Two-dimensional performance of MIPAS observation modes in the upper-troposphere/lower-stratosphere

Abstract. In this paper we analyze the performance of the three MIPAS (Michelson Interferometer for Passive Atmospheric Sounding) observation modes that sound the Upper-Troposphere/Lower-Stratosphere (UT/LS) region. The two-dimensional (2-D) tomographic retrieval approach is assumed to derive the atmospheric field of geophysical parameters. For each observation mode we have calculated the 2-D distribution of the information load quantifier relative to the main MIPAS targets. The performance of the observation modes has been evaluated in terms of strength and spatial coverage of the information-load distribution along the full orbit. The indications of the information-load analysis has been validated with simulated retrievals based on the observational parameters of real orbits. In the simulation studies we have assessed the precision and the spatial (both horizontal and vertical) resolution of the retrieval products. The performance of the three observation modes has been compared for the MIPAS main products in both the UT/LS and the extended altitude range. This study shows that the two observation modes that were specifically designed for the UT/LS region are actually competitive with the third one, designed for the whole stratosphere, up to altitudes that far exceed the UT/LS. In the UT/LS the performance of the two specific observation modes is comparable even if the best performance in terms of horizontal resolution is provided by the observation mode that was excluded by the European Space Agency (ESA) from the current MIPAS duty cycle. This paper reports the first application of the information-load analysis and highlights the worthiness of this approach to make qualitative considerations about retrieval potential and selection of retrieval grid

Position error in profiles retrieved from MIPAS observations with a 1-D algorithm

Abstract. The information load (IL) analysis, first introduced for the two-dimensional approach (Carlotti and Magnani, 2009), is applied to the inversion of MIPAS (Michelson Interferometer for Passive Atmospheric Sounding) observations operated with a 1-dimensional (1-D) retrieval algorithm. The IL distribution of MIPAS spectra is shown to be often asymmetrical with respect to the tangent points of the observations and permits us to define the preferential latitude where the profiles retrieved with a 1-D algorithm should be geo-located. Therefore, defining the geo-location of the retrieved profile by means of the tangent points leads to a "position error". We assess the amplitude of the position error for some of the MIPAS main products and we show that the IL analysis can also be used as a tool for the selection of spectral intervals that, when analyzed, minimize the position error of the retrieved profile. When the temperature (T) profiles are used for the retrieval of volume mixing ratio (VMR) of atmospheric constituents, the T-position error (of the order of 1.5 degrees of latitude) induces a VMR error that is directly connected with the horizontal T gradients. Temperature profiles can be externally-provided or determined in a previous step of the retrieval process. In the first case, the IL analysis shows that a meaningful fraction (often exceeding 50%) of the VMR error deriving from the 1-D approximation is to be attributed to the mismatch between the position assigned to the external T profile and the positions where T is required by the analyzed observations. In the second case the retrieved T values suffer by an error of 1.5–2 K due to neglecting the horizontal variability of T; however the error induced on VMRs is of minor concern because of the generally small mismatch between the IL distribution of the observations analyzed to retrieve T and those analyzed to retrieve the VMR target. An estimate of the contribution of the T-position error to the error budget is provided for MIPAS main products. This study shows that the information load analysis can be successfully exploited in a 1-D context that makes the assumption of horizontal homogeneity of the analyzed portion of atmosphere. The analysis that we propose can be extended to the 1-D inversion of other limb-sounding experiments

Extreme ozone depletion in the 2010–2011 Arctic winter stratosphere as observed by MIPAS/ENVISAT using a 2-D tomographic approach

Abstract. We present observations of the 2010–2011 Arctic winter stratosphere from the Michelson Interferometer for Passive Atmospheric Sounding (MIPAS) onboard ENVISAT. Limb sounding infrared measurements were taken by MIPAS during the Northern polar winter and into the subsequent spring, giving a continuous vertically resolved view of the Arctic dynamics, chemistry and polar stratospheric clouds (PSCs). We adopted a 2-D tomographic retrieval approach to account for the strong horizontal inhomogeneity of the atmosphere present under vortex conditions, self-consistently comparing 2011 to the 2-D analysis of 2003–2010. Unlike most Arctic winters, 2011 was characterized by a strong stratospheric vortex lasting until early April. Lower stratospheric temperatures persistently remained below the threshold for PSC formation, extending the PSC season up to mid-March, resulting in significant chlorine activation leading to ozone destruction. On 3 January 2011, PSCs were detected up to 30.5 ± 0.9 km altitude, representing the highest PSCs ever reported in the Arctic. Through inspection of MIPAS spectra, 83% of PSCs were identified as supercooled ternary solution (STS) or STS mixed with nitric acid trihydrate (NAT), 17% formed mostly by NAT particles, and only two cases by ice. In the lower stratosphere at potential temperature 450 K, vortex average ozone showed a daily depletion rate reaching 100 ppbv day−1. In early April at 18 km altitude, 10% of vortex measurements displayed total depletion of ozone, and vortex average values dropped to 0.6 ppmv. This corresponds to a chemical loss from early winter greater than 80%. Ozone loss was accompanied by activation of ClO, associated depletion of its reservoir ClONO2, and significant denitrification, which further delayed the recovery of ozone in spring. Once the PSC season halted, ClO was reconverted primarily into ClONO2. Compared to MIPAS observed 2003–2010 Arctic average values, the 2010–2011 vortex in late winter had 15 K lower temperatures, 40% lower HNO3 and 50% lower ozone, reaching the largest ozone depletion ever observed in the Arctic. The overall picture of this Arctic winter was remarkably closer to conditions typically found in the Antarctic vortex than ever observed before

On the properties of human mobility

The current age of increased people mobility calls for a better understanding of how people move: how many places does an individual commonly visit, what are the semantics of these places, and how do people get from one place to another. We show that the number of places visited by each person (Points of Interest - PoIs) is regulated by some properties that are statistically similar among individuals. Subsequently, we present a PoIs classification in terms of their relevance on a per-user basis. In addition to the PoIs relevance, we also investigate the variables that describe the travel rules among PoIs in particular, the spatial and temporal distance. As regards the latter, existing works on mobility are mainly based on spatial distance. Here we argue, rather, that for human mobility the temporal distance and the PoIs relevance are the major driving factors. Moreover, we study the semantic of PoIs. This is useful for deriving statistics on people's habits without breaking their privacy. With the support of different datasets, our paper provides an in-depth analysis of PoIs distribution and semantics; it also shows that our results hold independently of the nature of the dataset in use. We illustrate that our approach is able to effectively extract a rich set of features describing human mobility and we argue that this can be seminal to novel mobility research

HHpXRF study of recent zinc and lead pollution on lava stepping stones from Pompeii: Tourist footfall, tyre dust and leaded petrol

A helium‐enabled Niton X‐ray analyser (HHpXRF) study of 296 lava stepping stones from ancient Pompeii showed that their surfaces were contaminated with superficial deposits of Zn and Pb. Recent research has shown that concentrations of these elements are highest in urban areas, where they were attributed to tyre dust and leaded petrol, respectively. The distribution of these elements on the stepping stones is represented on maps of the site. Zn pollution is most abundant in areas visited by tourists and is attributed mostly to wear from their rubber‐soled footwear. Pb pollution is attributed to the movement of onsite vehicles using leaded petrol

The MIPAS2D database of MIPAS/ENVISAT measurements retrieved with a multi-target 2-dimensional tomographic approach

Abstract. We present a multi-year database of atmospheric fields of the upper troposphere, stratosphere and lower mesosphere retrieved from satellite measurements adopting a 2-dimensional tomographic approach. The full mission of the Michelson Interferometer for Passive Atmospheric Sounding (MIPAS) instrument, on board the European Space Agency ENVISAT satellite, is analyzed with the Geofit Multi-Target Retrieval (GMTR) system to obtain the MIPAS2D database with atmospheric fields of pressure, temperature and volume mixing ratio of MIPAS main targets H2O, O3, HNO3, CH4, N2O, and NO2. The database covers both the MIPAS nominal observation mode measured at Full Resolution (FR) from July 2002 to March 2004 and the nominal observation mode of the new configuration, measured at Optimized Resolution (OR) and introduced in 2005. Further to the main targets, minor species N2O5, ClONO2, COF2, CFC-11, and CFC-12 for the FR mission only have been included in MIPAS2D to enhance its applicability in studies of stratospheric chemistry. The database is continuously updated with the analysis of the ongoing measurements that are planned to last until the end of 2013 and extended to other targets. The GMTR algorithm is operated on a fixed vertical grid coincident with the tangent altitudes of the FR nominal mode, spanning the altitude range from 6 to 68 km. In the horizontal domain, FR measurements are retrieved on both the observational grid and an equispaced 5 latitudinal-degrees grid which is made possible by the 2-dimensional retrieval algorithm. The analysis of MIPAS OR observations is operated on the same altitude-latitude fixed retrieval grid used for the FR measurements. This choice provides a database with a homogeneous altitude and latitude grid, over the whole globe, covering to date about seven years of measurements. The equispaced latitude grid provides a new and convenient layout for the much needed synergetic studies of data from various instrumental and modeling sources. MIPAS2D is available to the scientific community through the two web sites http://www.mbf.fci.unibo.it/mipas2d.html, and http://www.isac.cnr.it/~rss/mipas2d.ht

Extreme ozone depletion in the 2010–2011 Arctic winter stratosphere as observed by MIPAS/ENVISAT using a 2-D tomographic approach

We present observations of the 2010–2011 Arctic winter stratosphere from the Michelson Interferometer for Passive Atmospheric Sounding (MIPAS) onboard ENVISAT. Limb sounding infrared measurements were taken by MIPAS during the Northern polar winter and into the subsequent spring, giving a continuous vertically resolved view of the Arctic dynamics, chemistry and polar stratospheric clouds (PSCs). We adopted a 2-D tomographic retrieval approach to account for the strong horizontal inhomogeneity of the atmosphere present under vortex conditions, self-consistently comparing 2011 to the 2-D analysis of 2003–2010. Unlike most Arctic winters, 2011 was characterized by a strong stratospheric vortex lasting until early April. Lower stratospheric temperatures persistently remained below the threshold for PSC formation, extending the PSC season up to mid-March, resulting in significant chlorine activation leading to ozone destruction. On 3 January 2011, PSCs were detected up to 30.5 ± 0.9 km altitude, representing the highest PSCs ever reported in the Arctic. Through inspection of MIPAS spectra, 83% of PSCs were identified as supercooled ternary solution (STS) or STS mixed with nitric acid trihydrate (NAT), 17% formed mostly by NAT particles, and only two cases by ice. In the lower stratosphere at potential temperature 450 K, vortex average ozone showed a daily depletion rate reaching 100 ppbv day<sup>−1</sup>. In early April at 18 km altitude, 10% of vortex measurements displayed total depletion of ozone, and vortex average values dropped to 0.6 ppmv. This corresponds to a chemical loss from early winter greater than 80%. Ozone loss was accompanied by activation of ClO, associated depletion of its reservoir ClONO<sub>2</sub>, and significant denitrification, which further delayed the recovery of ozone in spring. Once the PSC season halted, ClO was reconverted primarily into ClONO<sub>2</sub>. Compared to MIPAS observed 2003–2010 Arctic average values, the 2010–2011 vortex in late winter had 15 K lower temperatures, 40% lower HNO<sub>3</sub> and 50% lower ozone, reaching the largest ozone depletion ever observed in the Arctic. The overall picture of this Arctic winter was remarkably closer to conditions typically found in the Antarctic vortex than ever observed before

Synergistic user ↔ context analytics

Various flavours of a new research field on (socio-)physical or personal analytics have emerged, with the goal of deriving semanticallyrich insights from people’s low-level physical sensing combined with their (online) social interactions. In this paper, we argue for more comprehensive data sources, including environmental and application-specific data, to better capture the interactions between users and their context, in addition to those among users. We provide some example use cases and present our ongoing work towards a synergistic analytics platform: a testbed based on mobile crowdsensing and IoT, a data model for representing the different sources of data and their connections, and a prediction engine for analyzing the data and producing insights

Spectrally resolved observations of atmospheric emitted radiance in the H2O rotation band

This paper presents the project Earth Cooling by Water Vapor Radiation, an observational programme, which aims at developing a database of spectrally resolved far infrared observations, in atmospheric dry conditions, in order to validate radiative transfer models and test the quality of water vapor continuum and line parameters. The project provides the very first set of far-infrared spectral downwelling radiance measurements, in dry atmospheric conditions, which are complemented with Raman Lidar-derived temperature and water vapor profiles

Competition and Vertical/Agglomeration Effects in Media Mergers: Bagging Bundle Benefits

Existing frameworks (such as used by the New Zealand Commerce Commission in its recent evaluation of the proposed merger between Sky Television and Vodafone) require, as a first step, the definition of the relevant markets affected by the merger or vertical integration activity. Historic precedents in the telecommunications sector have tended towards finding that vertical agglomeration effects when network operators integrate downstream into the provision of applications and services to end-consumers are harmful to competition. Such Structure-Conduct-Performance methods of evaluating mergers and other aspects of market performance are problematic when the firm(s) concerned supply many different products, both together in various different bundle forms and separately as individual components. Defining the markets for (merger) analysis on the basis of only one of the components in a possible bundle that the (merged) firm may supply risks overlooking the complex interactions that occur on the demand side when consumers make their purchase decisions. This is especially likely to be an issue in the supply of internet applications and content bundled with broadband internet access. Consumers have heterogeneous preferences for different applications and content (hereafter ‘content’), and will purchase (or access) many different content types. Even though ownership of rights to distribute one content may confer a degree of market power in for the owner-provider over those consumers with very strong preferences for this content over all others, it is not axiomatic that the firm will be able to exert this power over consumers whose preferences are more evenly distributed. The more variety there is in the content bundles available, and the more heterogeneous are consumers’ preferences across the various content types, the greater is the number of possible markets in which interaction is likely to occur and the more problematic it becomes to identify the relevant markets for analysis of mergers and antitrust cases. We propose that classic merger and antitrust analysis based on econometric cost-benefit analysis can be augmented by using simulation and numerical analysis of a range of bundle offers expected to be relevant in decision-making. We develop a simple model and use it to demonstrate how this approach could have informed the recent New Zealand Commerce Commission decision about the proposed Sky-Vodafone merger by offering some quantitative estimates of total and consumer welfare and provider profits under the proposed factual (with bundling) and counterfactual (individual component sales) cases. The approach may also inform other analyses, such as the assessment of the effects of two-sided markets and firm pricing decisions