Note on rotational-Raman scattering in the O2 A- and B-bands

Abstract

Quantifying the impact of rotational-Raman scattering (RRS) on the O 2 A- and B-bands is important as these bands can be used for cloud and aerosol characterization for trace-gas retrievals including CO2 and CH4. In this paper, we simulate the spectral effects of RRS for various viewing geometries and instruments with different spectral resolutions. We also examine how aerosols affect the amount of RRS filling-in. We show that the filling-in effects of RRS are relatively small, but not negligible, in these O2absorption bands, particularly for high-spectral-resolution instruments. For comparison, we also compare and contrast the spectral signatures of RRS with those of terrestrial chlorophyll fluorescence. © Author(s) 2013.