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www.atmos-meas-tech-discuss.net/4/6915/2011/
doi:10.5194/amtd-4-6915-2011
© Author(s) 2011. This work is distributed
under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
CRISTA-NF measurements with unprecedented vertical resolution during the RECONCILE aircraft campaign
1Institute of Energy and Climate Research – Stratosphere (IEK-7), Research centre Jülich GmbH, Jülich, Germany
2Department of Physics, University of Wuppertal, Wuppertal, Germany
3Jülich Supercomputing Centre, Forschungszentrum Jülich, Research Centre Jülich GmbH, Jülich, Germany
4Institute for Meteorology and Climate Research, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Karlsruhe, Germany
5Central Aerological Observatory, Dolgoprudny, Russia
6Institute of Atmospheric Sciences and Climate, CNR-ISAC, Bologna, Italy
7Institute of Environmental Physics (IUP), University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany
Abstract. The Cryogenic Infrared Spectrometers and Telescope for the Atmosphere – New Frontiers (CRISTA-NF), an airborne infrared limb-sounder, was operated aboard the high-flying Russian research aircraft M55-Geophysica during the Arctic RECONCILE campaign from January to March 2011. This paper describes the calibration process of the instrument and the employed retrieval algorithm and then proceeds to present retrieved trace gas mixing ratio cross-sections for one specific flight of this campaign. We are able to resolve the uppermost troposphere/lower stratosphere for several trace gas species for several kilometres below the flight altitude (16 to 19 km) with an unprecedented vertical resolution of 400 to 500 m for the limb-sounding technique. The observations are also characterised by a rather high horizontal sampling along the flight track that provides a full vertical profile every ≈15 km. Assembling the vertical trace gas profiles derived from CRISTA-NF measurements to cross-sections depicts filaments of vortex and extra-vortex air masses in the vicinity of the polar vortex.
During this campaign, the M55-Geophysica carried further instruments, which allows for a validation of trace gas mixing ratios derived from CRISTA-NF against measurements by the in situ instruments HAGAR and FOZAN and observations by MIPAS-STR. This validation suggests that the retrieved trace gas mixing ratios are both qualitatively and quantitatively reliable.
Discussion Paper (PDF, 2751 KB) Interactive Discussion (Closed, 3 Comments) Manuscript under review for AMT
Citation: Ungermann, J., Kalicinsky, C., Olschewski, F., Knieling, P., Hoffmann, L., Blank, J., Woiwode, W., Oelhaf, H., Hösen, E., Volk, C. M., Ulanovsky, A., Ravegnani, F., Weigel, K., Stroh, F., and Riese, M.: CRISTA-NF measurements with unprecedented vertical resolution during the RECONCILE aircraft campaign, Atmos. Meas. Tech. Discuss., 4, 6915-6967, doi:10.5194/amtd-4-6915-2011, 2011. Bibtex EndNote Reference Manager XML
