Influence of aerosols and thin cirrus clouds on the GOSAT-observed CO₂: a case study over Tsukuba

Abstract. Lidar observations of vertical profiles of aerosols and thin cirrus clouds were made at Tsukuba (36.05° N, 140.12° E), Japan, to investigate the influence of aerosols and thin cirrus clouds on the column-averaged dry-air mole fraction of carbon dioxide (XCO₂) retrieved from observation data of the Thermal And Near-infrared Sensor for carbon Observation Fourier Transform Spectrometer, measured in the Short-Wavelength InfraRed band (TANSO-FTS SWIR), onboard the Greenhouse gases Observing SATellite (GOSAT). The lidar system measured the backscattering ratio, depolarization ratio, and/or the wavelength exponent of atmospheric particles. The lidar observations and ground-based high-resolution FTS measurements at the Tsukuba Total Carbon Column Observing Network (Tsukuba TCCON) site were recorded simultaneously during passages of GOSAT over Tsukuba.

GOSAT SWIR XCO₂ data (Version 01.xx) released in August 2010 were compared with the lidar and Tsukuba TCCON data. High-altitude aerosols and thin cirrus clouds had a large impact on the GOSAT SWIR XCO₂ results. By taking into account the observed aerosol/cirrus vertical profiles and using a more adequate solar irradiance database in the GOSAT SWIR retrieval, the difference between the GOSAT SWIR XCO₂ data and the Tsukuba TCCON data was reduced. The 3-band retrieval approach where the aerosol and cirrus profiles were retrieved gave us the best results and the retrieved XCO₂ data followed the seasonal cycle of ~8 ppm observed at Tsukuba TCCON site.