Tropospheric ozone columns retrieval from SCIAMACHY limb-nadir-matching observations

Abstract

Tropospheric ozone (O3 ), has two main sources: transport from the stratosphere and photochem- ical production in the troposphere. It plays important roles in atmospheric chemistry and cli- mate change. Its amount and destruction are being modified by anthropogenic activity. Global measurements are needed to test our understanding of its sources and sinks. This dissertation presents a unique method for retrieving tropospheric O3 columns (TOCs) from a global satellite data set. The method involves the combination of limb and nadir observations (hereinafter referred to as limb-nadir-matching (LNM)) of the SCanning Imaging Absorption spectroMeter for Atmospheric CHartographY (SCIAMACHY) instrument, which flew onboard the European Space Agency (ESA) satellite Envisat (2002 - 2012). The LNM technique involve the subtraction of the stratospheric O3 columns (SOCs), retrieved from the limb observations, from the total O3 columns (TOZs), derived from the nadir observations to yield the TOCs