Analyzing trace gas filaments in the Ex-UTLS by 4D-variational assimilation of airborne tomographic retrievals

Abstract. This case study explores the potential for chemical state analysis at extratropical upper tropospheric – lower stratospheric (Ex-UTLS) height levels with airborne limb-images, assimilated into an advanced spatio-temporal system. The investigation is motivated by the limited capability of both, nadir- and limb-viewing satellite sensors to resolve highly filamented structures, delineated by sharp trace gas gradients on small horizontal and vertical scales. The EURAD-IM (EURopean Air pollution Dispersion – Inverse Model) is applied as assimilation system and designed to extend the flight path confined retrievals from GLORIA (Gimballed Limb Observer for Radiance Imaging of the Atmosphere) to both, larger areas and detailed vertical structures by a tomographic flight pattern. Related potential and limitations of the method are studied with the following features applied: (i) airborne limb-imaging observations of the Ex-UTLS, (ii) spatio-temporal extension by 4-dimensional variational data assimilation, (iii) correlation between ozone and potential vorticity (PV) as an indicator of airmasses and (iv) anisotropic and inhomogeneous horizontal background error correlations in the Ex-UTLS, spreading information towards unobserved regions along PV isopleths. This setup demonstrated substantial improvements to basic approaches in exploring new data on the spatial extend and alignment of airmasses down to small-scale filaments in the Ex-UTLS. Tomographic observations provide detailed insight for reconstructing filamentary foldings along airmass boundaries above the tropopause during this case study.