Christopher J. Mertens

Retrieval of mesospheric and lower thermospheric kinetic temperature from measurements of CO2 15 µm Earth Limb Emission under non‐LTE conditions

We present a new algorithm for the retrieval of kinetic temperature in the terrestrial mesosphere and lower thermosphere from measurements of CO2 15 µm earth limb emission. Non-local-thermodynamic-equilibrium (non-LTE) processes are rigorously included in the new algorithm, necessitated by the prospect of satellite-based limb radiance measurements to be made from the TIMED/SABER platform in the near future between 15 km and 120 km tangent altitude. The algorithm requires 20 seconds to retrieve temperature to better than 3 K accuracy on a desktop computer, easily enabling its use in operational processing of satellite data. We conclude this letter with a study of the sensitivity of the retrieved temperatures to parameters used in the non-LTE models, including sensitivity to the rate constant for physical quenching of CO2 bending mode vibrations by atomic oxygen.

Observations of infrared radiative cooling in the thermosphere on daily to multiyear timescales from the TIMED/SABER instrument

16 17 Abstract. We present observations of the infrared radiative cooling by carbon dioxide (CO2) and 18 nitric oxide (NO) in Earths thermosphere. These data have been taken over a period of 7 years 19 by the SABER instrument on the NASA TIMED satellite and are the dominant radiative cooling 20 mechanisms for the thermosphere. From the SABER observations we derive vertical profiles of 21 radiative cooling rates (W m -3 ), radiative fluxes (W m -2 ), and radiated power (W). In the period 22 from January 2002 through January 2009 we observe a large decrease in the cooling rates, 23 fluxes, and power consistent with the declining phase of solar cycle 23. The power radiated by 24 NO during 2008 when the Sun exhibited few sunspots was nearly one order of magnitude 25 smaller than the peak power observed shortly after the mission began. Substantial short-term 26 variability in the infrared emissions is also observed throughout the entire mission duration. 27 Radiative cooling rates and radiative fluxes from NO exhibit fundamentally different latitude 28 dependence than do those from CO2, with the NO fluxes and cooling rates being largest at high 29 latitudes and polar regions. The cooling rates are shown to be derived relatively independent of 30 the collisional and radiative processes that drive the departure from local thermodynamic 31 equilibrium (LTE) in the CO2 15 μm and the NO 5.3 μm vibration-rotation bands. The observed 32

Mesopause structure from Thermosphere, Ionosphere, Mesosphere, Energetics, and Dynamics (TIMED)/Sounding of the Atmosphere Using Broadband Emission Radiometry (SABER) observations

[1] Thermosphere, Ionosphere, Mesosphere, Energetics, and Dynamics (TIMED)/ Sounding of the Atmosphere Using Broadband Emission Radiometry (SABER) temperature observations are used to study the global structure and variability of the mesopause altitude and temperature. There are two distinctly different mesopause altitude levels: the higher level at 95–100 km and the lower level below 86 km. The mesopause of the middle- and high-latitude regions is at the lower altitude in the summer hemisphere for about 120 days aroundsummer solstice and is at the higher altitude during other seasons. At the equator the mesopause is at the higher altitude for all seasons. In addition to the seasonal variation in middle and high latitudes, the mesopause altitude and temperature undergomodulationbydiurnalandsemidiurnaltidesatalllatitudes.Themesopauseisabout 1 km higher at most latitudes and 6–9 K warmer at middle to high latitudes around December solstice than it is around June solstice. These can also be interpreted as hemispheric asymmetry between mesopause altitude and temperature at solstice. Possible causes of the asymmetry as related to solar forcing and gravity wave forcing are discussed.

NAIRAS aircraft radiation model development, dose climatology, and initial validation

[1] The Nowcast of Atmospheric Ionizing Radiation for Aviation Safety (NAIRAS) is a real-time, global, physics-based model used to assess radiation exposure to commercial aircrews and passengers. The model is a free-running physics-based model in the sense that there are no adjustment factors applied to nudge the model into agreement with measurements. The model predicts dosimetric quantities in the atmosphere from both galactic cosmic rays (GCR) and solar energetic particles, including the response of the geomagnetic field to interplanetary dynamical processes and its subsequent influence on atmospheric dose. The focus of this paper is on atmospheric GCR exposure during geomagnetically quiet conditions, with three main objectives. First, provide detailed descriptions of the NAIRAS GCR transport and dosimetry methodologies. Second, present a climatology of effective dose and ambient dose equivalent rates at typical commercial airline altitudes representative of solar cycle maximum and solar cycle minimum conditions and spanning the full range of geomagnetic cutoff rigidities. Third, conduct an initial validation of the NAIRAS model by comparing predictions of ambient dose equivalent rates with tabulated reference measurement data and recent aircraft radiation measurements taken in 2008 during the minimum between solar cycle 23 and solar cycle 24. By applying the criterion of the International Commission on Radiation Units and Measurements (ICRU) on acceptable levels of aircraft radiation dose uncertainty for ambient dose equivalent greater than or equal to an annual dose of 1 mSv, the NAIRAS model is within 25% of the measured data, which fall within the ICRU acceptable uncertainty limit of 30%. The NAIRAS model predictions of ambient dose equivalent rate are generally within 50% of the measured data for any single-point comparison. The largest differences occur at low latitudes and high cutoffs, where the radiation dose level is low. Nevertheless, analysis suggests that these single-point differences will be within 30% when a new deterministic pion-initiated electromagnetic cascade code is integrated into NAIRAS, an effort which is currently underway.

A detailed evaluation of the stratospheric heat budget: 2. Global radiation balance and diabatic circulations

We present a detailed evaluation of radiative heating, radiative cooling, net heating, global radiation balance, radiative relaxation times, and diabatic circulations in the stratosphere using temperature and minor constituent data provided by instruments on the Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite (UARS) between 1991 and 1993 and by the limb infrared monitor of the stratosphere (LIMS) instrument which operated on the Nimbus-7 spacecraft in 1978-1979. Included in the calculations are heating due to absorption of solar radiation from ultraviolet through near-infrared wavelengths and radiative cooling due to emission by carbon dioxide, water vapor, and ozone from 0 to 3000 cm -1 (∞ - 3.3 μm). Infrared radiative effects of Pinatubo aerosols are also considered in some detail. In general, we find the stratosphere to be in a state of global mean radiative equilibrium on monthly timescales to within the uncertainty of the satellite-provided measurements. Radiative relaxation times are found to be larger in the lower stratosphere during UARS than LIMS because of the presence of Pinatubo aerosols. The meridional circulations in the upper stratosphere as diagnosed from the calculated fields of net heating are generally stronger in the UARS period than during the LIMS period, while the lower stratosphere meridional circulations are stronger during the LIMS period. A climatology of these calculations is available to the community via a World Wide Web interface described herein.

Retrieval of kinetic temperature and carbon dioxide abundance from nonlocal thermodynamic equilibrium limb emission measurements made by the SABER experiment on the TIMED satellite

The Sounding of the Atmosphere using Broadband Emission Radiometry (SABER) experiment was launched onboard the TIMED satellite in December, 2001. SABER is designed to provide measurements of temperature, constituents, and the key radiative and chemical sources and sinks of energy in the mesosphere and lower thermosphere (MLT). SABER measures Earth limb emission in 10 broadband radiometer channels ranging from 1.27 μm to 17 μm. Measurements are made both day and night over the latitude range from 52°S to 83°N with alternating hemisphere coverage every 60 days. In this paper we concentrate on retrieved profiles of kinetic temperature (Tk) and CO2 volume mixing ratio (vmr), inferred from observed 15 μm and 4.3 μm limb emissions. SABER-measured limb radiances are in non-local thermodynamic equilibrium (non-LTE) in the MLT region. The complexity of non-LTE radiation transfer combined with the large volume of data measured by SABER requires new retrieval approaches and radiative transfer techniques to accurately and efficiently retrieve the data products. In this paper we present the salient features of the coupled non-LTE Tk/CO2 retrieval algorithm, along with preliminary results.

Kelvin waves in stratosphere, mesosphere and lower thermosphere temperatures as observed by TIMED/SABER during 2002–2006

Temperature measurements from the SABER instrument on the TIMED spacecraft are used to elucidate the properties of Kelvin waves and other equatorial oscillations over the altitude range 20–120 km during 2002–2006. The dominant Kelvin waves transition from long periods (52–10 days) and short wavelengths (9–13 km) in the stratosphere, to shorter periods (2–3 days) and longer wavelengths (35–45 km) in the 80–120 km height region. Ultra-Fast Kelvin Waves (UFKW) with periods of 2.5–4.5 days intermittently exist at amplitudes of order 3–10 K between 80–120 km during all months of the year, with variability at periods typically in the 20–60 day range. An Intra-seasonal oscillation (ISO) of zonal mean temperatures also exists with periods 20–60 days that may be driven by Eliassen-Palm Flux Divergences (EPFD) due, at least in part, to UFKW and migrating diurnal tides.

Influence of solar variability on the infrared radiative cooling of the thermosphere from 2002 to 2014

Infrared radiative cooling of the thermosphere by carbon dioxide (CO2, 15 µm) and by nitric oxide (NO, 5.3 µm) has been observed for 12 years by the Sounding of the Atmosphere using Broadband Emission Radiometry (SABER) instrument on the Thermosphere-Ionosphere-Mesosphere Energetics and Dynamics satellite. For the first time we present a record of the two most important thermospheric infrared cooling agents over a complete solar cycle. SABER has documented dramatic variability in the radiative cooling on time scales ranging from days to the 11 year solar cycle. Deep minima in global mean vertical profiles of radiative cooling are observed in 2008–2009. Current solar maximum conditions, evidenced in the rates of radiative cooling, are substantially weaker than prior maximum conditions in 2002–2003. The observed changes in thermospheric cooling correlate well with changes in solar ultraviolet irradiance and geomagnetic activity during the prior maximum conditions. NO and CO2 combine to emit 7 × 1018 more Joules annually at solar maximum than at solar minimum. Key Points First record of thermospheric IR cooling rates over a complete solar cycle IR cooling in current solar maximum conditions much weaker than prior maximum Variability in thermospheric IR cooling observed on scale of days to 11 years

Computing uncertainties in ionosphere‐airglow models: II. The Martian airglow

[1] One of the objectives of spectrometers onboard space missions is to retrieve atmospheric parameters (notably density, composition and temperature). To fulfill this objective, comparisons between observations and model results are necessary. Knowledge of these model uncertainties is therefore necessary, although usually not considered, to estimate the accuracy in planetary upper atmosphere remote sensing of these parameters. In Part I of this study, “Computing uncertainties in ionosphere-airglow models: I. Electron flux and species production uncertainties for Mars” (Gronoff et al., 2012), we presented the uncertainties in the production of excited states and ionized species from photon and electron impacts, computed with a Monte-Carlo approach, and we applied this technique to the Martian upper atmosphere. In the present paper, we present the results of propagation of these production errors to the main UV emissions and the study of other sources of uncertainties. As an example, we studied several aspects of the model uncertainties in the thermosphere of Mars, and especially the O( 1 S) green line (557.7 nm, with its equivalent, the trans-auroral line at 297.2 nm), the Cameron bands CO(a 3 P), and CO2 (B 2 Su ) doublet emissions. We first show that the excited species at the origin of these emissions are mainly produced by electron and photon impact. We demonstrate that it is possible to reduce the computation time by decoupling the different sources of uncertainties; moreover, we show that emission uncertainties can be large (>30%) because of the strong sensitivity to the production uncertainties. Our study demonstrates that uncertainty calculations are a crucial step prior to performing remote sensing in the atmosphere of Mars and the other planets and can be used as a guide to subsequent adjustments of cross sections based on aeronomical observations. Finally, we compare the simulations with observations from the SPICAM spectrometer on the Mars Express spacecraft. The production of excited species at the origin of the green line, the CO Cameron bands and the CO2 (B) doublet is found to be on the dayside, consistent with photon and electron impact on CO2 as the main source of excitation of the three emissions, in contrast to the findings of Huestis et al. (2010) for the O( 1 S) case. Moreover, we re-examine the cross section for the production of the Cameron bands by electron impact on CO2.

Far-infrared: a frontier in remote sensing of Earth's climate and energy balance

The radiative balance of the troposphere, and hence climate, is influenced strongly by radiative cooling associated with emission of infrared radiation by water vapor, particularly at far-infrared (far-IR) wavelengths greater than 15 micrometers and extending out beyond 50micrometers . Water vapor absorption and emission is principally due to the pure rotation band, which includes both line and continuum absorption. The distribution of water vapor and associated far-IR radiative forcings and feedbacks are well-recognized as major uncertainties in understanding and predicting future climate. Up to half of the outgoing longwave radiation (OLR) from the Earth occurs beyond 15.4 micrometers (650 cm-1_ depending on atmospheric and surface conditions. Cirrus clouds also modulate the outgoing longwave radiation in the far-IR. However, despite this fundamental importance, far-IR emission (spectra of band- integrated) has rarely been directly measured from space, airborne, or ground-based platforms. Current and planned operational and research satellites typically observe the mid-infrared only to about 15.4 micrometers . In this talk we will review the role of the far-IR radiation in climate and will discuss the scientific and technical requirements for far-IR measurements of the Earths atmosphere.