| Popis: |
Data from ozonesondes launched at ARIES Nainital (29.40° N, 79.50° E, and 1793 m elevation) are used to evaluate the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) version 6 ozone profiles and total column ozone during the period 2011–2017 over the central Himalaya. The AIRS ozone products are analyzed in terms of retrieval sensitivity, retrieval biases/errors, and ability to retrieve the natural variability of columnar ozone, which has not been done so far from the Himalayan region having complex topography. For a direct comparison, averaging kernels information is used to account for the sensitivity difference between the AIRS and ozonesonde data. We show that AIRS can provide quality data of ozone in the lower and middle troposphere and stratosphere with nominal underestimation (2) and OMI (4.04 mW/m2), while significant RF underestimation is seen in AIRS (2.96 mW/m2). The fragile and complex landscapes of the Himalayas are more sensitive to global climate change, and establishing such biases and error analysis of space-borne sensors will help study the long-term trends and estimate accurate radiative budgets. |
