An optimal estimation-based retrieval of upper atmospheric oxygen airglow and temperature from SCIAMACHY limb observations

Abstract

Abstract. An optimal estimation-based algorithm is developed to retrieve number density of excited oxygen (O2) molecules that generate airglow emissions near 0.76 μm (A band) and 1.27 μm (1Δ band) in the upper atmosphere. Both oxygen bands are important for the remote sensing of greenhouse gases. The algorithm is applied to the limb spectra observed by the SCanning Imaging Absorption spectroMeter for Atmospheric CHartographY (SCIAMACHY) instrument in both nominal (tangent heights below ~90 km) and mesosphere-lower thermosphere (MLT) modes (tangent heights spanning 50–150 km). The number densities of emitting O2 in the 1Δ band are retrieved in an altitude range of 25–100 km near daily in 2010, providing a climatology of O2 1Δ band airglow emission. This climatology will help disentangle airglow from backscattered light in nadir remote sensing of the 1Δ band. The global monthly distributions of the vertical column loading of emitting O2 in 1Δ state show mainly latitudinal dependence without other discernible geographical patterns. Temperature profiles are retrieved simultaneously from the spectral shapes of the 1Δ band airglow emission in the nominal limb mode and from both 1Δ and A band airglow emissions in the MLT mode. The temperature retrievals from both airglow bands are consistent internally and in agreement with independent observations from ACE-FTS and MIPAS with absolute mean bias near or below 5 K and root mean squared error (RMSE) near or below 10 K. The retrieved emitting O2 number density and temperature provide a unique dataset for remote sensing of greenhouse gases and constraining the chemical and physical processes in the upper atmosphere.

A Spherical Shells Model of Atmospheric Absorption for Instrument Calibration

“…In our research, there are very few complete models for UV absorption and even fewer that cover wavelengths below 300 nm [7][8][9][10][11]. To give an example, [12][13][14] aims to calculate the high-altitude atmospheric emission effects due to "day-glow." However, it does this by looking through Earth's upper atmospheric layers.…”