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At least 109 records · Page 6

A Comparison of HALOE V19 with SAGE II V6.00 Ozone Observations using Trajectory Mapping

We apply trajectory mapping to an eight-year intercomparison of ozone observations from HALOE (V19) and SAGE II (V6.00) for the months March, May, June, September, October, and December from the period December 1991 - October 1999. Our results, which represent the most extensive such intercomparison of these two data sets to date, suggest a root-mean -square difference between the two data sets of greater than 15% below 22 km and of 4 - 12% throughout most of the rest of the stratosphere. In addition, we find a bias with HALOE ozone low relative to SAGE II by 5 - 20% below 22 km between 40degS and 40degN. Biases throughout most of the rest of the stratosphere are nearly nonexistent. Finally, our analysis suggests almost no drift in the bias between the data sets is observed over the period of study. In the course of our study, we also determine that the employment of the Wang-Cunnold criteria is still recommended with the V6.00 SAGE II ozone data. Results with the new versions of the data sets show significant improvement over previous versions, particularly in the elimination of mid-stratospheric biases and the elimination of the previously observed drifts in the biases between the data sets in the lower stratosphere. Since HALOE V19 and V18 ozone are very similar, these changes can likely be attributed to improvements in the SAGE II retrieval.

Morris, Gary A.↗

Information Retrieval from SAGE II and MFRSR Multi-Spectral Extinction Measurements

Direct beam spectral extinction measurements of solar radiation contain important information on atmospheric composition in a form that is essentially free from multiple scattering contributions that otherwise tend to complicate the data analysis and information retrieval. Such direct beam extinction measurements are available from the solar occultation satellite-based measurements made by the Stratospheric and Aerosol Gas Experiment (SAGE II) instrument and by ground-based Multi-Filter Shadowband Radiometers (MFRSRs). The SAGE II data provide cross-sectional slices of the atmosphere twice per orbit at seven wavelengths between 385 and 1020 nm with approximately 1 km vertical resolution, while the MFRSR data provide atmospheric column measurements at six wavelengths between 415 and 940 nm but at one minute time intervals. We apply the same retrieval technique of simultaneous least-squares fit to the observed spectral extinctions to retrieve aerosol optical depth, effective radius and variance, and ozone, nitrogen dioxide, and water vapor amounts from the SAGE II and MFRSR measurements. The retrieval technique utilizes a physical model approach based on laboratory measurements of ozone and nitrogen dioxide extinction, line-by-line and numerical k-distribution calculations for water vapor absorption, and Mie scattering constraints on aerosol spectral extinction properties. The SAGE II measurements have the advantage of being self-calibrating in that deep space provides an effective zero point for the relative spectral extinctions. The MFRSR measurements require periodic clear-day Langley regression calibration events to maintain accurate knowledge of instrument calibration.

Lacis, Andrew A.↗

Stratospheric Aerosol and Gas Experiment (SAGE) II and III Aerosol Extinction Measurements in the Arctic Middle and Upper Troposphere

In recent years, substantial effort has been expended toward understanding the impact of tropospheric aerosols on Arctic climate and chemistry. A significant part of this effort has been the collection and documentation of extensive aerosol physical and optical property data sets. However, the data sets present significant interpretive challenges because of the diverse nature of these measurements. Among the longest continuous records is that by the spaceborne Stratospheric Aerosol and Gas Experiment (SAGE) II. Although SAGE tropospheric measurements are restricted to the middle and upper troposphere, they may be able to provide significant insight into the nature and variability of tropospheric aerosol, particularly when combined with ground and airborne observations. This paper demonstrates the capacity of aerosol products from SAGE II and its follow-on experiment SAGE III to describe the temporal and vertical variations of Arctic aerosol characteristics. We find that the measurements from both instruments are consistent enough to be combined. Using this combined data set, we detect a clear annual cycle in the aerosol extinction for the middle and upper Arctic troposphere.

Treffeisen, R. E.↗

Validation of Ozone Profiles Retrieved from SAGE III Limb Scatter Measurements

Ozone profiles retrieved from Stratospheric Aerosol and Gas Experiment (SAGE III) limb scatter measurements are compared with correlative measurements made by occultation instruments (SAGE II, SAGE III and HALOE [Halogen Occultation Experiment]), a limb scatter instrument (Optical Spectrograph and InfraRed Imager System [OSIRIS]) and a series of ozonesondes and lidars, in order to ascertain the accuracy and precision of the SAGE III instrument in limb scatter mode. The measurement relative accuracy is found to be 5-10% from the tropopause to about 45km whereas the relative precision is found to be less than 10% from 20 to 38km. The main source of error is height registration uncertainty, which is found to be Gaussian with a standard deviation of about 350m.

Rault, Didier F.↗

Thermal Modeling Method Improvements for SAGE III on ISS

The Stratospheric Aerosol and Gas Experiment III (SAGE III) instrument is the fifth in a series of instruments developed for monitoring aerosols and gaseous constituents in the stratosphere and troposphere. SAGE III will be delivered to the International Space Station (ISS) via the SpaceX Dragon vehicle. A detailed thermal model of the SAGE III payload, which consists of multiple subsystems, has been developed in Thermal Desktop (TD). Many innovative analysis methods have been used in developing this model; these will be described in the paper. This paper builds on a paper presented at TFAWS 2013, which described some of the initial developments of efficient methods for SAGE III. The current paper describes additional improvements that have been made since that time. To expedite the correlation of the model to thermal vacuum (TVAC) testing, the chambers and GSE for both TVAC chambers at Langley used to test the payload were incorporated within the thermal model. This allowed the runs of TVAC predictions and correlations to be run within the flight model, thus eliminating the need for separate models for TVAC. In one TVAC test, radiant lamps were used which necessitated shooting rays from the lamps, and running in both solar and IR wavebands. A new Dragon model was incorporated which entailed a change in orientation; that change was made using an assembly, so that any potential additional new Dragon orbits could be added in the future without modification of the model. The Earth orbit parameters such as albedo and Earth infrared flux were incorporated as time-varying values that change over the course of the orbit; despite being required in one of the ISS documents, this had not been done before by any previous payload. All parameters such as initial temperature, heater voltage, and location of the payload are defined based on the case definition. For one component, testing was performed in both air and vacuum; incorporating the air convection in a submodel that was only built for the in-air cases allowed correlation of all testing to be done in a single model. These modeling improvements and more will be described and illustrated in the paper.

Liles, Kaitlin↗

SAGE III/ISS Validation of Ozone and Water Vapor V5.2 Data Using Collocated Balloon-Borne Measurements

The Stratospheric Aerosol and Gas Experiment III (SAGE III) instrument installed on the International Space Station (ISS) has completed nearly four years of data collection and production of science data products. The SAGE III/ISS is a solar and lunar occultation instrument that scans the light from the Sun and Moon through the limb of the Earth’s atmosphere to produce vertical profiles of aerosol, ozone, water vapor, and other trace gases. It continues the legacy of previous SAGE instruments dating back to the 1970s to provide data continuity of stratospheric constituents critical for assessing trends in the ozone layer. This presentation shows the validation results of comparing SAGE III/ISS ozone and water vapor vertical profiles from the newly released v5.2 science product with those of balloon launched ozonesonde and frost point hygrometer measurements and satellite data from the Microwave Limb Sounder.

S Kizer↗

The Stratospheric Aerosol and Gas Experiment (SAGE) IV Pathfinder

As evidenced by quadrennial holding of this symposium and publishing of the Scientific Assessment of Ozone Depletion, the continued monitoring of and reporting on the stratospheric ozone layer is paramount to determining the efficacy of the Montreal Protocol. Measurements from satellites provided data on the initial decline of ozone in the late 1970s and early 1980s that supported the adoption of the Montreal Protocol, with current observations hinting at recovery. Adequate determination of that recovery requires continuous and, in the case of multiple instruments, overlapping data records. However, most current satellite systems are well beyond their expected lifetimes and are large and expensive. A new measurement paradigm is needed to enable cost-effective, sustainable measurements of atmospheric ozone into the coming decades when ozone is expected to recover. The Stratospheric Aerosol and Gas Experiment (SAGE) IV is a solar occultation imager capable of measuring ozone, aerosol, and other trace gas species with the same quality as previous SAGE instruments (including SAGE III/ISS). Taking advantage of recent technological advancements, a single sensorcraft occupies a 6U CubeSat form-factor providing an order of magnitude reduction in cost over traditional missions. SAGE IV is an example of an innovative and affordable mission that can sustain a crucial science measurement well into the future.

Robert Damadeo↗

SAGE measurements of Mount St. Helens volcanic aerosols

The SAGE satellite system was used to make measurements on the optical extinction produced by stratospheric aerosols from the Mount St. Helens eruption. Two periods of observation were analyzed. In the first period (May 21 to 31, 1980), SAGE moved southward from latitude 60 N, and crossed the United States approximately one week after the May 18th eruption. Enhancements in stratospheric extinction were confined to latitudes between about 55 N and 25 N and longitudes between 10 W and 140 W. Individual layers were observed up to altitudes of 23 km. The geographical location of these layers corresponded closely to that expected on the basis of high-altitude meteorological data. During June and much of July, SAGE was, by reason of its geographical position and other orbital characteristics, unable to make further measurements on the northern hemisphere. Between July 19th and August 12th a second southward pass over the northern hemisphere occurred and further observations were made. The volcanic aerosol in the stratosphere was now found to be widely distributed over the hemisphere, the maximum concentrations being north of 50 N. The aerosol showed considerable inhomogeneity and had reached as far south as 15 N but little, if any, had crossed the equator into the southern hemisphere. Individual layers at different heights were still distinguishable. The total stratospheric aerosol loading on this occasion appeared to be greater than in May and corresponded to an increase in global stratospheric mass of between 50 and 100 percent.

Kent, G. S.↗

SAGE - European ozonesonde comparison

Between February and December 1979, 30 correlative comparisons were conducted of ozone profiles derived from the satellite sensor SAGE and those derived from balloon-borne ozonesondes launched in Europe. The mean absolute differences between SAGE and the European sondes when ozone mixing ratio is used as the basis of comparison are listed, and ozone comparisons made at four stations in Europe are plotted as ozone mixing ratio versus altitude. The agreement is considered quite reasonable. Also shown is an April 2, 1979 Garmisch comparison where the time and space differences were very small. The agreement is found to be remarkable. For example, the ratio of SAGE to ozonesonde values at 13 out of 17 levels between 12.5 and 28.5 km lies in the range 0.92-1.06.

Reiter, R.↗

Design and performance of the Stratospheric Aerosol and Gas Experiment II (SAGE II) instrument

Design and performance data are analyzed for the Stratospheric Aerosol and Gas Experiment II (SAGE II) instrument, which has been developed for the NASA Earth Radiation Budget Satellite (ERBS). SAGE II is designed to monitor globally, from 70 degrees S to 70 degrees N latitude, the vertical distribution of stratospheric aerosols, ozone, water vapor, and nitrogen dioxide by measuring the extinction of solar radiation through the earth's atmosphere during the ERBS observatory solar occultations. A flat scanning mirror reflects solar radiation into a Cassegrain type telescope, which forms a solar image on the entrance slit of a grating spectrometer. The instantaneous-field-of-view of the SAGE II is scanned along the vertical solar diameter by the elevation scan mirror. The optical system is contained within an azimuth gimbal which tracks the solar radiometric centroid during the data event, while the spectrometer isolates seven spectral wavelengths from 0.385-1.02 micrometers. The seven channels of the spectrometer use silicon photodiode dedectors operated in the photovoltaic mode. The detector outputs are multiplexed into a serial data stream for readout by the ERBS telemetry system, with each output being sampled 64 times per second and digitized to 12 bit resolution.

Zaun, N. H.↗

An intercomparison of SAGE and SBUV ozone observations for March and April 1979

Thirty-eight latitudinal cross sections of stratospheric ozone observed by the SAGE (Stratospheric Aerosol and Gas Experiment) and SBUV (Solar Backscattered Ultraviolet) satellite instruments on the same days in March and April 1979 and at approximately the same latitude are compared. Differences in the zonal-mean mixing ratios are found. At pressures less than 5 mbar, SAGE gives approximately 20 percent larger mixing ratios at tropical latitudes (after a correction has been applied for the expected diurnal variation of ozone). The uncorrelated portion of the SBUV variances are smaller than the SAGE noise variances at altitudes above 10 mbar, which indicates that the SBUV experiment should provide excellent detectability of longitudinal ozone variations.

Cunnold, D. M.↗

A comparative study of aerosol extinction measurements made by the SAM II and SAGE satellite experiments

SAM II and SAGE are two satellite experiments designed to measure stratospheric aerosol extinction using the technique of solar occultation or limb extinction. Although each sensor is mounted aboard a different satellite, there are occasions when their measurement locations are nearly coincident, thereby providing opportunities for a measurement comparison. In this paper, the aerosol extinction profiles and daily contour plots for some of these events in 1979 are reported. The comparisons shown in this paper demonstrate that SAM II and SAGE are producing similar aerosol extinction profiles within their measurement errors and that since SAM II has been previously validated, these results show the validity of the SAGE aerosol measurements.

Yue, G. K.↗

Comparison of ozone data derived from SBUV and SAGE with emphasis on longitudinal variations

Stratospheric ozone observations performed by the SBAV and SAGE satellite instruments in March and April 1979 are analyzed and compared to other data, where available; in the absence of ground-truth data the experimental uncertainties are modeled by intercomparison of the measurements. The signal-to-noise ratios for the detectability of longitudinal variation in ozone are estimated for both SBUV and SAGE instruments. The analysis of longitudinal variation data reveals significant differences in amplitudes obtained in individual events in which rapid amplitude changes with height were present. Finally, a systematic overestimation of ozone by 20 percent by the SAGE instrument and underestimation by SBUV by about 15 percent at 50-70 latitudes at 10 mb is noted.

Cunnold, D.↗

Zonal and geographical distributions of cirrus clouds determined from SAGE data

Stratospheric Aerosol and Gas Experiment (SAGE) data obtained from February 1979-November 1981 are analyzed in order to evaluate the spatial extent and frequency occurrence of cirrus clouds. The capabilities of the SAGE measurement system which has a field of view of 100 sq km are discussed. The frequency of occurrence of the cirrus clouds and the frequency penetration of the clouds to fixed altitudes of 5, 7, and 9 km, and to altitudes of 1, 3 and 5 km below the troposphere are examined. It is observed that optically thick cirrus clouds form most frequently in the midlatitudes over the equator, with distinct minima near latitude bands of 20-30 deg north and south; height penetrations to 7 km occur 60 percent of the time in upper latitudes and drop to 30 percent over the tropics. The SAGE data are compared with selective chopper radiometer data and good correlation in shape and seasonal movement is displayed. The seasonal geographical distributions of cirrus clouds in regions of rising moist air associated with low-level convergence zones are described.

Woodbury, G. E.↗

SAGE observations of stratospheric nitrogen dioxide

The global distribution of nitrogen dioxide in the middle to upper stratosphere (25-45 km altitude) for the period February 1979 to November 1981 has been determined from observations of attenuated solar radiation in the visible region 0.385-0.45 micron by the Stratospheric Aerosol and Gas Experiment (SAGE) satellite instrument. The SAGE-derived NO2 vertical profiles compare well with observations by balloon- and aircraft-borne sensors. The global SAGE NO2 distributions generally show a maximum in mixing ratio of 8 parts per billion by volume at about 35 km altitude near the equatorial latitudes at local sunset. The location of the mixing ratio peak moves synchronously with the overhead sun for the four different seasons. High-latitude NO2 column content shows strong seasonal variation, with a maximum in local summer and a minimum in local winter. Selected data at high-latitude winter seasons are presented, suggesting that the large variation shown could be explained by the coupling of both dynamics and photochemistry of the NO(x) species. Finally, profiles of the ratio of sunset to sunrise NO2 mixing ratios, peaking at about a factor of two at 30 km, are shown.

Chu, W. P.↗

SAGE 2 satellite data set validation

The results of a validation study of data obtained by the Stratospheric Aerosol and Gas Experiment 2 satellite experiment (SAGE 2) are given. Preliminary SAGE 2 data have been available for the period October, 1984 to May, 1985. In addition, the results of two correlative experimental measurement series have been studied in detail, as well as climatological data obtained by other techniques, including ground-based and airborne lidar. The study shows the SAGE 2 data to be of great potential value to studies of the microphyiscs of stratospheric aerosols, the chemistry of trace gases and stratospheric dynamics. A small number of unidentified errors in the current preliminary data set are described. These will be removed from the next version of the data set which is anticipated to be of archival quality.

Kent, G. S.↗

SAGE aerosol measurements. Volume 3: January 1, 1981 to November 18, 1981

The Stratospheric Aerosol and Gas Experiment (SAGE) satellite system, launched February 18, 1979, obtained profiles of aerosol extinction at 1.00 micron and 0.45 micron ozone concentration, and nitrogen dioxide concentration. Data taken during sunset events are presented in the form of zonal and seasonal averages of aerosol extinction of 1.00 micron and 0.45 micron, ratios of aerosol extinction to molecular extinction at 1.00 micron and ratios of aerosol extinction at 0.45 micron to aerosol extinction at 1.00 micron. Averages for 1981 are shown in tables, and in profile and contour plots (as a function of altitude and latitude). In addition, temperature data provided by NOAA for the time and location of each SAGE measurement are averaged and shown in a similar format. The stratospheric aerosol distribution for 1981 shows effects of volcanically injected material from eruptions of Ulawun, Alaid, and Pagan. Peak values of aerosol extinction at 0.45 micron and 1.00 micron were 2 to 4 times higher than typical peak values observed during near background conditions. Stratospheric aerosol optical depth values at 1.00 microns increased by a factor of about 2 from near background levels in regions of volcanic activity. During the year, these values ranged from between 0.001 and 0.006. The largest were near the location of a recent eruption. The distribution of the ratio of aerosol to molecular extinction at 1.00 microns also showed that maximum values are found in the vicinity of an eruption. These maximums varied in altitude, but remained below a height of about 25 km. No attempt has been made to give detailed explanations or interpretations of these data. The intent is to provide, in a ready-to-use visual format, representative zonal and seasonal averages of aerosol extinction data for the third calendar year of the SAGE data set to facilitate atmospheric and climatic studies.

Mccormick, M. Patrick↗

SAM 2 and SAGE data management and processing

The data management and processing supplied by ST Systems Corporation (STX) for the Stratospheric Aerosol Measurement 2 (SAM 2) and Stratospheric Aerosol and Gas Experiment (SAGE) experiments for the years 1983 to 1986 are described. Included are discussions of data validation, documentation, and scientific analysis, as well as the archival schedule met by the operational reduction of SAM 2 and SAGE data. Work under this contract resulted in the archiving of the first seven years of SAM 2 data and all three years of SAGE data. A list of publications and presentations supported was also included.

Osborn, M. T.↗