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Data product available: Ozone Mapping and Profiler Suite Limb Profiler

The Suomi NPP OMPS LP Science Team is pleased to announce the release of Version 2 (V2) ozone and aerosol profile data products from the Ozone Mapping and Profiler Suite (OMPS) Limb Profiler (LP) instrument on the Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership (NPP) satellite. These products consist of daily files containing individual ozone profiles (0-60 km altitude range) and aerosol extinction coefficient profiles (0-40 km altitude range). OMPS LP measurements began in January 2012, and continue to the present (August 2014). Level 1 gridded radiance (L1G) orbital data sets are also available. All data files and supporting documents are available at the NASA OzoneAQ web:

http://ozoneaq.gsfc.nasa.gov/omps

These documents provide an initial evaluation of the V2 product data quality. More detailed information will be provided on the website as they become available. Preliminary results indicate that below 25 km, LP profile ozone data quality is comparable to MLS and SAGE, and significantly better than nadir profiling instruments such as SBUV, OMI, GOME and AIRS. However, above 25 km there are some known data quality issues in the V2 product that are discussed in the Data Release Notes document. The LP aerosol extinction coefficient data quality compares well with concurrent data sets from CALIPSO, GOMOS, and OSIRIS.

Contact person:
Matthew DeLand

Science Update:

A selection of new science articles of interest to the SPARC community from the past week (A SPARC Office choice).

Robust Forced Response in South Asian Summer Monsoon in a Future Climate. By A.K. Srivastava and T. DelSole in the Journal of Climate.

Skillful seasonal prediction of the Southern Annular Mode and Antarctic ozone. By W. Saviour et al. in the Journal of Climate.

Technical Note: 30 years of HIRS data of upper tropospheric humidity. By K. Gierens et al. in Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics.

Gauss-Seidel Limb Scattering (GSLS) radiative transfer model development in support of the Ozone Mapping and Profiler Suite (OMPS) Limb Profiler mission. By R. Loughmann et al. in Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics Discussions.

Daily ozone cycle in the stratosphere: global, regional and seasonal behaviour modelled with the Whole Atmosphere Community Climate Model. By A. Schanz et al. in Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics.

Variability of NOx in the polar middle atmosphere from October 2003 to March 2004: vertical transport vs. local production by energetic particles. By M. Sinnhuber et al. in Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics.

The climate impact of past changes in halocarbons and CO2 in the tropical UTLS region. By C. McLandress et al. in the Journal of Climate.

SSiRC measurement campaign starting today

From 14-26 May, the Kelud Ash Experiment (KLAsh) will make measurements of the volcanic plume from the Mt. Kelud (Indonesia) using balloon-borne instruments.

The experiment consists of the University of Wyoming’s Optical Particle Counter, together with instruments that measure aerosol optical properties, ozone, and meteorological variables up to 30 km in altitude. The aim is to better characterize particle sizes and optical properties from a relatively fresh volcanic plume in the stratosphere. Mt. Kelud last erupted on 13 February 2014 and replaced lava dome with 400 meters diameter crater with 30 to 50 meters depth. The measurement campaign will provide valuable data for the SPARC activity on stratospheric sulfur (find more information on the SSiRC activity).

GASS-YoTC model output available

The data from the GASS-YoTC (GEWEX Global Atmospheric System Science, GASS, and Year of Tropical Convection, YoTC) Vertical Structure and Physical Processes Multi-model Experiment is highly suitable for detailed model-based, physical-process studies of a wide range of weather and climate phenomena.

Find data access and more information on the experimental framework, contributing models etc.