Improved PSC Detection and Characterization from OMPS Limb Profiler
Abstract
Polar stratospheric clouds (PSCs) are a key component in the seasonal depletion of stratospheric ozone. Understanding PSC behavior is particularly important in the Northern Hemisphere where the interannual variability of PSCs is large and is a good predictor of significant ozone depletion. We have previously demonstrated the identification of PSCs using the Ozone Mapping and Profiling Suite (OMPS) Limb Profiler (LP) instrument flying on the Suomi NPP spacecraft. While the LP measurements have some limitations for PSC classification (moderate spectral range, no polarization information, daylight only), we have developed additional techniques to improve our characterization of these clouds. Incorporating an extinction threshold in the cloud detection test (as demonstrated with OSIRIS observations) increases the accuracy of our original classification. We also use temperature profiles from the NASA GSFC Global Modeling and Assimilation Office (GMAO) Forward Processing-Instrument Team (FP-IT) data to better characterize the thermal environment and nominal composition of these PSCs. The LP data also provides information on the occurrence frequency and location of PSCs triggered by mountain waves. We present new climatologies of PSCs using our updated algorithm.
- Publication:
-
AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- December 2022
- Bibcode:
- 2022AGUFM.A52Q1209D