Analysis of Ice Water Path Retrieval Errors Over Tropical Ocean

Retrieval of multi-layered cloud properties, especially ice water path （IWP）, is one of the most perplexing problems in satellite cloud remote sensing. This paper develops a method for improving the IWP retrievals for ice-over-water overlapped cloud systems using Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission （TRMM） Microwave Imager （TMI） and Visible and Infrared Scanner （VIRS） data. A combined microwave, visible and infrared algorithm is used to identify overlapped clouds and estimate IWP separately from liquid water path. The retrieval error of IWP is then evaluated by comparing the IWP to that retrieved from single-layer ice clouds surrounding the observed overlapping systems. The major IWP retrieval errors of overlapped clouds are primarily controlled by the errors in estimating the visible optical depth. Optical depths are overestimated by about 10-40% due to the influence of the underlying cloud. For the ice-over-warm-water cloud systems （cloud water temperature Tw 〉 273 K）, the globally averaged IWP retrieval error is about 10%. This cloud type accounts for about 15% of all high-cloud overlapping cases. Ice-over-super-cooled water clouds are the predominant overlapped cloud system, accounting for 55% of the cases. Their global averaged error is -17.2%. The largest IWP retrieval error results when ice clouds occur over extremely super-cooled water clouds （Tw ≤ 255 K）. Overall, roughly 33% of the VIRS IWP retrievals are overestimated due to the effects of the liquid water clouds beneath the cirrus clouds. To improve the accuracy of the IWP retrievals, correction models are developed and applied to all three types of overlapped clouds. The preliminary results indicate that the correction models reduce part of the retrieval error.

Analysis of XCO_2 retrieval sensitivity using simulated Chinese Carbon Satellite(TanSat) measurements

We present a study on the retrieval sensitivity of the column-averaged dry-air mole fraction of CO2(XCO2) for the Chinese carbon dioxide observation satellite(TanSat) with a full physical forward model and the optimal estimation technique. The forward model is based on the vector linearized discrete ordinate radiative transfer model(VLIDORT) and considers surface reflectance, gas absorption, and the scattering of air molecules, aerosol particles, and cloud particles. XCO2 retrieval errors from synthetic TanSat measurements show solar zenith angle(SZA), albedo dependence with values varying from 0.3 to 1 ppm for bright land surface in nadir mode and 2 to 8 ppm for dark surfaces like snow. The use of glint mode over dark oceans significantly improves the CO2 information retrieved. The aerosol type and profile are more important than the aerosol optical depth, and underestimation of aerosol plume height will introduce a bias of 1.5 ppm in XCO2. The systematic errors due to radiometric calibration are also estimated using a forward model simulation approach.

Monitoring air pollution in China from geostationary satellite： A synthetic study using simulated observations

We simulated geostationary satellite observations to assess the potential for high spatial-and temporal-resolution monitoring of air pollution in China with a focus on tropospheric ozone(O_3), nitrogen dioxide(NO_2), sulfur dioxide(SO_2), and formaldehyde(HCHO). Based on the capabilities and parameters of the payloads onboard sun-synchronous satellites, we simulated the observed spectrum based on a radiative transfer model using a geostationary satellite model. According to optimal estimation theory, we analyzed the sensitivities and retrieval uncertainties of the main parameters of the instrument for the target trace gases. Considering the retrieval error requirements of each trace gas, we determined the major instrument parameter values(e.g., observation channel, spectral resolution, and signal-to-noise ratio). To evaluate these values, retrieval simulation was performed based on the three-dimensional distribution of the atmospheric components over China using an atmospheric chemical transportation model. As many as 90% of the experiments met the retrieval requirements for all target gases. The retrieval precision of total-column and stratospheric O_3 was 2%. In addition, effective retrieval of all trace gases could be achieved at solar zenith angles larger than 70°. Therefore, the geostationary satellite observation and instrument parameters provided herein can be used in air pollution monitoring in China. This study offers a theoretical basis and simulation tool for improving the design of instruments onboard geostationary satellites.