Retrieval Error Analysis for ground-based microwave radiometry

HERS S. ; PULIAFITO, E.

Grenoble, Francia

Workshop; European Research Course on Atmosphere (ERCA); 1998

European Research Course on Atmosphere (ERCA), CNRS,

During the past decades different methods of remote sensing of atmospheric parameters have been developed. They form a powerful tool in the investigation of atmospheric and climate change and in forming a global network for the monitoring of atmospheric constituents. Remote sensing technique?s in general involve, except for acquisition of the actual radiation measurements, also the retrieval of a profile of a certain atmospheric parameter from these measurements. Both the actual measurements as the algorithm used to solve the inversion problem are a source of errors in the retrieved profile. Only recently a general recipe for the error analysis and the characterization of the errors was presented by Rodgers. This analysis is crucial not only top the comparison of new measurements with historical data, but also for the comparison of both the different remote sensing methods and the different inversion methods. Since 1993 ozone measurements campaign were carried out at the Institute for Environmental Studies (IEMA), Mendoza, Argentina, at an altitude of 720 m. For this purpose use was made of a 142 GHz radiometer-spectrometer. The measurements were inverted through the use of the optimal estimation methods. The error analysis follows the general method presented by Rodgers. The projected involved a thorough discussion on the interpretation of errors, resulting in the identification of fixed and variable errors in the observing system.