Journal Article

PreJuSER-57419

http://join2-wiki.gsi.de/foswiki/pub/Main/Artwork/join2_logo100x88.png CRISTA-NF measurements of water vapor during the SCOUT-O3 Tropical Aircraft Campaign

Hoffmann, L.FZJ* ; Weigel, K.FZJ* ; Spang, R.FZJ* ; Schroeder, S.FZJ* ; Arndt, K.FZJ* ; Lehmann, C.FZJ* ; Kaufmann, M.FZJ* ; Ern, M.FZJ* ; Preusse, P.FZJ* ; Stroh, F.FZJ* ; Riese, M.FZJ*

2009
Elsevier Science Amsterdam [u.a.]

This record in other databases:  

Please use a persistent id in citations: doi:10.1016/j.asr.2008.03.018

Abstract: The new remote sensing experiment CRISTA-NF (Cryogenic Infrared Spectrometers and Telescopes for the Atmosphere - New Frontiers) successfully participated in the SCOUT-O3 Tropical Aircraft Campaign in November and December 2005. CRISTA-NF operated aboard the high-altitude research aircraft M-55 Geophysica. Mid-infrared spectra (4-15 mu m) were measured in the limb sounding geometry with high spatial resolution (250 m vertical sampling, 5-15 km along track sampling). Measurements were carried out during transfer flights between Oberpfaffenhofen, Germany, and Darwin, Australia, as well as during several local flights near Darwin. Water vapor volume mixing ratios in the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere were derived from the CRISTA-NF radiance measurements by utilizing a rapid radiative transfer forward model and the optimal estimation retrieval approach. CRISTA-NF water vapor measurements below the hygropause have a total retrieval error of 15-40% (i.e. root mean square of accuracy and precision). The systematic terms are dominating in the retrieval error budget. The contributions of a priori information to the retrieval results are less than 5-10%. The vertical resolution of the observations is about 250-500 in when permitted by instrument sampling. In this paper we present first results for three transfer flights of the campaign. Being generally in good agreement with corresponding ECMWF operational analyzes, the CRISTA-NF measurements show significantly higher variability and local structures in the upper tropospheric water vapor distributions. (C) 2008 COSPAR. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Keyword(s): J ; CRISTA-NF (auto) ; Mid-IR remote sensing (auto) ; UT/LS region (auto) ; Water vapor (auto)

Note: The measurements performed in Darwin were funded by the European Commission within the 6th Framework Integrated Project SCOUT-O3. We thank Dr. A. Dudhia, University of Oxford, United Kingdom, for providing the MIPAS Reference Forward Model.

---

Research Program(s):

1. Atmosphäre und Klima (P22)

Appears in the scientific report 2009

---