Introduction to the FY-3A Total Ozone Unit: instrument, performance and results

Abstract

The first 18 months of data from the FY-3A Total Ozone Unit (FY-3A/TOU) was collected to analyse instrument performance. Retrieval tests were carried out using post-launch calibration coefficients. Validation was analysed at 74 ground-based stations of total ozone network by inter-comparison with AURA/Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer (TOMS) V8 data and comparison with ground-based measurements. The validation results show that the TOU total column ozone has an average root mean square (rms) error of less than 3.1% compared with OMI products, and less than 4.4% compared with ground-based measurements. The solar irradiance is measured continuously, and the post-launch calibration coefficients will be updated only if the change of instrument sensitivity has noticeable influence on the retrieval. The instrument is currently stable.

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank Dr. Lawrence E. Flynn from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) for many helpful discussions on post-launch calibration. This study was supported by the National High-Tech Research & Development Program (863 Program) of China (Grant No. 2008AA121703), the National Natural Science Foundations of China (Grant No. 40905056), a fund from the State Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Boundary Layer Physics and Atmospheric Chemistry (Grant No. LAPC-KF-2008-11), Beijing Urban Meteorology Research Fund (Grant No.UMRF200704), key projects from the 11th Five-Year Plan of National Scientific and Technological Key Project (Grant No. 2008BAC34B04-2), and the National Basic Research Program of China ‘973’ project (Grant Nos. 2005CB422200x and 2006CB403702).