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Preliminary results from the portable standard satellite laser ranging intercomparison with MOBLAS-7

Conventional Satellite Laser Ranging (SLR) instrumentation has been configured and successfully used to provide high-accuracy laboratory measurements on the LAGEOS-2 and TOPEX cube-corner arrays. The instrumentation, referred to as the Portable Standard, has also been used for field measurements of satellite ranges in tandem with MOBLAS-7. Preliminary results of the SLR measurements suggest that improved range accuracy can be achieved using this system. Results are discussed.

Selden, Michael↗

Intercomparison of MAS, AVIRIS, and HIS data from FIRE cirrus 2

The NASA ER-2 flight on 5 Dec. 1991 is unique among the FIRE Cirrus 2 missions in that data were acquired simultaneously by the MODIS Airborne Simulator (MAS), the Airborne Visible/Infrared Imaging Spectrometer (AVIRIS), and the High Resolution Interferometer Sounder (HIS). These data represent a unique source of information about the spatial and spectral properties of cirrus clouds. The MAS is a new instrument which will aid in defining algorithms and building an understanding of the ability of the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) to remotely sense atmospheric conditions for assessing global change. In order to establish confidence in the absolute calibration accuracy of the MAS radiances, an inter-comparison of MAS radiances with AVIRIS and HIS has been undertaken.

Gumley, Liam E.↗

Intercomparison of remote and balloon-borne sensors operated at JAPE-91

In recent years, there has been an increased availability of different types of remote sensors for measuring atmospheric parameters. With the introduction of remote sensors into field operation, questions have arisen as to their accuracy and precision. An attempt was made to address this issue by analyzing and intercomparing sets of wind and temperature data obtained during the Joint Acoustic Propagation Experiment (JAPE-9l) conducted at White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico, in Jul. and Aug. 1991. The remote sensing systems that were deployed included a 924 MHz wind profiler, two Doppler acoustic sodars, and a Radio Acoustic Sounding System (RASS). In situ measurements of wind, temperature, and humidity were also obtained from radiosondes. Individual system characteristics and the results of intercomparing the derived wind and temperature data from each of the systems are presented.

Okrasinski, Richard J.↗

Intercomparison between ozone profiles measured above Spitsbergen by lidar and sonde techniques

This paper compares coincident ozone profile measurements by electrochemical sondes and lidar performed at Ny-Alesund/Spitsbergen. A detailed height dependent statistical analysis of the differences between these complementary methods was performed for the overlapping altitude region (13-35 km). The data set comprises ozone profile measurements conducted between Jan. 1989 and Jan. 1991. Differences of up to 25 percent were found above 30 km altitude.

Fabian, Rolf↗

Ground-based intercomparisons of SBUV/2 flight instruments the world standard Dobson spectrophotometer 83 and overpass observations from Nimbus-7 TOMS and NOAA-11 SBUV/2

Total ozone data obtained during summers at Mauna Loa Observatory, Hawaii, with Dobson Spectrophotometer 83 are routinely compared with overpass total ozone data from the Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer (TOMS) and the Solar Backscatter Ultraviolet (SBUV) spectrometer launched aboard the Nimbus 7 satellite in 1978. Results from the TOMS/Dobson instrument comparisons through 1990 have been presented by McPeters and Komhyr (1991). Dobson spectrophotometer 83 was established as the standard instrument for the U.S.A. Dobson instrument station network in 1962. In 1980, the instrument was designated by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) as the Standard Dobson Spectrophotometer for the World. Long-term ozone measurement precision of the instrument has been maintained at plus or minus 0.5 percent (Komhyr et al., 1989). On an absolute scale, the ozone measurement accuracy of the instrument is estimated to plus or minus 3 percent. In early April, 1990, comparison of total ozone and vertical distribution (Umkehr) observations were made for the first time with Dobson spectrophotometer 8.3. The work was conducted at the NOAA Climate Monitoring and Diagnostics Laboratory (CMDL) in Boulder, Colorado, and at the research and instrument manufacturing facility of the Ball Aerospace System Division located about 2 km east of Boulder. (The SBUV-2 S/N-2 instrument, built by Ball Aerospace Systems Division, is scheduled for launch aboard the NOAA-13 satellite). We present results of the comparisons which include ozone vertical distribution data obtained with a balloon-borne electrochemical concentration cell (ECC) ozonesonde (Komhyr, 1969).

Heath, D. F.↗

Intercomparison of single-frequency methods for retrieving a vertical rain profile from airborne or spaceborne radar data

This paper briefly reviews several single-frequency rain profiling methods for an airborne or spaceborne radar. The authors describe the different methods from a unified point of view starting from the basic differential equation. This facilitates the comparisons between the methods and also provides a better understanding of the physical and mathematical basis of the methods. The application of several methods to airborne radar data taken during the Convective and Precipitation/Electrification Experiment is shown. Finally, the authors consider a hybrid method that provides a smooth transition between the Hitschfeld-Bordan method, which performs well at low attenuations, and the surface reference method, for which the relative error decreases with increasing path attenuation.

Iguchi, Toshio↗

The analysis of star catalogs. 1: An intercomparison among the FK3, the FK4, and the FK5

Progress in the construction of the fundamental catalogs allows one to ask the following questions: 'Now that we have the FK5 with which to measure by, how good was the FK4? The FK3? How realistic were the error estimates they gave for their equatorial coordinates and their proper motions? Have their residual systematic differences continued to decrease in amplitude?' and so forth. Similar questions could be asked of the GC and the N30, and a companion paper will similarly analyze them. Finally, the identical series of questions could be asked of the AGK2, AGK3, AGK3U sequence. In this paper we develop a general method to objectively investigate, post facto, the true quality of star catalog error estimates. We present a complete mathematical formulation of the questions above and delineate the calculations needed to address them. Our initial numerical applications are restricted to a straightforward examination of the mean errors of the coordinates and proper motions in the FK3 (using the FK4 and the FK5 for comparison) and in the FK4 (using the FK5 for comparison). However, we can simply and consistently interpret the results of these computations -- for the FK catalogs fail to follow the predictions of mathematical statistics -- only if the FK3 and the FK4 contain higher angular frequency systematic errors. These errors, at the mean epochs of place of the older catalogs, are larger than the random errors in the FK5 system. We expect that our new ability to discern these features means that we can also prevent them during compilation. Finally, note that the concepts behind our procedures are completely general and can be applied to any set of compiled data -- astrometric, photometric, geodetic, and so forth.

Bucciarelli, B.↗

The analysis of star catalogs. 2: An intercomparison among the GC, the N30, and the FK5(B1950.0/FK4)

We use the general method of compiled data set analysis developed in our first paper (Bucciarelli et. al. 1994) and extend our analysis of fundamental star catalogs to include the two American ones. The problems found in the FK3/FK4/FK5 sequence are not present in either the GC or the N30. This lends support to the hypothesis advanced in our previous paper that the FK3, and to a lesser extent the FK4 declination system, are distorted by high angular frequency systematics. On the other hand, both the GC and N30 equatorial coordinate and proper motion distributions nicely follow the predictions of mathematical statistics. As with the FK3/FK4/FK5 analysis, the new results are as seen by the FK5 (on the FK4/B1950.0 system).

Taff, L. G.↗

Intercomparisons of sumultaneous remote and in situ wind measurements

A large number of ground based, balloon and rocket borne experiments was performed at various stations during DYnamics Adapted Network for the Atmosphere (DYANA). This allows the comparisons of simultaneous wind profiles determined by different techniques. This paper briefly describes each technique and discusses the comparisons between: (1) foil chaff at Andoya (69 deg N, 16 deg E) and EISCAT winds data at Tromso (70 deg N, 19 deg E); (2) foil chaff or falling sphere at Andoya and MF radar winds data at Tromso; (3) MF radar at Juliusruh (54 deg N, 13 deg E), meteorological radar at Kuehlungsborn (54 deg N, 11 deg E), meteorological rockets at Zingst (54 deg N, 12.5 deg E) and LF drift winds at Collm (51.3 deg N, 13 deg E); (4) falling sphere, balloons and, for the first time, a Rayleigh Doppler Lidar at the Centre d'Essais des Landes (C.E.L. 44 deg N, 1 deg W). These methods have widely varying altitude, spatial and temporal resolutions. Despite these differences, the comparisons show a generally good agreement.

Gonzales, N.↗

An intercomparison of plasma turbulence at three comets: Grigg-Skjellerup, Giacobini-Zinner, and Halley

The power laws are approximately f(exp -1.9), f(exp -1.9), and f(exp -2.1) respectively for the Grigg-Shjellerup (GS), Giacobini-Zinner (GZ), and Halley (H) comets. Other than similarities in the power spectra, the magnetic field turbulence is considerably different at the three comets. Phase steepening is demonstrated to occur at the trailing edges of the GS waves. This is probably due to nonlinear steepening plus dispersion of the left-hand mode components, i.e., the turbulence is whistler-mode. This too can be explained by nonlinear steepening plus dispersion of the magnetosonic waves. At the level of GS and GZ turbulence development when the spacecraft measurements were made, classical three-wave processes, such as the decay or modulation instabilities do not appear to play important roles. It is most likely that the nonlinear steepening and dispersive time scales are more rapid than three-wave processes, and the latter had not had time to develop for the relatively new turbulence. The wave turbulence at Halley is linearly polarized. The exact nature of this turbulence is still not well understood. Several possibilities are suggested, based on a preliminary analyses.

Tsurutani, Bruce T.↗

An intercomparison of plasma turbulence at three comets: Grigg-Skjellerup, Giacobini-Zinner, and Halley

We examine and intercompare the LF plasma wave turbulence at three comets: Grigg-Skjellerup (GS), Giacobini-Zinner (GZ), and Halley (H). All three have power spectral peaks at the local ion cyclotron frequency (the pump wave) at approx. 10(exp -2) Hz, and a power-law fall-off at higher frequencies that suggest the development of turbulent cascades. The power laws for the three comets are approximately f(exp -1.9), f(exp -1.9) and f(exp -2.1), respectively. However, other than the similarities in the power spectra, we find the magnetic field turbulence is considerably different at the three comets. Phase steepening is demonstrated to occur at the trailing edges of the GS waves. This is probably due to nonlinear steepening plus dispersion of the left-hand mode components. A coherency analysis of GZ turbulence indicates that it is primarily composed of righthanded mode components, i.e., the turbulence is 'whistlermode.' This too can be explained by nonlinear steepening plus dispersion of the magnetosonic waves. At the level of GS and GZ turbulence development when the spacecraft measurements were made, classical three-wave processes, such as the decay or modulation instabilities do not appear to play important roles. It is most likely that the nonlinear steepening and dispersive time scales are more rapid than three-wave processes, and the latter had not had time to develop for the relatively 'new' turbulence. The wave turbulence at Halley is linearly polarized. The exact nature of this turbulence is still not well understood at this time. Several possibilities are suggested, based on our preliminary analyses.

Tsurutani, Bruce T.↗

A New Method of Deriving Time-Averaged Tropospheric Column Ozone over the Tropics Using Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer (TOMS) Radiances: Intercomparison and Analysis Using TRACE A Data

Error analysis of archived total 03 from total ozone mapping spectrometer (TOMS) (version 6) presented. Daily total 03 maps for the tropics, from the period October 6-21, 1992, are derived from TOMS radiances following correction for these errors. These daily maps, averaged together, show a wavelike feature, which is observed in all latitude bands, underlying sharp peaks which occur at different longitudes depending on the latitude. The wave pattern is used to derive both time-averaged stratospheric and tropospheric 03 fields. The nature of the wave pattern (stratospheric or tropospheric) cannot be determined with certainty due to missing data (no Pacific sondes, no lower stratospheric Stratospheric Aerosol and Gas Experiment (SAGE) ozone for 18 months after the Mt. Pinatubo eruption) and significant uncertainties in the corroborative satellite record in the lower stratosphere (solar backscattered ultraviolet (SBUV), microwave limb sounder (MLS)). However, the time- averaged tropospheric ozone field, based on the assumption that the wave feature is stratospheric, agrees within 10% with ultraviolet differential absorption laser Transport and Atmospheric Chemistry near the Equator-Atlantic) (TRACE A) 03 measurements from the DC-8 and with ozonesonde measurements over Brazzaville, Congo, Ascension Island, and Natal, Brazil, for the period October 6-21, 1992. The derived background (nonpolluted) Indian Ocean tropospheric ozone amount, 26 Dobson units (DU), agrees with the cleanest African ozonesonde profiles for September-October 1992. The assumption of a totally tropospheric wave (flat stratosphere) gives 38 DU above the western Indian Ocean and 15-40% disagreements with the sondes. Tropospheric column 03 is high from South America to Africa, owing to interaction of dynamics with biomass burning emissions. Comparison with fire distributions from advanced very high resolution radiometer (AVHHR) during October 1992 suggests that tropospheric 03 produced from biomass burning in South America and Africa dominates the 03 budget in the tropical southern hemisphere during the study period.

Kim, J. H.↗

Wake Sensor Evaluation Program and Results of JFK-1 Wake Vortex Sensor Intercomparisons

The overall approach should be to: (1) Seek simplest, sufficiently robust, integrated ground based sensor systems (wakes and weather) for AVOSS; (2) Expand all sensor performance cross-comparisons and data mergings in on-going field deployments; and (3) Achieve maximal cost effectiveness through hardware/info sharing. An effective team is in place to accomplish the above tasks.

Barker, Ben C., Jr.↗

An Intercomparison of the Dynamical Cores of Global Atmospheric Circulation Models for Mars

This is a Final Report for a Joint Research Interchange (JRI) between NASA Ames Research Center and San Jose State University, Department of Meteorology. The focus of this JRI has been to evaluate the dynamical "cores" of two global atmospheric circulation models for Mars that are in operation at the NASA Ames Research Center. The two global circulation models in use are fundamentally different: one uses spherical harmonics in its horizontal representation of field variables; the other uses finite differences on a uniform longitude-latitude grid. Several simulations have been conducted to assess how the dynamical processors of each of these circulation models perform using identical "simple physics" parameterizations. A variety of climate statistics (e.g., time-mean flows and eddy fields) have been compared for realistic solstitial mean basic states. Results of this research have demonstrated that the two Mars circulation models with completely different spatial representations and discretizations produce rather similar circulation statistics for first-order meteorological fields, suggestive of a tendency for convergence of numerical solutions. Second and higher-order fields can, however, vary significantly between the two models.

Hollingsworth, Jeffery L.↗

An Intercomparison of the Dynamical Cores of Global Atmospheric Circulation Models for Mars

This is a Final Report for a Joint Research Interchange (JRI) between NASA Ames Research Center and San Jose State University, Department of Meteorology. The focus of this JRI has been to evaluate the dynamical 'cores' of two global atmospheric circulation models for Mars that are in operation at the NASA Ames Research Center. The two global circulation models in use are fundamentally different: one uses spherical harmonics in its horizontal representation of field variables; the other uses finite differences on a uniform longitude-latitude grid. Several simulations have been conducted to assess how the dynamical processors of each of these circulation models perform using identical 'simple physics' parameterizations. A variety of climate statistics (e.g., time-mean flows and eddy fields) have been compared for realistic solstitial mean basic states. Results of this research have demonstrated that the two Mars circulation models with completely different spatial representations and discretizations produce rather similar circulation statistics for first-order meteorological fields, suggestive of a tendency for convergence of numerical solutions. Second and higher-order fields can, however, vary significantly between the two models.

Hollingsworth, Jeffery L.↗

Aviation Fuel Tracer Simulation: Model Intercomparison and Implications

An upper limit for aircraft-produced perturbations to aerosols and gaseous exhaust products in the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere (UT/LS) is derived using the 1992 aviation fuel tracer simulation performed by eleven global atmospheric models. Key Endings are that subsonic aircraft emissions: (1) have not be responsible for the observed water vapor trends at 40 deg N; (2) could be a significant source of soot mass near 12 km, but not at 20 km; (3) might cause a noticeable increase in the background sulfate aerosol surface area and number densities (but not mass density) near the northern mid-latitude tropopause; and (4) could provide a global, annual mean top of the atmosphere radiative forcing up to +0.006 W/sq m and -0.013 W/sq m due to emitted soot and sulfur, respectively.

Danilin, M. Y.↗

An Intercomparison of the Dynamical Cores of Global Atmospheric Circulation Models for Mars

This is a Final Report for a Joint Research Interchange (JRI) between NASA Ames Research Cen- ter and San Jose State University, Department of Meteorology. The focus of this JRI has been to evaluate the dynamical "cores" of two global atmospheric circulation models for Mars that are in operation at the NASA Ames Research Center. ne two global circulation models in use are fundamentally different: one uses spherical harmonics in its horizontal representation of field variables; the other uses finite differences on a uniform longitude-latitude grid. Several simulations have been conducted to assess how the dynamical processors of each of these circulation models perform using identical "simple physics" parameterizations. A variety of climate statistics (e.g., time-mean flows and eddy fields) have been compared for realistic solstitial mean basic states. Results of this research have demonstrated that the two Mars circulation models with completely different spatial representations and discretizations produce rather similar circulation statistics for first-order meteorological fields, suggestive of a tendency for convergence of numerical solutions. Second and higher-order fields can, however, vary significantly between the two models.

Hollingsworth, Jeffery L.↗

OCTS and SeaWiFS Bio-Optical Algorithm and Product Validation and Intercomparison in US Coastal Waters

The successful launch of the National Space Development Agency of Japan (NASDA) Ocean Color and Temperature Sensor (OCTS) in August 1996, and the launch of Orbital Science Corporation's (OSC) Sea-viewing Wide-Field-of-view Sensor (SeaWiFS) in August 1997 signaled the beginning of a new era for ocean color research and application. These data may be used to remotely evaluate 1) water quality, 2) transport of sediments and adhered pollutants, 3) primary production, upon which commercial shellfish and finfish populations depend for food, and 4) harmful algal blooms which pose a threat to public health and economies of affected areas. Several US government agencies have recently expressed interest in monitoring U.S. coastal waters using optical remote sensing. This renewed interest is broadly driven by 1) resource management concerns over the impact of coastward shifts in population and land use on the ecosystems of estuaries, wetlands, nearshore benthic environments and fisheries, 2) recognition of the need to understand short time scale global change due to urbanization of sensitive land-margin ecosystems, and 3) national security issues. Satellite ocean color sensors have the potential to furnish data at the appropriate time and space scales to evaluate and resolve these concerns and problems. In this draft technical memorandum, we outline our progress during the first year of our SIMBIOS project to evaluate ocean color bio-optical algorithms and products generated using OCTS and SeaWiFS data in coastal US waters.

Brown, Christopher W.↗