Water vapor plays an important role in determining the radiative balance of Earth's atmosphere, and variations in stratospheric water vapor (SWV) concentrations have been shown to affect radiative forcing (Forster & Shine, 1999; Solomon et al., 2010), ozone concentrations (Dvortsov & Solomon, 2001), and atmospheric circulation (Maycock et al., 2013). These variations in SWV can occur on subseasonal to decadal timescales, so accurate and continuous global measurements of SWV are essential in order to understand SWV variability over the range of relevant timescales. Although no formal satellite-based monitoring program exists for SWV, a number of temporally overlapping satellite instruments have been making measurements of SWV continuously since the launch of the Stratospheric Aerosol and Gas Experiment II (SAGE II) in

The Cross‐track Infrared Sounder (CrIS) and the Advanced Technology Microwave Sounder (ATMS) instruments aboard the Suomi National Polar‐orbiting Partnership satellite provide high‐quality hyperspectral infrared and microwave observations to retrieve atmospheric vertical temperature and moisture profiles (AVTP and AVMP) and many other environmental data records (EDRs). The official CrIS and ATMS EDR algorithm, together called the Cross‐track Infrared and Microwave Sounding Suite (CrIMSS), produces EDR products on an operational basis through the interface data processing segment. The CrIMSS algorithm group is to assess and ensure that operational EDRs meet beta and provisional maturity requirements and are ready for stages 1–3 validations. This paper presents a summary of algorithm optimization efforts, as well as characterization and validation of the AVTP and AVMP products using the European Centre for Medium‐Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) analysis, the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) retrievals, and conventional and dedicated radiosonde observations. The global root‐mean‐square (RMS) differences between the CrIMSS products and the ECMWF show that the AVTP is meeting the requirements for layers 30–300 hPa (1.53 K versus 1.5 K) and 300–700 hPa (1.28 K versus 1.5 K). Slightly higher RMS difference for the 700 hPa‐surface layer (1.78 K versus 1.6 K) is attributable to land and polar profiles. The AVMP product is within the requirements for 300–600 hPa (26.8% versus 35%) and is close in meeting the requirements for 600 hPa‐surface (25.3% versus 20%). After just one year of maturity, the CrIMSS EDR products are quite comparable to the AIRS heritage algorithm products and show readiness for stages 1–3 validations.

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A fast and accurate principal component-based radiative transfer model in the solar spectral region (PCRTM-SOLAR) has been developed. The algorithm is capable of simulating reflected solar spectra in both clear sky and cloudy atmospheric conditions. Multiple scattering of the solar beam by the multilayer clouds and aerosols are calculated using a discrete ordinate radiative transfer scheme. The PCRTM-SOLAR model can be trained to simulate top-of-atmosphere radiance or reflectance spectra with spectral resolution ranging from 1  cm^-1 resolution to a few nanometers. Broadband radiances or reflectance can also be calculated if desired. The current version of the PCRTM-SOLAR covers a spectral range from 300 to 2500 nm. The model is valid for solar zenith angles ranging from 0 to 80 deg, the instrument view zenith angles ranging from 0 to 70 deg, and the relative azimuthal angles ranging from 0 to 360 deg. Depending on the number of spectral channels, the speed of the current version of PCRTM-SOLAR is a few hundred to over one thousand times faster than the medium speed correlated-k option MODTRAN5. The absolute RMS error in channel radiance is smaller than 10^-3 mW/cm²/sr/cm^-1 and the relative error is typically less than 0.2%.