HR: 1340h
AN: A43B-0088    [Abstracts]
TI: Simulating the performance of the OMPS-LP during periods of stratospheric aerosol loadings above background levels
AU: * Flittner, D E
EM: David.E.Flittner@nasa.gov
AF: NASA Langley Research Center, Mail Stop 475, Hampton, VA 23681
AU: Sage, K H
EM: k.h.sage@larc.nasa.gov
AF: NASA Langley Research Center, Mail Stop 475, Hampton, VA 23681
AU: Sage, K H
EM: k.h.sage@larc.nasa.gov
AF: SAIC, 1 Enterprise Parkway, Hampton, VA 23666
AB: When launched, the Ozone Mapping Profiler Suite (OMPS) will carry forward the record of atmospheric ozone begun by the TOMS/SBUV and SAGE series of instruments. The ozone profile will be derived from the Limb Profiler (LP) measurements of light scattered from the limb of the atmosphere using the spectral range 290-1000 nm. The limb scatter technique has some heritage from the Solar Mesospheric Explorer UV Spectrometer, however measurements in the mid-visible (near 600 nm) needed to probe the lower stratosphere have only recently been acquired by sensors such as SOLSE/LORE on STS 87 and 107, OSIRIS, Sciamachy, and SAGE III. The OMPS-LP has been designed to operate under conditions of background stratospheric aerosol loading, similar to that seen in 1991 prior to the Mt. Pinatubo eruption in July 1991. While the recent limb scatter results lend support to the expected performance of the OMPS-LP, the historic small stratospheric aerosol loading during the period of the new measurements has not allowed clear insight into how the OMPS-LP will perform in the time period following a Mt. Pinatubo-like eruption. Knowledge of the OMPS-LP performance during aerosol loadings above background levels is key to understanding the ozone trending capabilities of the OMPS-LP and the ability to monitor the vertical profile of ozone in the future. To this end, retrievals using simulated OMPS-LP data have been performed using atmospheric conditions during the time period 1991 - 1996. The atmospheric state is defined by a combination of data from NMC, SAGE II, and various ozone sondes. In general, the simulations show little degradation in performance for altitudes above approximately 22 km and biases below this altitude returning to the pre-eruption levels about 5 years after eruption. Details of the evolution of the biases will be presented.
DE: 0305 Aerosols and particles (0345, 4801, 4906)
DE: 0340 Middle atmosphere: composition and chemistry
DE: 0370 Volcanic effects (8409)
SC: Atmospheric Sciences [A]
MN: Fall Meeting 2005