DOI

High-altitude limb infrared radiance spectra (CO2 15μm and O3 9.6μm bands) registered during CRISTA-1 experiment in November 1994 were interpreted using multiparameter inversion algorithm accounting for the nonlocal thermodynamic equilibrium conditions (non-LTE). Global distributions of temperature in the altitude range 40-120 km were obtained simultaneously with the distributions of CO2 and O3 (40-90 km) and vibrational temperatures of the lower vibrational states of CO 2 and O3 molecules. Mean zonal values of temperature agree with CIRA-86 and SMLTM models. The root mean square variability of temperature reaches its maximum of 45 K at 105 km. Mesospheric temperature inversions were detected in 85% of cases during observations. The retrieved CO2 profiles demonstrate that the altitude level, up to which CO2 is well mixed, is considerably lower (70-75km) than predicted by models (85-90 km). Maximal diurnal variations of ozone were observed at 90 km altitude, where the mean value of volume mixing ratio is close to 2 ppmv for daytime and 7 ppmv for nighttime. The altitude levels of the LTE breakdown for the vibrational states of CO2 and O3 molecules and also the magnitude and vertical behavior of the non-LTE effect are in good agreement with numerical models.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)208-219
Number of pages12
JournalProceedings of SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering
Volume5235
DOIs
StatePublished - 3 May 2004
EventRemote Sensing of Clouds and the Atmosphere VIII - Barcelona, Spain
Duration: 9 Sep 200312 Sep 2003

    Research areas

  • Carbon dioxide, Mesosphere, Nonlocal thermodynamic equilibrium, Ozone, Remote sensing, Temperature

    Scopus subject areas

  • Electrical and Electronic Engineering
  • Condensed Matter Physics

ID: 34926739