calibrated to significantly enhance their performance for severe-hail detection. This study establishes the foundation for the solution of a more complex problem: the estimation of the maximum size of hailstones on the ground using deep learning applied to radar data.
Jinyi Xia and Li Guan
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 17, 6697–6706, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-6697-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-6697-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
This study presents a method for estimating cloud cover from FY-4A AGRI observations using random forest (RF) and multilayer perceptron (MLP) algorithms. The results demonstrate excellent performance in distinguishing clear-sky scenes and reducing errors in cloud cover estimation. It shows significant improvements compared to existing methods.
Majid Hajipour, Patric Seifert, Hannes Griesche, Kevin Ohneiser, and Martin Radenz
Atmos. Meas. Tech. Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-2024-173, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-2024-173, 2024
Revised manuscript accepted for AMT
Short summary
Short summary
This study presents an approach that enables the detection of the shape and orientation of multiple types of co-located hydrometeors in mixed-phase cloud systems. This information is key for improving the understanding of these clouds, as they do contain ice and liquid water simultaneously, making them relevant for the precipitation budget and radiative balance of the Earth's atmosphere. The retrieval is based on elevation scans of polarimetric cloud radars and can therefore be flexibly applied.
Teresa Vogl, Martin Radenz, Fabiola Ramelli, Rosa Gierens, and Heike Kalesse-Los
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 17, 6547–6568, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-6547-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-6547-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
In this study, we present a toolkit of two Python algorithms to extract information from Doppler spectra measured by ground-based cloud radars. In these Doppler spectra, several peaks can be formed due to populations of droplets/ice particles with different fall velocities coexisting in the same measurement time and height. The two algorithms can detect peaks and assign them to certain particle types, such as small cloud droplets or fast-falling ice particles like graupel.
Athina Argyrouli, Diego Loyola, Fabian Romahn, Ronny Lutz, Víctor Molina García, Pascal Hedelt, Klaus-Peter Heue, and Richard Siddans
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 17, 6345–6367, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-6345-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-6345-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
This paper describes a new treatment of the spatial misregistration of cloud properties for Sentinel-5 Precursor, when the footprints of different spectral bands are not perfectly aligned. The methodology exploits synergies between spectrometers and imagers, like TROPOMI and VIIRS. The largest improvements have been identified for heterogeneous scenes at cloud edges. This approach is generic and can also be applied to future Sentinel-4 and Sentinel-5 instruments.
Vincent R. Meijer, Sebastian D. Eastham, Ian A. Waitz, and Steven R. H. Barrett
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 17, 6145–6162, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-6145-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-6145-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Aviation's climate impact is partly due to contrails: the clouds that form behind aircraft and which can linger for hours under certain atmospheric conditions. Accurately forecasting these conditions could allow aircraft to avoid forming these contrails and thus reduce their environmental footprint. Our research uses deep learning to identify three-dimensional contrail locations in two-dimensional satellite imagery, which can be used to assess and improve these forecasts.
Eleanor May, Bengt Rydberg, Inderpreet Kaur, Vinia Mattioli, Hanna Hallborn, and Patrick Eriksson
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 17, 5957–5987, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-5957-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-5957-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
The upcoming Ice Cloud Imager (ICI) mission is set to improve measurements of atmospheric ice through passive microwave and sub-millimetre wave observations. In this study, we perform detailed simulations of ICI observations. Machine learning is used to characterise the atmospheric ice present for a given simulated observation. This study acts as a final pre-launch assessment of ICI's capability to measure atmospheric ice, providing valuable information to climate and weather applications.
Luke Edgar Whitehead, Adrian James McDonald, and Adrien Guyot
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 17, 5765–5784, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-5765-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-5765-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Supercooled liquid water cloud is important to represent in weather and climate models, particularly in the Southern Hemisphere. Previous work has developed a new machine learning method for measuring supercooled liquid water in Antarctic clouds using simple lidar observations. We evaluate this technique using a lidar dataset from Christchurch, New Zealand, and develop an updated algorithm for accurate supercooled liquid water detection at mid-latitudes.
Julien Lenhardt, Johannes Quaas, and Dino Sejdinovic
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 17, 5655–5677, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-5655-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-5655-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Clouds play a key role in the regulation of the Earth's climate. Aspects like the height of their base are of essential interest to quantify their radiative effects but remain difficult to derive from satellite data. In this study, we combine observations from the surface and satellite retrievals of cloud properties to build a robust and accurate method to retrieve the cloud base height, based on a computer vision model and ordinal regression.
Johanna Mayer, Bernhard Mayer, Luca Bugliaro, Ralf Meerkötter, and Christiane Voigt
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 17, 5161–5185, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-5161-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-5161-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
This study uses radiative transfer calculations to characterize the relation of two satellite channel combinations (namely infrared window brightness temperature differences – BTDs – of SEVIRI) to the thermodynamic cloud phase. A sensitivity analysis reveals the complex interplay of cloud parameters and their contribution to the observed phase dependence of BTDs. This knowledge helps to design optimal cloud-phase retrievals and to understand their potential and limitations.
Frédéric P. A. Vogt, Loris Foresti, Daniel Regenass, Sophie Réthoré, Néstor Tarin Burriel, Mervyn Bibby, Przemysław Juda, Simone Balmelli, Tobias Hanselmann, Pieter du Preez, and Dirk Furrer
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 17, 4891–4914, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-4891-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-4891-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
ampycloud is a new algorithm developed at MeteoSwiss to characterize the height and sky coverage fraction of cloud layers above aerodromes via ceilometer data. This algorithm was devised as part of a larger effort to fully automate the creation of meteorological aerodrome reports (METARs) at Swiss civil airports. The ampycloud algorithm is implemented as a Python package that is made publicly available to the community under the 3-Clause BSD license.
Ke Ren, Haiyang Gao, Shuqi Niu, Shaoyang Sun, Leilei Kou, Yanqing Xie, Liguo Zhang, and Lingbing Bu
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 17, 4825–4842, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-4825-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-4825-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Ultraviolet imaging technology has significantly advanced the research and development of polar mesospheric clouds (PMCs). In this study, we proposed the wide-field-of-view ultraviolet imager (WFUI) and built a forward model to evaluate the detection capability and efficiency. The results demonstrate that the WFUI performs well in PMC detection and has high detection efficiency. The relationship between ice water content and detection efficiency follows an exponential function distribution.
Adrià Amell, Simon Pfreundschuh, and Patrick Eriksson
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 17, 4337–4368, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-4337-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-4337-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
The representation of clouds in numerical weather and climate models remains a major challenge that is difficult to address because of the limitations of currently available data records of cloud properties. In this work, we address this issue by using machine learning to extract novel information on ice clouds from a long record of satellite observations. Through extensive validation, we show that this novel approach provides surprisingly accurate estimates of clouds and their properties.
Huige Di, Xinhong Wang, Ning Chen, Jing Guo, Wenhui Xin, Shichun Li, Yan Guo, Qing Yan, Yufeng Wang, and Dengxin Hua
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 17, 4183–4196, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-4183-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-4183-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
This study proposes an inversion method for atmospheric-aerosol or cloud microphysical parameters based on dual-wavelength lidar data. It is suitable for the inversion of uniformly mixed and single-property aerosol layers or small cloud droplets. For aerosol particles, the inversion range that this algorithm can achieve is 0.3–1.7 μm. For cloud droplets, it is 1.0–10 μm. This algorithm can quickly obtain the microphysical parameters of atmospheric particles and has better robustness.
Johanna Mayer, Luca Bugliaro, Bernhard Mayer, Dennis Piontek, and Christiane Voigt
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 17, 4015–4039, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-4015-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-4015-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
ProPS (PRObabilistic cloud top Phase retrieval for SEVIRI) is a method to detect clouds and their thermodynamic phase with a geostationary satellite, distinguishing between clear sky and ice, mixed-phase, supercooled and warm liquid clouds. It uses a Bayesian approach based on the lidar–radar product DARDAR. The method allows studying cloud phases, especially mixed-phase and supercooled clouds, rarely observed from geostationary satellites. This can be used for comparison with climate models.
Clémantyne Aubry, Julien Delanoë, Silke Groß, Florian Ewald, Frédéric Tridon, Olivier Jourdan, and Guillaume Mioche
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 17, 3863–3881, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-3863-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-3863-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Radar–lidar synergy is used to retrieve ice, supercooled water and mixed-phase cloud properties, making the most of the radar sensitivity to ice crystals and the lidar sensitivity to supercooled droplets. A first analysis of the output of the algorithm run on the satellite data is compared with in situ data during an airborne Arctic field campaign, giving a mean percent error of 49 % for liquid water content and 75 % for ice water content.
Gerald G. Mace
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 17, 3679–3695, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-3679-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-3679-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
The number of cloud droplets per unit volume, Nd, in a cloud is important for understanding aerosol–cloud interaction. In this study, we develop techniques to derive cloud droplet number concentration from lidar measurements combined with other remote sensing measurements such as cloud radar and microwave radiometers. We show that deriving Nd is very uncertain, although a synergistic algorithm seems to produce useful characterizations of Nd and effective particle size.
Richard M. Schulte, Matthew D. Lebsock, John M. Haynes, and Yongxiang Hu
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 17, 3583–3596, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-3583-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-3583-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
This paper describes a method to improve the detection of liquid clouds that are easily missed by the CloudSat satellite radar. To address this, we use machine learning techniques to estimate cloud properties (optical depth and droplet size) based on other satellite measurements. The results are compared with data from the MODIS instrument on the Aqua satellite, showing good correlations.
Sunny Sun-Mack, Patrick Minnis, Yan Chen, Gang Hong, and William L. Smith Jr.
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 17, 3323–3346, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-3323-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-3323-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Multilayer clouds (MCs) affect the radiation budget differently than single-layer clouds (SCs) and need to be identified in satellite images. A neural network was trained to identify MCs by matching imagery with lidar/radar data. This method correctly identifies ~87 % SCs and MCs with a net accuracy gain of 7.5 % over snow-free surfaces. It is more accurate than most available methods and constitutes a first step in providing a reasonable 3-D characterization of the cloudy atmosphere.
Gianluca Di Natale, Marco Ridolfi, and Luca Palchetti
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 17, 3171–3186, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-3171-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-3171-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
This work aims to define a new approach to retrieve the distribution of the main ice crystal shapes occurring inside ice and cirrus clouds from infrared spectral measurements. The capability of retrieving these shapes of the ice crystals from satellites will allow us to extend the currently available climatologies to be used as physical constraints in general circulation models. This could could allow us to improve their accuracy and prediction performance.
Valery Shcherbakov, Frédéric Szczap, Guillaume Mioche, and Céline Cornet
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 17, 3011–3028, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-3011-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-3011-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
We performed Monte Carlo simulations of single-wavelength lidar signals from multi-layered clouds with special attention focused on the multiple-scattering (MS) effect in regions of the cloud-free molecular atmosphere. The MS effect on lidar signals always decreases with the increasing distance from the cloud far edge. The decrease is the direct consequence of the fact that the forward peak of particle phase functions is much larger than the receiver field of view.
Cited articles
Bianchini, G., Castagnoli, F., Natale, G. D., and Palchetti, L.: A Fourier
transform spectroradiometer for ground-based remote sensing of the atmospheric downwelling long-wave radiance, Atmos. Meas. Tech., 12, 619–635,
https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-12-619-2019, 2019. a, b
Chen, W.-N., Chiang, C.-W., and Nee, J.-B.: Lidar ratio and depolarization
ratio for cirrus clouds, Appl. Optics, 41, 6470–6476, https://doi.org/10.1364/AO.41.006470, 2002. a
Cossich, W., Maestri, T., Magurno, D., Martinazzo, M., Di Natale, G., Palchetti, L., Bianchini, G., and Del Guasta, M.: Ice and mixed-phase cloud statistics on the Antarctic Plateau, Atmos. Chem. Phys., 21, 13811–13833, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-13811-2021, 2021. a
Costa, A., Meyer, J., Afchine, A., Luebke, A., Günther, G., Dorsey, J. R., Gallagher, M. W., Ehrlich, A., Wendisch, M., Baumgardner, D., Wex, H., and Krämer, M.: Classification of Arctic, midlatitude and tropical clouds in the mixed-phase temperature regime, Atmos. Chem. Phys., 17, 12219–12238, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-12219-2017, 2017. a, b
Cox, C. V., Harries, J. E., Taylor, J. P., Green, P. D., Baran, A. J.,
Pickering, J. C., Last, A. E., and Murray, J. E.: Measurement and simulation of mid-and far-infrared spectra in the presence of cirrus, Q. J. Roy. Meteorol. Soc., 136, 718–739, 2010. a
Davis, S. P., Abrams, M. C., and Brault, J. W.: Fourier Transform Spectrometry, edited by: Davis, S. P., Abrams, M. C., and Brault, J. W., Academic Press, San Diego, https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-012042510-5/50009-3, 2001. a
Del Guasta, M., Morandi, M., Stefanutti, L., Brechet, J., and Piquad, J.: One
year of cloud lidar data from Dumont d'Urville (Antarctica): 1. General
overview of geometrical and optical properties, J. Geophys. Res.-Atmos., 98, 18575–18587, https://doi.org/10.1029/93JD01476, 1993. a
Di Natale, G., Palchetti, L., Bianchini, G., and Del Guasta, M.: Simultaneous retrieval of water vapour, temperature and cirrus clouds properties from measurements of far infrared spectral radiance over the Antarctic Plateau, Atmos. Meas. Tech., 10, 825–837, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-10-825-2017, 2017. a
Di Natale, G., Bianchini, G., Del Guasta, M., Ridolfi, M., Maestri, T.,
Cossich, W., Magurno, D., and Palchetti, L.: Characterization of the Far
Infrared Properties and Radiative Forcing of Antarctic Ice and Water Clouds
Exploiting the Spectrometer-LiDAR Synergy, Remote Sens., 12, 1–22, https://doi.org/10.3390/rs12213574, 2020a. a
Di Natale, G., Palchetti, L., Bianchini, G., and Ridolfi, M.: The two-stream
δ-Eddington approximation to simulate the far infrared Earth spectrum for the simultaneous atmospheric and cloud retrieval, J. Quant. Spectrosc. Ra., 246, 106927, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jqsrt.2020.106927, 2020b. a, b
Elouragini, S.: Useful Algorithms to Derive the Optical Properties of Clouds
from a Back-scatter Lidar Return, J. Modern Opt., 42, 1439–1446,
https://doi.org/10.1080/09500349514551261, 1995. a, b
Garrett, T. J. and Zhao, C.: Ground-based remote sensing of thin clouds in the Arctic, Atmos. Meas. Tech., 6, 1227–1243, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-6-1227-2013, 2013. a
Giannakaki, E., Balis, D. S., Amiridis, V., and Kazadzis, S.: Optical and
geometrical characteristics of cirrus clouds over a Southern European lidar
station, Atmos. Chem. Phys., 7, 5519–5530, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-7-5519-2007, 2007. a
Heymsfield, A. J., Matrosov, S., and Baum, B.: Ice Water Path–Optical Depth
Relationships for Cirrus and Deep Stratiform Ice Cloud Layers, J. Appl. Meteorol., 42, 1369–1390, https://doi.org/10.1175/1520-0450(2003)042<1369:IWPDRF>2.0.CO;2, 2003. a, b, c
Höveler, K., Klanner, L., Trickl, T., and Vogelmann, H.: The Zugspitze Raman Lidar: System Testing, EPJ Web Conf., 119, 1–4, https://doi.org/10.1051/epjconf/201611905008, 2016. a
Kiehl, J. T. and Trenberth, K. E.: Earth's annual global mean energy budget, B. Am. Meteorol. Soc., 78, 197–207, 1997. a
King, M. D., Platnick, S., Yang, P., Arnold, G. T., Gray, M. A., Riedi, J. C., Ackerman, S. A., and Liou, K.-N.: Remote Sensing of Liquid Water and Ice
Cloud Optical Thickness and Effective Radius in the Arctic: Application of
Airborne Multispectral MAS Data, J. Atmos. Ocean. Tech., 21, 857–875,
https://doi.org/10.1175/1520-0426(2004)021<0857:RSOLWA>2.0.CO;2, 2004. a
Klett, J. D.: Stable analytical inversion solution for processing lidar returns, Appl. Optics, 20, 211–220, https://doi.org/10.1364/AO.20.000211, 1981. a, b
Klett, J. D.: Lidar inversion with variable backscatter/extinction ratios,
Appl. Optics, 24, 1638–1643, https://doi.org/10.1364/AO.24.001638, 1985. a, b
Korolev, A., McFarquhar, G., Field, P. R., Franklin, C., Lawson, P., Wang, Z., Williams, E., Abel, S. J., Axisa, D., Borrmann, S., Crosier, J., Fugal, J., Krämer, M., Lohmann, U., Schlenczek, O., Schnaiter, M., and Wendisch, M.: Mixed-Phase Clouds: Progress and Challenges, Meteorol. Monogr., 58,
5.1–5.50, https://doi.org/10.1175/AMSMONOGRAPHS-D-17-0001.1, 2017. a
Lubin, D., Chen, B., Bromwitch, D. H., Somerville, R. C. J., Lee, W.-H., and
Hines, K. M.: The Impact of Antarctic Cloud Radiative Properties on a GCM
Climate Simulation, J. Climate, 11, 447–462, https://doi.org/10.1175/1520-0442(1998)011<0447:TIOACR>2.0.CO;2, 1998. a
Maesh, A., Walden, V. P., and Warren, S. G.: Ground-Based Infrared Remote
Sensing of Cloud Properties over the Antarctic Plateau. Part I: Cloud-Base Heights, J. Appl. Meteorol., 40, 1265–1277, 2001. a
Maestri, T., Rizzi, R., Tosi, E., Veglio, P., Palchetti, L., Bianchini, G.,
Girolamo, P. D., Masiello, G., Serio, C., and Summa, D.: Analysis of cirrus
cloud spectral signatures in the far infrared, J. Geophys. Res., 141, 49–64, 2014. a
Palchetti, L., Bianchini, G., Natale, G. D., and Guasta, M. D.: Far-Infrared
radiative properties of water vapor and clouds in Antarctica, B. Am. Meteorol. Soc., 96, 1505–1518, https://doi.org/10.1175/BAMS-D-13-00286.1, 2015. a
Palchetti, L., Natale, G. D., and Bianchini, G.: Remote sensing of cirrus
microphysical properties using spectral measurements over the full range of
their thermal emission, J. Geophys. Res., 121, 1–16, https://doi.org/10.1002/2016JD025162, 2016. a, b
Palchetti, L., Barucci, M., Belotti, C., Bianchini, G., Cluzet, B., D'Amato,
F., Del Bianco, S., Di Natale, G., Gai, M., Khordakova, D., Montori, A.,
Oetjen, H., Rettinger, M., Rolf, C., Schuettemeyer, D., Sussmann, R., Viciani, S., Vogelmann, H., and Wienhold, F. G.: FIRMOS 2018–2019 Zugspitze campaign dataset, European Space Agency [data set], https://doi.org/10.5270/ESA-38034ee, 2020a. a
Palchetti, L., Brindley, H., Bantges, R., Buehler, S. A., Camy-Peyret, C.,
Carli, B., Cortesi, U., Del Bianco, S., Di Natale, G., Dinelli, B. M., Feldman, D., Huang, X. L., Labonnote, C.-L., Libois, Q., Maestri, T.,
Mlynczak, M. G., Murray, J. E., Oetjen, H., Ridolfi, M., Riese, M., Russell,
J., Saunders, R., and Serio, C.: FORUM: unique far-infrared satellite
observations to better understand how Earth radiates energy to space, B. Am. Meteorol. Soc., 1–52, https://doi.org/10.1175/BAMS-D-19-0322.1, 2020b. a, b
Palchetti, L., Barucci, M., Belotti, C., Bianchini, G., Cluzet, B., D'Amato, F., Del Bianco, S., Di Natale, G., Gai, M., Khordakova, D., Montori, A., Oetjen, H., Rettinger, M., Rolf, C., Schuettemeyer, D., Sussmann, R., Viciani, S., Vogelmann, H., and Wienhold, F. G.: Observations of the downwelling far-infrared atmospheric emission at the Zugspitze observatory, Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 13, 4303–4312, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-13-4303-2021, 2021. a
Rowe, P. M., Cox, C. J., Neshyba, S., and Walden, V. P.: Toward autonomous
surface-based infrared remote sensing of polar clouds: retrievals of cloud
optical and microphysical properties, Atmos. Meas. Tech., 12, 5071–5086, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-12-5071-2019, 2019. a
Takamura, T. and Sasano, Y.: Ratio of aerosol backscatter to extinction
coefficients as determined from angular scattering measurements for use in
atmospheric lidar applications, Opt. Quantum Elect., 19, 293–302, https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02032687, 1987. a
Turner, D. D. and Eloranta, E. W.: Validating Mixed-Phase Cloud Optical Depth
Retrieved From Infrared Observations With High Spectral Resolution Lidar,
IEEE Geosci. Remote Sens. Lett., 5, 285–288, https://doi.org/10.1109/LGRS.2008.915940, 2008. a
Wang, Z. and Sassen, K.: Cirrus Cloud Microphysical Property Retrieval Using
Lidar and Radar Measurements. Part II: Midlatitude Cirrus Microphysical and
Radiative Properties, J. Atmos. Sci., 59, 2291–2302,
https://doi.org/10.1175/1520-0469(2002)059<2291:CCMPRU>2.0.CO;2, 2002.
a, b
Yang, P., Wei, H.-L., Baum, B. A., Huang, H.-L., Heymsÿeld, A. J., Hu, Y. X., Gao, B.-C., and Turner, D. D.: The spectral signature of mixed-phase clouds composed of non-spherical ice crystals and spherical liquid droplets in the terrestrial window region, J. Quant. Spectrosc. Ra., 79–80,
1171–1188, 2003. a, b
Yang, P., Liou, K.-N., Bi, L., Liu, C., and Yi, B., B. B. A.: On the radiative properties of ice clouds: Light scattering, remote sensing, and radiation parameterization, Adv. Atmos. Sci., 32, 2127–2135,
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00376-014-0011-z, 2015. a
Young, S. A.: Analysis of lidar backscatter profiles in optically thin clouds, Appl. Optics, 34, 7019–7031, https://doi.org/10.1364/AO.34.007019, 1995. a
Short summary
The importance of cirrus and mixed-phase clouds in the Earth radiation budget has been proven by many studies. In this paper the properties that characterize these clouds are retrieved from lidar and far-infrared spectral measurements performed in winter 2018/19 on the Zugspitze (Germany). The synergy of lidar and spectrometer measurements allowed us to assess the exponent k of the power-law relationship between the backscattering and the extinction coefficients.
The importance of cirrus and mixed-phase clouds in the Earth radiation budget has been proven by...
