A synergistic ground-based remote sensing algorithm applied to Aerosol Robotic Network and Multifilter Rotating Shadowband Radiometer allowed retrievals of UV-Vis Saharan dust spectral aerosol absorption at the Izaña Atmospheric Observatory. The retrieved dataset provides a valuable reference for evaluating satellite ultraviolet dust absorption inversions and further helps infer dust mineralogy to improve dust representation in Earth System Models.

For satellite measurements of atmospheric composition, the random uncertainty estimates provided by retrieval algorithms might be imperfect due to various approximations used in the retrievals or presence of unknown error sources. This paper presents an overview of the methods used for validation of random uncertainty estimates. All methods discussed in this study are categorized, and assumptions and limitations of each method are discussed.

This paper assesses a possible bias in calibration of the spaceborne CALIOP lidar signals at 1064 nm resulting from relative attenuation of the signals at 1064 nm and 532 nm due to stratospheric aerosols. Multi-channel aerosol measurements from SAGE III instrument on ISS indicate that the bias is less than 1–2 % for background conditions and up to 5 % for strong stratospheric loading. Implications for extinction retrievals at 1064 nm and cascading errors for multi-layer scenes are discussed.

Observational records show that stratospheric ozone is recovering in accordance with the implementation of the Montreal Protocol and its amendments. Natural ozone variability complicates the detection of small trends. This study optimizes a statistical model fit in ground-station-based observational records by adding parameters that interpret seasonal and long-term changes in atmospheric circulation and airmass mixing, which reduces uncertainties in detecting the stratospheric ozone recovery.

Climate-related studies need information about the distribution of stratospheric aerosols, which influence the energy balance of the Earth’s atmosphere. In this work, we present a merged dataset of vertically resolved stratospheric aerosol extinction coefficients, which is derived from data of six limb and occultation satellite instruments. The created aerosol climate record covers the period from October 1984 to December 2023. It can be used in various climate-related studies.