CO measurements from the ACE-FTS satellite instrument: data analysis and validation using ground-based, airborne and spaceborne observations

C. Clerbaux, M. George, S. Turquety, K. A. Walker, B. Barret, P. Bernath, C. Boone, T. Borsdorff, J. P. Cammas, V. Catoire, M. Coffey, P. -F. Coheur, M. Deeter, M. De Maziere, J. Drummond, P. Duchatelet, E. Dupuy, R. de Zafra, F. Eddounia, D. P. EdwardsL. Emmons, B. Funke, J. Gille, D. W. T. Griffith, J. Hannigan, F. Hase, M. Hoepfner, N. Jones, A. Kagawa, Y. Kasai, I. Kramer, E. Le Flochmoen, N. J. Livesey, M. Lopez-Puertas, M. Luo, E. Mahieu, D. Murtagh, P. Nedelec, A. Pazmino, H. Pumphrey, P. Ricaud, C. P. Rinsland, C. Robert, M. Schneider, C. Senten, G. Stiller, A. Strandberg, K. Strong, R. Sussmann, V. Thouret, J. Urban, A. Wiacek

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

The Atmospheric Chemistry Experiment (ACE) mission was launched in August 2003 to sound the atmosphere by solar occultation. Carbon monoxide (CO), a good tracer of pollution plumes and atmospheric dynamics, is one of the key species provided by the primary instrument, the ACE-Fourier Transform Spectrometer (ACE-FTS). This instrument performs measurements in both the CO 1-0 and 2-0 ro-vibrational bands, from which vertically resolved CO concentration profiles are retrieved, from the mid-troposphere to the thermosphere. This paper presents an updated description of the ACE-FTS version 2.2 CO data product, along with a comprehensive validation of these profiles using available observations (February 2004 to December 2006). We have compared the CO partial columns with ground-based measurements using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and millimeter wave radiometry, and the volume mixing ratio profiles with airborne (both high-altitude balloon flight and airplane) observations. CO satellite observations provided by nadir-looking instruments (MOPITT and TES) as well as limb-viewing remote sensors (MIPAS, SMR and MLS) were also compared with the ACE-FTS CO products. We show that the ACE-FTS measurements provide CO profiles with small retrieval errors (better than 5% from the upper troposphere to 40 km, and better than 10% above). These observations agree well with the correlative measurements, considering the rather loose coincidence criteria in some cases. Based on the validation exercise we assess the following uncertainties to the ACE-FTS measurement data: better than 15% in the upper troposphere (8-12 km), than 30% in the lower stratosphere (12-30 km), and than 25% from 30 to 100 km.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)2569-2594
Number of pages26
JournalAtmospheric Chemistry and Physics
Volume8
Issue number9
Publication statusPublished - 5 May 2008

Keywords

  • CARBON-MONOXIDE
  • FTIR SPECTROSCOPY
  • AURA MISSION
  • RETRIEVAL
  • CHEMISTRY
  • TROPOSPHERE
  • NORTHERN
  • PROGRAM
  • STATION
  • MLS

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