Remedy 2: Improvements to climatological databases of a priori ozone profiles for use in retrievals

Primary gap remedy type: 
Research
Secondary gap remedy type: 
Research
Proposed remedy description: 

Improve climatological databases of a priori ozone profiles, with particular emphasis on tropospheric ozone are required to inform improved retrievals. It is necessary to test the quality/suitability of the databases of ozone profiles through a comparison with ozonesonde profiles at a selection of stations. Preferably this is to be done at the actual measurement site or station where also the UV-visible measurements are made. The vertically high resolved ozonesonde profiles can then be used to validate in particular the tropospheric part of the climatological ozone database. This would then specifically validate and improve the input parameters for the AMF calculation for that specific station. For NDACC stations, for example, which have both measurement techniques on site, this is a very feasible approach. Additionally, ozone profiles measured as part of ozonesonde networks, such as SHADOZ, provide this kind of validation for the currently used climatological database in a more global sense.

Relevance: 

Improving the climatological databases of a priori ozone profiles will improve the accuracy of the a priori data used within the respective RT model to calculate the AMFs and hence to improve the overall accuracy of the measured total ozone column retrieved from zenith sky UV-visible measurements.

Measurable outcome of success: 

If we can show that the updated and improved ozone database, when used as a priori for the ozone AMF calculations, leads to a smaller uncertainty in the calculation of ozone AMFs then we know that we have succeeded.

Expected viability for the outcome of success: 
  • Medium
Scale of work: 
  • Single institution
  • Consortium
Time bound to remedy: 
  • Less than 3 years
Indicative cost estimate (investment): 
  • Low cost (< 1 million)
Potential actors: 
  • EU H2020 funding
  • Copernicus funding
  • National funding agencies
  • ESA, EUMETSAT or other space agency
  • Academia, individual research institutes