Use of CRISTA mesopause region temperatures for the intercalibration of gound-based instruments

Most available ground-based (GB) techniques for measuring temperatures in the upper mesosphere to lower thermosphere (or mesopause region) have systematic errors that are comparable to those of orbiting instruments. Determining these unknown biasses would normally require colocated observations that...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of Atmospheric and Solar-Terrestrial Physics
Main Authors: Scheer, Jurgen, Reisin, Esteban Rodolfo, Gusev, O. A., French, W. J. R., Hernandez, G., Huppi, R., Ammosov, P., Gavrilyeva, G. A., Offermann, D.
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: Elsevier
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Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/11336/22165
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Summary:Most available ground-based (GB) techniques for measuring temperatures in the upper mesosphere to lower thermosphere (or mesopause region) have systematic errors that are comparable to those of orbiting instruments. Determining these unknown biasses would normally require colocated observations that are only seldom feasible. Satellite measurements can be used as a ‘‘transfer standard’’ between GB observations that are not colocated. In this context, even with a reproducible or known bias in the satellite data, the comparison is still meaningful. Since Cryogenic Infrared Spectrometers and Telescopes for the Atmosphere (CRISTA) temperatures cover the mesopause region with very good accuracy (statistical errors do not exceed 1.5 K and systematic uncertainties range from about 3–7.5 K), they are quite suitable for this purpose. Because of the nearly constant precision over the height range of interest, also rotational temperatures of airglow emissions from different altitudes like the OH and O2 bands (or the OI 558 nm line) can be successfully compared with each other. In spite of the limited number of overpasses during the relatively short CRISTA missions, the feasibility of such an intercalibration is demonstrated for widely separated GB sites. Here, the results obtained for GB measurements at eight different sites, using CRISTA-1 and CRISTA-2 data, are presented. For OH temperatures, the standard deviation between the different instruments is only 5.4 K, confirming previous estimates. Fil: Scheer, Jurgen. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciónes Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Astronomía y Física del Espacio. - Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Astronomía y Física del Espacio; Argentina Fil: Reisin, Esteban Rodolfo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciónes Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Astronomía y Física del Espacio. - Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Astronomía y Física del Espacio; Argentina Fil: Gusev, O. A. University of Wuppertal; Alemania Fil: French, W. J. R. Australian Antarctic Division; Australia Fil: Hernandez, G. University of Washington; Estados Unidos Fil: Huppi, R. State University Of Utah; Estados Unidos Fil: Ammosov, P. Institute of Cosmophysical Research and Aeronomy; Rusia Fil: Gavrilyeva, G. A. Institute of Cosmophysical Research and Aeronomy; Rusia Fil: Offermann, D. University of Wuppertal; Alemania