Detecting annual and seasonal variations of CO2, CO and N2O from a multi-year collocated satellite-radiosonde data-set using the new Rapid Radiance Reconstruction (3R-N) model

The NOAA polar meteorological satellites have embarked the TIROS-N operational vertical sounder (TOVS) since 1979. Using radiosondes and NOAA-10 TOVS measurements which are collocated within a narrow space and time window, we have studied the differences between the TOVS measurements and simulated measurements from a new fast, Rapid Radiance Reconstruction Network (3R-N), non-linear radiative transfer model with up to date spectroscopy. Simulations use radiosonde temperature and humidity measurements as the prime input. The radiative transfer model also uses fixed greenhouse gas absorber amounts (CO2, CO, N2O) and reasonable estimates of O-3 and of surface temperature. The 3R-N model is first presented and validated. Then, a study of the differences between the simulated and measured radiances shows annual trends and seasonal variations consistent with independent measurements of variations in CO2 and other greenhouse gases atmospheric concentrations. The improved accuracy of 3R-N and a better handling of its deviations with respect to observations allow most of difficulties met in a previous study (J. Climate 15 (2002) 95) to be resolved. (C) 2003 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.