Initial validation comparisons for the Atmospheric Chemistry Experiment (ACE-FTS)

Abstract

The Atmospheric Chemistry Experiment Fourier Transform Spectrometer (ACE-FTS) is the primary instrument for the ACE satellite mission. The initial validation of ozone profiles from ACE-FTS is based on comparisons with profiles from satellite-borne instruments and balloon-borne ozonesondes. The satellite instruments include the SAGE III and POAM III instruments. The ACE profiles were recorded during March 2004 at high latitudes in the northern hemisphere (>65°N) and were processed with the version 1.0 retrieval algorithm. The ACE-FTS results were found to agree within 10% with those from the other satellite measurements between 15 and 40 km, with ACE-FTS measuring less ozone near the profile maximum. The ACE-FTS has a lower vertical resolution than SAGE III or POAM III and this may contribute to the observed discrepancy. The comparisons with ozonesonde measurements suggest that the ACE-FTS accurately captures vertical structures in the ozone profile that are on the order of several kilometers thick. Copyright 2005 by the American Geophysical Union.