Articles | Volume 15, issue 5
https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-15-1145-2022
https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-15-1145-2022
Research article
 | 
07 Mar 2022
Research article |  | 07 Mar 2022

Truth and uncertainty. A critical discussion of the error concept versus the uncertainty concept

Thomas von Clarmann, Steven Compernolle, and Frank Hase

Related authors

Upper-tropospheric pollutants observed by MIPAS: geographic and seasonal variations
Norbert Glatthor, Gabriele P. Stiller, Thomas von Clarmann, Bernd Funke, Sylvia Kellmann, and Andrea Linden
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 1175–1208, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-1175-2025,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-1175-2025, 2025
Short summary
IMK–IAA MIPAS retrieval version 8: CH4 and N2O
Norbert Glatthor, Thomas von Clarmann, Bernd Funke, Maya García-Comas, Udo Grabowski, Michael Höpfner, Sylvia Kellmann, Michael Kiefer, Alexandra Laeng, Andrea Linden, Manuel López-Puertas, and Gabriele P. Stiller
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 17, 2849–2871, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-2849-2024,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-2849-2024, 2024
Short summary
Version 8 IMK/IAA MIPAS measurements of CFC-11, CFC-12, and HCFC-22
Gabriele P. Stiller, Thomas von Clarmann, Norbert Glatthor, Udo Grabowski, Sylvia Kellmann, Michael Kiefer, Alexandra Laeng, Andrea Linden, Bernd Funke, Maya García-Comas, and Manuel López-Puertas
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 17, 1759–1789, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-1759-2024,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-1759-2024, 2024
Short summary
MIPAS ozone retrieval version 8: middle-atmosphere measurements
Manuel López-Puertas, Maya García-Comas, Bernd Funke, Thomas von Clarmann, Norbert Glatthor, Udo Grabowski, Sylvia Kellmann, Michael Kiefer, Alexandra Laeng, Andrea Linden, and Gabriele P. Stiller
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 16, 5609–5645, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-16-5609-2023,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-16-5609-2023, 2023
Short summary
Version 8 IMK–IAA MIPAS temperatures from 12–15 µm spectra: Middle and Upper Atmosphere modes
Maya García-Comas, Bernd Funke, Manuel López-Puertas, Norbert Glatthor, Udo Grabowski, Sylvia Kellmann, Michael Kiefer, Andrea Linden, Belén Martínez-Mondéjar, Gabriele P. Stiller, and Thomas von Clarmann
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 16, 5357–5386, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-16-5357-2023,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-16-5357-2023, 2023
Short summary

Related subject area

Subject: Gases | Technique: Remote Sensing | Topic: Data Processing and Information Retrieval
Hourly surface nitrogen dioxide retrieval from GEMS tropospheric vertical column densities: benefit of using time-contiguous input features for machine learning models
Janek Gödeke, Andreas Richter, Kezia Lange, Peter Maaß, Hyunkee Hong, Hanlim Lee, and Junsung Park
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 18, 3747–3779, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-18-3747-2025,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-18-3747-2025, 2025
Short summary
Remote sensing estimates of time-resolved HONO and NO2 emission rates and lifetimes in wildfires
Carley D. Fredrickson, Scott J. Janz, Lok N. Lamsal, Ursula A. Jongebloed, Joshua L. Laughner, and Joel A. Thornton
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 18, 3669–3689, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-18-3669-2025,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-18-3669-2025, 2025
Short summary
A study of measurement scenarios for the future CO2M mission: avoidance of detector saturation and the impact on XCO2 retrievals
Michael Weimer, Michael Hilker, Stefan Noël, Max Reuter, Michael Buchwitz, Blanca Fuentes Andrade, Rüdiger Lang, Bernd Sierk, Yasjka Meijer, Heinrich Bovensmann, John P. Burrows, and Hartmut Bösch
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 18, 3321–3340, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-18-3321-2025,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-18-3321-2025, 2025
Short summary
Assimilation of volcanic sulfur dioxide products from IASI and TROPOMI into the chemical transport model MOCAGE: case study of the 2021 La Soufrière Saint Vincent eruption with the March 2022 version of MOCAGE
Mickaël Bacles, Jonathan Améric, and Vincent Guidard
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 18, 2659–2680, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-18-2659-2025,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-18-2659-2025, 2025
Short summary
In-flight estimation of instrument spectral response functions using sparse representations
Jihanne El Haouari, Jean-Michel Gaucel, Christelle Pittet, Jean-Yves Tourneret, and Herwig Wendt
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 18, 2573–2590, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-18-2573-2025,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-18-2573-2025, 2025
Short summary

Cited articles

Bayes, T.: An essay towards solving a problem in the doctrine of chances, Phil. Trans., 53, 370–418, https://doi.org/10.1098/rstl.1763.0053, 1763. a
Bich, W.: From Errors to Probability Density Functions. Evolution of the Concept of Measurement Uncertainty, IEEE T. Instrum. Meas., 61, 2153–2159, https://doi.org/10.1109/TIM.2012.2193696, 2012. a, b, c
Bridgman, P. W.: The Logic of Modern Physics, Macmillan, New York, OCoLC 609483443, 1927. a
Bureau International des Poids et Mésures: Report on the BIPM enquiry on error statements, Tech. Rep. BIPM-80/3, Bureau International des Poids et Mésures, F-92310, https://www.bipm.org/en/publications/rapports-bipm-pre-1990 (last access: 1 March 2022), 1980.​​​​​​​ a
Chang, H.: Operationalism, in: The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, edited by: Zalta, E. N., Metaphysics Research Lab, Stanford University, Winter 2019 edn., https://plato.stanford.edu/archives/win2019/entries/operationalism/ (last access: 28 February 2022), 2019. a
Download
Short summary
Contrary to the claims put forward in Evaluation of measurement data – Guide to the expression of uncertainty in measurement issued by the JCGM, the error concept and the uncertainty concept are the same. Arguments in favor of the contrary were found not to be compelling. Neither was any evidence presented that errors and uncertainties define a different relation between the measured and true values, nor is a Bayesian concept beyond the mere subjective probability referred to.
Share