Aerosol profiling using radiometric and polarimetric spectral measurements in the O2 near infrared bands: Estimation of information content and measurement uncertainties

摘要: Abstract Characterization of aerosol vertical distribution in the planetary boundary layer (PBL) using passive remote sensing requires advances current state art. To quantify performance various sensor designs within a common framework we developed an climatology Los Angeles basin and applied observing system simulation experiments (OSSEs) to estimate information content retrievable from variety sensors measuring reflected near-infrared solar radiation. In addition simulating planned satellite sensors, also characterize sensitivity California Laboratory for Atmospheric Remote Sensing – Fourier Transform Spectrometer (CLARS-FTS), located at Mt. Wilson (1.67 km above sea level), which is utilized this work as testbed profiling sensing. We impacts spectral coverage, radiance polarization, resolution, signal noise ratio (SNR), number viewing angles on retrieval uncertainties profiles PBL. found that by adding high resolution (full-width half-maximum 3 cm−1 or better), polarimetric measurements with SNR least 212 300 both O2 A 1∆ bands, degrees freedom (DOFS) single CLARS-FTS measurement raised 2.1 2.8. This improvement sufficient simultaneously three key parameters: optical depth, peak height, thickness Current satellite-borne instruments (OCO-2, OCO-3, TEMPO, TROPOMI, EPIC) (TEMPO, MicroCarb, SPEXone, MAIA), individually provide DOFS ≤ 2.25, insufficient all parameters Joint radiometric B bands 500 353 acquired angles, can retrieve simultaneously. The inclusion reduces required advantageous when multiangular data are pointable instrument. case larger spatial coverage be achieved given target.