Validation of water vapour profiles from the Atmospheric Chemistry Experiment (ACE)

International audienceThe Atmospheric Chemistry Experiment (ACE) mission was launched in August 2003 to sound the atmosphere by solar occultation. Water vapour (H2O), one of the most important molecules for climate and atmospheric chemistry, is one of the key species provided by the two principal instruments, the infrared Fourier Transform Spectrometer (ACE-FTS) and the MAESTRO UV-Visible spectrometer (ACE-MAESTRO). The first instrument performs measurements on several lines in the 1362?2137 cm?1 range, from which vertically resolved H2O concentration profiles are retrieved, from 7 to 90 km altitude. ACE-MAESTRO measures profiles using the water absorption band in the near infrared part of the spectrum at 926.0?969.7 nm. This paper presents a comprehensive validation of the ACE-FTS profiles. We have compared the H2O volume mixing ratio profiles with space-borne (SAGE II, HALOE, POAM III, MIPAS, SMR) observations and measurements from balloon-borne frostpoint hygrometers and a ground based lidar. We show that the ACE-FTS measurements provide H2O profiles with small retrieval uncertainties in the stratosphere (better than 5% from 15 to 70 km, gradually increasing above). The situation is unclear in the upper troposphere, due mainly to the high variability of the water vapour volume mixing ratio in this region. A new water vapour data product from the ACE-MAESTRO (Measurement of Aerosol Extinction in the Stratosphere and Troposphere Retrieved by Occultation) is also presented and initial comparisons with ACE-FTS are discussed

Evaluation of Peroxide Exchanges over a Coniferous Forest in a Single-Column Chemistry-Climate Model

A single-column chemistry-climate model has been applied to evaluate peroxide exchanges measured over a coniferous forest during the BEWA2000 field campaign, July¿August 2001. Simulations indicate that for suppressed nocturnal turbulent mixing, the H2O2 mixing ratios are sensitive to the representation of sources and sinks, e.g., non-stomatal uptake and chemical transformations, the latter tightly linked to atmosphere¿biosphere NOx exchanges through its control on HO2 production. Comparison of observed and simulated H2O2 fluxes suggests that the commonly applied method to estimate uptake resistances results in a significant underestimation of the dry deposition flux. By using a very small surface uptake resistance, as observed, the modeled surface fluxes are still too low due to an underestimation of the simulated turbulent transport. Further, a reasonable agreement between simulated and observed methylhydroperoxide and hydroxymethylhydroperoxide mixing ratios in and above the canopy air is observed. Our analysis indicates the important role of daytime as well as nocturnal turbulent exchanges, which control the efficiency of dry deposition and downward transport of peroxides that are chemically produced higher up in the boundary layer. In turn, this chemical production depends on the upward transport of emitted precursor gases and their oxidization products. This demonstrates that improved simulations of atmosphere¿biosphere peroxide exchanges rely heavily on improved model representations of boundary layer and canopy turbulent exchanges