The Orbiting Carbon
Observatory (OCO) mission will make the first global, space-based measurements of
atmospheric CO2 with the precision and coverage needed to
characterize CO2 sources and sinks on regional scales. OCO will acquire
spectrally and spatially highly resolved measurements of reflected sunlight in
the O2 A-band and two near-infrared CO2 bands. To test
the OCO retrieval algorithm, SCIAMACHY and ground-based Fourier Transform Spectrometer
(FTS) measurements at Park Falls,
Wisconsin have been analyzed. Good agreement between SCIAMACHY and FTS CO2 columns has been
found with SCIAMACHY showing a much larger scatter than FTS measurements. Both,
SCIAMACHY and FTS, overestimate the surface pressure by a few percent which
significantly impacts retrieved CO2 columns.
Author: H. Boesch, M. Buchwitz, B. Sen, G.C. Toon, et al (Hartmut dot Boesch at jpl dot nasa dot gov)
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