We propose a five year study to develop long-term (27.5 year) earth system data records (esdrs) of global formaldehyde, glyoxal, and water vapor vertical column densities. We will produce unified,…

This is a 5-year Cooperative Agreement awarded by NASA's Shared Services Center to the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, a division of the Smithsonian Institution, to develop long-term Earth system data records (ESDRs) of global formaldehyde, glyoxal, and water vapor from satellite instrument measurements. The $3,177,000 effort will produce unified, coherent, and validated ESDRs from 1995 to 2022 using data from instruments like GOME, SCIAMACHY, OMI, and OMPS-NM. The ESDRs will be made publicly available to facilitate community review and usage. This work aligns with NASA's strategic objectives to advance knowledge of the Earth system and improve understanding of atmospheric composition changes. The Smithsonian has extensive experience delivering specialized instrumentation, data systems, and scientific research to NASA and the National Science Foundation through prime and subcontract awards.

We propose a five year study to develop long-term (27.5 year) earth system data records (esdrs) of global formaldehyde, glyoxal, and water vapor vertical column densities. We will produce unified, coherent, and validated long-term esdrs from july 1995 to november 2022 by applying our well-established retrieval algorithms to measurements in the ultraviolet and visible spectral regions (325-480 NM) from the gome, sciamachy, OMI, gome-2A, gome-2B, and omps-NM satellite instruments. These esdrs will be generated in NASA earth science data system standard HDF-EOS5 file format. All data products will include key ancillary information including retrieval quality flags, vertical sensitivity information (scattering weights), retrieval errors, a priori information (vertical profiles and surface properties), and cloud information. To ensure the uniformity, coherence and high quality of these proposed esdrs, substantial effort will be devoted to the following: (1) using consistent retrieval algorithms across instruments and generating standardized outputs; (2) deriving an improved solar irradiance reference, performing accurate wavelength and instrument response function calibrations, and removing noise by appropriate averaging; (3) homogenizing a priori information in air mass factor; (4) optimizing retrievals consistency across instruments and time using overlapping time periods and through validation, intercomparison, and analysis of background values; (5) developing consistent global maps of regularly gridded esdrs (level 3). To significantly facilitate the usage of these long-term esdrs, and to seek community scrutiny, review, and feedback of product quality and acceptability during the duration of the proposal, we will host a dedicated web server. Through IT we will distribute our new consistent level 2 retrievals and monthly gridded level 3 data along with reading, sub setting and gridding software. Finally, we propose to support ongoing data system evolution efforts through active participation in the activities of esds working groups (esdswgs), and support on-going improvement of instrument calibration through active participation in instrument scientific advisory group meetings and scientific meetings. The proposed developments of esdrs from instruments operated by three agencies directly responds to the overall objective of measures. IT addresses the major need of developing long-term, consistent, and calibrated data products that are valid across multiple missions and satellite sensors in the NASA earth science research strategy. IT also addresses the goal of the ceos (committee on earth observation satellites) ACC (atmospheric composition constellation) to have measurements from different satellites analyzed in a consistent fashion in order to improve the long-term data record. Our proposed esdrs of H2CO, chocho, and H2O align with ACC major themes and NASA strategic objective advance knowledge of earth as a system to meet the challenges of environmental change, and to improve life in our planet , and NASA science plan advance the understanding of change in the earth s radiation balance, air quality, and the ozone layer that result from changes in atmospheric composition . This research will directly benefit future similar esdrs derived using LEO measurements from the US operational jpss missions, eumetsat metop-c, sentinel-5P, sentinel 5, and the global constellation of air quality geostationary satellites tempo (NASA), gems (kari) and setinel-4 (ESA). These improved long-term esdrs address all of the five research questions within the NASA atmospheric composition roadmap.