Assessment of the quality of OSIRIS mesospheric temperatures using satellite and ground-based measurements

Abstract. The Optical Spectrograph and InfraRed Imaging System (OSIRIS) on the Odin satellite is currently in its 12th year of observing the Earth's limb. For the first time, continuous temperature profiles extending from the stratopause to the upper mesosphere have been derived from OSIRIS measurements of Rayleigh-scattered sunlight. Through most of the mesosphere, OSIRIS temperatures are in good agreement with coincident temperature profiles derived from other satellite and ground-based measurements. In the altitude region of 55–80 km, OSIRIS temperatures are typically within 4–5 K of those from the SABER, ACE-FTS, and SOFIE instruments on the TIMED, SciSat-I, and AIM satellites, respectively. The mean differences between individual OSIRIS profiles and those of the other satellite instruments are typically within the combined uncertainties and previously reported biases. OSIRIS temperatures are typically within 2 K of those from the University of Western Ontario's Purple Crow Lidar in the altitude region of 52–79 km, where the mean differences are within combined uncertainties. Near 84 km, OSIRIS temperatures exhibit a cold bias of 10–15 K, which is due to a cold bias in OSIRIS O₂ A-band temperatures at 85 km, the upper boundary of the Rayleigh-scatter derived temperatures; and near 48 km OSIRIS temperatures exhibit a cold bias of 5–15 K, which is likely due to multiple-scatter effects that are not taken into account in the retrieval.