OMPS-LP aerosol extinction coefficients and their applicability in GloSSAC

<p>The Global Space-based Stratospheric Aerosol Climatology (GloSSAC) is essential for understanding and modeling the climatic impacts of stratospheric aerosols. It relies primarily on data from the Stratospheric Aerosol Gas Experiment (SAGE) satellite series, supplemented by the Optical Spect...

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Main Authors: M. Kovilakam, L. W. Thomason, M. Verkerk, T. Aubry, T. N. Knepp
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Copernicus Publications 2025-01-01
Series:Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics
Online Access:https://acp.copernicus.org/articles/25/535/2025/acp-25-535-2025.pdf
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author M. Kovilakam
M. Kovilakam
L. W. Thomason
M. Verkerk
T. Aubry
T. N. Knepp
author_facet M. Kovilakam
M. Kovilakam
L. W. Thomason
M. Verkerk
T. Aubry
T. N. Knepp
author_sort M. Kovilakam
collection DOAJ
description <p>The Global Space-based Stratospheric Aerosol Climatology (GloSSAC) is essential for understanding and modeling the climatic impacts of stratospheric aerosols. It relies primarily on data from the Stratospheric Aerosol Gas Experiment (SAGE) satellite series, supplemented by the Optical Spectrograph and Infrared Imaging System (OSIRIS) and Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observations (CALIPSO). GloSSAC currently provides stratospheric aerosol extinction coefficients and aerosol optical depths at 525 and 1020 nm. With CALIPSO decommissioned and OSIRIS nearing the end of its operational life, SAGE III/ISS (International Space Station) will soon become the sole data source for GloSSAC, but it will only be available as long as the ISS is operational, until around 2030. Therefore, incorporating other measurements, such as those from the Ozone Mapping and Profiler Suite Limb Profiler (OMPS-LP), is critical. OMPS-LP has provided continuous aerosol extinction coefficient measurements since 2012 with a retrieval algorithm developed by NASA, i.e., OMPS(NASA). However, OMPS(NASA) has been shown to overestimate aerosol extinction coefficients, particularly after the 2022 Hunga Tonga eruption, compared to the tomographic retrieval of OMPS developed by the University of Saskatchewan (OMPS(SASK)) and SAGE III/ISS. Our analysis shows that OMPS(NASA) indeed exhibits a consistently high bias (<span class="inline-formula">&gt;50</span> %) following large volcanic eruptions and pyrocumulonimbus plumes from intense wildfires, while OMPS(SASK) shows reasonable agreement with SAGE III/ISS between 40° S and 40° N. This overestimation by OMPS(NASA) leads to an overestimation of the aerosol effective radiative forcing (ERF) and the associated model-simulated global surface temperature response by a factor of about 2.</p>
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spelling doaj-art-f802587b6d4f4a6797187b92c8a5a9322025-01-16T15:23:15ZengCopernicus PublicationsAtmospheric Chemistry and Physics1680-73161680-73242025-01-012553555310.5194/acp-25-535-2025OMPS-LP aerosol extinction coefficients and their applicability in GloSSACM. Kovilakam0M. Kovilakam1L. W. Thomason2M. Verkerk3T. Aubry4T. N. Knepp5ADNET Systems Inc, Bethesda, MD, USANASA Langley Research Center, Hampton, VA, USANASA Langley Research Center, Hampton, VA, USADepartment of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Penryn, UKDepartment of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Penryn, UKNASA Langley Research Center, Hampton, VA, USA<p>The Global Space-based Stratospheric Aerosol Climatology (GloSSAC) is essential for understanding and modeling the climatic impacts of stratospheric aerosols. It relies primarily on data from the Stratospheric Aerosol Gas Experiment (SAGE) satellite series, supplemented by the Optical Spectrograph and Infrared Imaging System (OSIRIS) and Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observations (CALIPSO). GloSSAC currently provides stratospheric aerosol extinction coefficients and aerosol optical depths at 525 and 1020 nm. With CALIPSO decommissioned and OSIRIS nearing the end of its operational life, SAGE III/ISS (International Space Station) will soon become the sole data source for GloSSAC, but it will only be available as long as the ISS is operational, until around 2030. Therefore, incorporating other measurements, such as those from the Ozone Mapping and Profiler Suite Limb Profiler (OMPS-LP), is critical. OMPS-LP has provided continuous aerosol extinction coefficient measurements since 2012 with a retrieval algorithm developed by NASA, i.e., OMPS(NASA). However, OMPS(NASA) has been shown to overestimate aerosol extinction coefficients, particularly after the 2022 Hunga Tonga eruption, compared to the tomographic retrieval of OMPS developed by the University of Saskatchewan (OMPS(SASK)) and SAGE III/ISS. Our analysis shows that OMPS(NASA) indeed exhibits a consistently high bias (<span class="inline-formula">&gt;50</span> %) following large volcanic eruptions and pyrocumulonimbus plumes from intense wildfires, while OMPS(SASK) shows reasonable agreement with SAGE III/ISS between 40° S and 40° N. This overestimation by OMPS(NASA) leads to an overestimation of the aerosol effective radiative forcing (ERF) and the associated model-simulated global surface temperature response by a factor of about 2.</p>https://acp.copernicus.org/articles/25/535/2025/acp-25-535-2025.pdf
spellingShingle M. Kovilakam
M. Kovilakam
L. W. Thomason
M. Verkerk
T. Aubry
T. N. Knepp
OMPS-LP aerosol extinction coefficients and their applicability in GloSSAC
Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics
title OMPS-LP aerosol extinction coefficients and their applicability in GloSSAC
title_full OMPS-LP aerosol extinction coefficients and their applicability in GloSSAC
title_fullStr OMPS-LP aerosol extinction coefficients and their applicability in GloSSAC
title_full_unstemmed OMPS-LP aerosol extinction coefficients and their applicability in GloSSAC
title_short OMPS-LP aerosol extinction coefficients and their applicability in GloSSAC
title_sort omps lp aerosol extinction coefficients and their applicability in glossac
url https://acp.copernicus.org/articles/25/535/2025/acp-25-535-2025.pdf
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AT mverkerk ompslpaerosolextinctioncoefficientsandtheirapplicabilityinglossac
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