Preliminary Long-term H2O Trends in the Middle Atmosphere Observed by SABER on the TIMED Satellite
Abstract
The primary science goal of the Sounding of the Atmosphere using Broadband Emission Radiometry (SABER) experiment on the TIMED satellite is to achieve major advances in understanding the structure, energetics, chemistry, and dynamics in the atmospheric region extending from 60 to 180 km altitude. The SABER instrument has been observing the atmosphere nearly continuously since data collection began in January of 2002 using the technique of spectral broadband limb emission radiometry applied in 10 infrared spectral bands ranging from 1.27 to 17 mm. Four bands - three in the 15 mm band and one in the 4.3 mm band of CO2 - are used to retrieve temperature and CO2 concentrations and to correct retrievals for spacecraft motion effects. The remaining bands are used to retrieve O3, H2O, [O], [H], energetics parameters, and to observe atmospheric heating and cooling. The measured limb emission profiles are being processed on the ground to provide vertical parameter profiles with 2 km altitude resolution. Measurements are made both night and day over the latitude range from 52 degrees to 83 degrees with alternating hemisphere coverage every 60 days. This paper provides results of recent research to improve the H2O data product and presents a preliminary analysis of long-term trends in H2O over the 2002 to 2015 period.
- Publication:
-
AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- December 2016
- Bibcode:
- 2016AGUFMSA21C..08R
- Keywords:
-
- 0341 Middle atmosphere: constituent transport and chemistry;
- ATMOSPHERIC COMPOSITION AND STRUCTUREDE: 3367 Theoretical modeling;
- ATMOSPHERIC PROCESSESDE: 2427 Ionosphere/atmosphere interactions;
- IONOSPHEREDE: 7954 Magnetic storms;
- SPACE WEATHER