Speaker
Description
The Limb Profiler (LP) is a part of the Ozone Mapping and Profiler Suite on the Suomi NPP satellite. We present a new version of the ozone profile product processed at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC). In this study we summarize changes implemented in version 2.6 including changes in both Level 1 and Level 2 algorithms. In this presentation we focus on algorithmic Level 2 changes. The new retrieval algorithm (version 2.6) uses more wavelengths and combines measurements from UV and VIS parts of the spectra to retrieve a single vertical ozone profile between 12.5 km (or cloud tops) and 57.5 km. To improve ozone retrievals in the Upper Troposphere Lower Stratosphere (UTLS) region, we implemented a new aerosol correction that assumes a gamma-function particle size distribution. In addition, ozone and nitrogen dioxide cross sections and climatologies were updated. The main improvement in version 2.6 ozone product is the reduction in relative drifts between LP and correlative measurements, which were linked to a drift in the LP altitude registration. Finally, we discuss sensitivity of the ozone retrievals to implemented changes in Level 1 and Level 2 algorithms. We also provide an assessment of the total uncertainty budget.
