Validation of GOMOS, MIPAS and SCIAMACHY O3, NO2 and BrO profiles using SAOZ balloon flights measurements

Abstract

Dedicated balloon flights have been organised in order to validate the chemical instruments (GOMOS, MIPAS and SCIAMACHY) on-board the ENVISAT satellite in the 10-30 km altitude range. The instrument is the SAOZ uv-visible spectrometer designed for the measurement of the vertical profiles of O3, NO2, BrO, H2O, O2, but also O4 (the dimer of O2), optical extinction, pressure and temperature. SAOZ is a light instrument, easy to launch. Eight flights have been performed between August 2002 and March 2003 at various latitudes ( 67N, 52N, 43N and 22S) and seasons (summer, autumn and winter) allowing to compare with satellite coincident measurements in different conditions. Here, we report on comparisons between SAOZ and GOMOS ozone profiles in the aArctic, mid-latitudes and tropics in the summer together with the first very preliminary comparison of SAOZ and SCIAMACHY BrO and NO2 limb profiles.