Open AccessError analysis for tropospheric NO 2 retrieval from space
Author(s) -
Boersma K. F.,
Eskes H. J.,
Brinksma E. J.
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
journal of geophysical research: atmospheres
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.67
H-Index - 298
eISSN - 2156-2202
pISSN - 0148-0227
DOI - 10.1029/2003jd003962
Subject(s) - troposphere , albedo (alchemy) , environmental science , a priori and a posteriori , meteorology , trace gas , tropospheric ozone , aerosol , remote sensing , stratosphere , atmospheric sciences , column (typography) , mathematics , geology , physics , geometry , epistemology , art , philosophy , connection (principal bundle) , performance art , art history
Retrieval uncertainty estimates for vertical tropospheric NO 2 columns based on theoretical error source discussions combined with actual Global Ozone Monitoring Experiment (GOME) observations are presented. Contributions to the total retrieval uncertainty are divided into three categories: (1) errors caused by measurement noise and spectral fitting, affecting the slant column density, (2) errors related to the separation of stratospheric and tropospheric NO 2 affecting the estimate of the stratospheric slant column, and (3) errors due to uncertainty in model parameters such as clouds, surface albedo, and a priori profile shape, affecting the tropospheric air mass factor. Furthermore, it is shown that a correction for the effective temperature of the trace gas is essential and that a correction for the presence of aerosols needs to be accompanied by aerosol corrections to the cloud retrieval. A discussion of the error components and total retrieval uncertainty is given for March 1997. Tropospheric NO 2 columns can be retrieved with a precision of 35–60% over regions with a large contribution of the troposphere to the total column. This error estimate demonstrates the need for highly accurate albedo maps, cloud retrieval schemes, and realistic a priori NO 2 profile shapes.