EOS-Aura MLS Validation Using Radiosonde Profiles During the WAVES Campaign Cassie Stearns August 10,2006 Dr. Bojan Bojkov and Dr. David Whiteman, Advisors

WAVES campaign, Howard University Research Campus, Beltsville MD Inter-instrumental Aqua/Aura Validation Campaign with 2 major ground components: –Meteorological balloon with:  Vaisala RS-92 and RS-80, ATM, Intermet, and MODEM for PTU  Electrochemical cell (ECC) ozonesondes  Cryogenic frost point hygrometer (CFH) for water vapor. –4 LIDAR systems for aerosols and 3 for water vapor

Weather Balloon with RS-92 CFH/ECC RS-92 ATM Intermet

Sonde Launches Coordinated with Aura

The Aura MLS (Microwave Limb Sounder) Instrument 20 second vertical scan (every ~1.5˚), 7 min ahead 5 spectral regions: 118,190,240,640,GHz; 2.5 THz Scan Values averaged and reported at 37 pressure levels 705 km orbit height

Typical temperature sounding (MLS vs RS92)

MLS-Sonde ozone comparison

MLS-sonde T differences (preliminary) Few points High variability 215 hPa 146 hPa 10 hPa

MLS-sonde ozone differences (preliminary) High variability Few Points/Mechanical Uncertainty 146 hPa 10 hPa

Conclusions  The MLS profiles are in good agreement with the WAVES soundings, within uncertainty  Measurements are within error estimates specified in MLS documentation, including the temperature warm biases  210 and 146 hPa levels are heavily variable due to tropopause variation, and may fall outside expected error.  10 hPa level data contains fewer points of the RS-92 profile, and should be weighted less heavily; with the O3 sonde, there is also mechanical error introduced at low pressure.  Ongoing work: –Complete analysis to completed shortly (campaign is ongoing) –Aura HIRDLS and TES products to be investigated also

A Special Thanks to:  Dr. Bojan Bojkov, and Dr. David Whiteman, my advisors  Dr. Everett Joseph, Dr. Demetrius Venable, and the Howard University Beltsville crew  My fellow RS-92 radiosonde launchers: Eduardo, Ani, Scott, and Pat; and everyone else helping with WAVES!  UNH/GSFC Research and Discover Program

Questions?