| 1. |
- Carleer, M. R., et al.
(författare)
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Validation of water vapour profiles from the Atmospheric Chemistry Experiment (ACE)
- 2008
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Ingår i: Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics Discussion: An Interactive Open Access Journal of the European Geosciences Union. ; 8:2, s. 4499-4559
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The Atmospheric Chemistry Experiment (ACE) mission was launched in August 2003 to sound the atmosphere by solar occultation. Water vapour (H2O), one of the most important molecules for climate and atmospheric chemistry, is one of the key species provided by the two principal instruments, the infrared Fourier Transform Spectrometer (ACE-FTS) and the MAESTRO UV-Visible spectrometer (ACE-MAESTRO). The first instrument performs measurements on several lines in the 1362–2137 cm−1 range, from which vertically resolved H2O concentration profiles are retrieved, from 7 to 90 km altitude. ACE-MAESTRO measures profiles using the water absorption band in the near infrared part of the spectrum at 926.0–969.7 nm. This paper presents a comprehensive validation of the ACE-FTS profiles. We have compared the H2O volume mixing ratio profiles with space-borne (SAGE II, HALOE, POAM III, MIPAS, SMR) observations and measurements from balloon-borne frostpoint hygrometers and a ground based lidar. We show that the ACE-FTS measurements provide H2O profiles with small retrieval uncertainties in the stratosphere (better than 5% from 15 to 70 km, gradually increasing above). The situation is unclear in the upper troposphere, due mainly to the high variability of the water vapour volume mixing ratio in this region. A new water vapour data product from the ACE-MAESTRO (Measurement of Aerosol Extinction in the Stratosphere and Troposphere Retrieved by Occultation) is also presented and initial comparisons with ACE-FTS are discussed.
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| 2. |
- Gabriel, A., et al.
(författare)
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Zonal asymmetries in middle atmospheric ozone and water vapour derived from Odin satellite data 2001-2010
- 2011
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Ingår i: Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics. - : Copernicus GmbH. - 1680-7316 .- 1680-7324. ; 11:18, s. 9865-9885
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Stationary wave patterns in middle atmospheric ozone (O(3)) and water vapour (H(2)O) are an important factor in the atmospheric circulation, but there is a strong gap in diagnosing and understanding their configuration and origin. Based on Odin satellite data from 2001 to 2010 we investigate the stationary wave patterns in O(3) and H(2)O as indicated by the seasonal long-term means of the zonally asymmetric components O(3)* = O(3)-[O(3)] and H(2)O* = H(2)O-[H(2)O] ([O(3)], [H(2)O]: zonal means). At mid-and polar latitudes we find a pronounced wave one pattern in both constituents. In the Northern Hemisphere, the wave patterns increase during autumn, maintain their strength during winter and decay during spring, with maximum amplitudes of about 10-20% of the zonal mean values. During winter, the wave one in O(3)* shows a maximum over the North Pacific/Aleutians and a minimum over the North Atlantic/Northern Europe and a double-peak structure with enhanced amplitude in the lower and in the upper stratosphere. The wave one in H(2)O* extends from the lower stratosphere to the upper mesosphere with a westward shift in phase with increasing height including a jump in phase at upper stratosphere altitudes. In the Southern Hemisphere, similar wave patterns occur mainly during southern spring. By comparing the observed wave patterns in O(3)* and H(2)O* with a linear solution of a steady-state transport equation for a zonally asymmetric tracer component we find that these wave patterns are primarily due to zonally asymmetric transport by geostrophically balanced winds, which are derived from observed temperature profiles. In addition temperature-dependent photochemistry contributes substantially to the spatial structure of the wave pattern in O(3)*. Further influences, e. g., zonal asymmetries in eddy mixing processes, are discussed.
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| 3. |
- Hultgren, Kristoffer, et al.
(författare)
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What caused the exceptional mid-latitudinal Noctilucent Cloud event in July 2009?
- 2011
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Ingår i: Journal of Atmospheric and Solar-Terrestrial Physics. - : Elsevier BV. - 1364-6826 .- 1879-1824. ; 73:14-15, s. 2125-2131
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Noctilucent Clouds (NLCs) are rarely observed at mid-latitudes. In July 2009, strong NLCs were recorded from both Paris and Nebraska, located at latitudes 48 degrees N and 41 degrees N, respectively. The main focus of this work is on the atmospheric conditions that have led to NLCs at these latitudes. We investigate to what extent these clouds may be explained by local formation or by transport from higher latitudes. The dynamical situation is analyzed in terms of wind fields created from Aura/MLS temperature data and measured by radar. We discuss possible tidal effects on the transport and examine the general planetary wave activity during these days. The winds do not seem sufficient to transport NLC particles long southward distances. Hence a local formation is rather likely. In order to investigate the possibility of local NLC formation, the CARMA microphysical model has been applied with temperature data from MLS as input. The results from the large-scale datasets are compared to NLC observations by Odin and to local NLC, temperature and wind measurements by lidar and radar. The reason for the exceptional NLC formation is most likely a combination of local temperature variations by diurnal tides, advantageously located large-scale planetary waves, and general mesospheric temperature conditions that were 5-10 K colder than in previous years. The results also point to that NLCs are very unlikely to occur at latitudes below 50 degrees N during daytime. This conclusion can be made from a tidal temperature mode with cold temperatures during nighttime and temperatures above the limit for NLC occurrence during daytime. The best time for observing mid-latitude NLCs is during the early morning hours.
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| 4. |
- Högberg, Charlotta, et al.
(författare)
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The SPARC water vapour assessment II: Profile-to-profile and climatological comparisons of stratospheric δd(H2O) observations from satellite
- 2019
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Ingår i: Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics. - : Copernicus GmbH. - 1680-7316 .- 1680-7324. ; 19:4, s. 2497-2526
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Within the framework of the second SPARC (Stratosphere-troposphere Processes And their Role in Climate) water vapour assessment (WAVAS-II), we evaluated five data sets of δD(H2O) obtained from observations by Odin/SMR (Sub-Millimetre Radiometer), Envisat/MIPAS (Environmental Satellite/Michelson Interferometer for Passive Atmospheric Sounding), and SCISAT/ACE-FTS (Science Satellite/Atmospheric Chemistry Experiment - Fourier Transform Spectrometer) using profile-to-profile and climatological comparisons. These comparisons aimed to provide a comprehensive overview of typical uncertainties in the observational database that could be considered in the future in observational and modelling studies. Our primary focus is on stratospheric altitudes, but results for the upper troposphere and lower mesosphere are also shown. There are clear quantitative differences in the measurements of the isotopic ratio, mainly with regard to comparisons between the SMR data set and both the MIPAS and ACE-FTS data sets. In the lower stratosphere, the SMR data set shows a higher depletion in δD than the MIPAS and ACE-FTS data sets. The differences maximise close to 50hPa and exceed 200%. With increasing altitude, the biases decrease. Above 4hPa, the SMR data set shows a lower δD depletion than the MIPAS data sets, occasionally exceeding 100%. Overall, the δD biases of the SMR data set are driven by HDO biases in the lower stratosphere and by H2O biases in the upper stratosphere and lower mesosphere. In between, in the middle stratosphere, the biases in δD are the result of deviations in both HDO and H2O. These biases are attributed to issues with the calibration, in particular in terms of the sideband filtering, and uncertainties in spectroscopic parameters. The MIPAS and ACE-FTS data sets agree rather well between about 100 and 10hPa. The MIPAS data sets show less depletion below approximately 15hPa (up to about 30%), due to differences in both HDO and H2O. Higher up this behaviour is reversed, and towards the upper stratosphere the biases increase. This is driven by increasing biases in H2O, and on occasion the differences in δD exceed 80%. Below 100hPa, the differences between the MIPAS and ACE-FTS data sets are even larger. In the climatological comparisons, the MIPAS data sets continue to show less depletion in δD than the ACE-FTS data sets below 15hPa during all seasons, with some variations in magnitude. The differences between the MIPAS and ACE-FTS data have multiple causes, such as differences in the temporal and spatial sampling (except for the profile-to-profile comparisons), cloud influence, vertical resolution, and the microwindows and spectroscopic database chosen. Differences between data sets from the same instrument are typically small in the stratosphere. Overall, if the data sets are considered together, the differences in δD among them in key areas of scientific interest (e.g. tropical and polar lower stratosphere, lower mesosphere, and upper troposphere) are too large to draw robust conclusions on atmospheric processes affecting the water vapour budget and distribution, e.g. the relative importance of different mechanisms transporting water vapour into the stratosphere.
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| 5. |
- Khosrawi, Farahnaz, et al.
(författare)
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Assessment of the interannual variability and influence of the QBO and upwelling on tracer-tracer distributions of N2O and O3 in the tropical lower stratosphere
- 2013
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Ingår i: Atmospheric Chemistry And Physics. - : Copernicus GmbH. - 1680-7316 .- 1680-7324. ; 13:7, s. 3619-3641
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- A modified form of tracer-tracer correlations of N2O and O3 has been used as a tool for the evaluation of atmospheric photochemical models. Applying this method monthly averages of N2O and O3 are derived for both hemispheres by partitioning the data into altitude (or potential temperature) bins and then averaging over a fixed interval of N2O. In a previous study, the method has been successfully applied to the validation of two Chemical Transport Models (CTMs) and one Chemistry-Climate Model (CCM) using 1-year climatology derived from the Odin Sub Millimetre Radiometer (Odin/SMR). However, the applicability of a 1-year climatology of monthly averages of N2O and O3 has been questioned due to the inability of some CCMs to simulate a specific year for the evaluation of CCMs. In this study, satellite measurements from Odin/SMR, the Aura Microwave Limb Sounder (Aura/MLS), the Michelson Interferometer for Passive Atmospheric Sounding on ENVISAT (ENVISAT/MIPAS), and the Cryogenic Infrared Spectrometers and Telescopes for the Atmosphere (CRISTA-1 and CRISTA-2) as well as model simulations from the Whole Atmosphere Community Climate Model (WACCM) are considered. By using seven to eight years of satellite measurements derived between 2003 and 2010 from Odin/SMR, Aura/MLS, ENVISAT/MIPAS and six years of model simulations from WACCM the interannual variability of lower stratospheric monthly averages of N2O and O3 is assessed. It is shown that the interannual variability of the monthly averages of N2O and O3 is low and thus can be easily distinguished from model deficiencies. Further, it is investigated why large differences between Odin/SMR observations and model simulations from the Karlsruhe Simulation Model of the Middle Atmosphere (KASIMA) and the atmospheric general circulation model ECHAM5/Messy1 are found for the Northern and Southern Hemisphere tropics (0° to 30° N and 0° to −30° S, respectively). The differences between model simulations and observations are most likely caused by an underestimation of the quasi-biennial oscillation and tropical upwelling by the models as well as due to biases and/or instrument noise from the satellite instruments. Finally, an inter-comparison between Odin/SMR, Aura/MLS, ENVISAT/MIPAS and WACCM was performed. The comparison shows that these data sets are generally in good agreement but that also some known biases of the data sets are clearly visible in the monthly averages, thus showing that this method is not only a valuable tool for model evaluation but also for satellite inter-comparisons.
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| 6. |
- Khosrawi, F., et al.
(författare)
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Sensitivity of polar stratospheric cloud formation to changes in water vapour and temperature
- 2015
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Ingår i: Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics Discussions. - : Copernicus GmbH. - 1680-7375 .- 1680-7367. ; 15:13, s. 17743-17796
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Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- More than a decade ago it was suggested that a cooling of stratospheric temperatures by 1 K or an increase of 1 ppmv of stratospheric water vapour could promote denitrification, the permanent removal of nitrogen species from the stratosphere by solid polar stratospheric cloud (PSC) particles. In fact, during the two Arctic winters 2009/10 and 2010/11 the strongest denitrification in the recent decade was observed. Sensitivity studies along air parcel trajectories are performed to test how a future stratospheric water vapour (H 2 O) increase of 1 ppmv or a temperature decrease of 1 K would affect PSC formation. We perform our study based on measurements made during the Arctic winter 2010/11. Air parcel trajectories were calculated 6 days backward in time based on PSCs detected by CALIPSO (Cloud Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder satellite observations). The sensitivity study was performed on single trajectories as well as on a trajectory ensemble. The sensitivity study shows a clear prolongation of the potential for PSC formation and PSC existence when the temperature in the stratosphere is decreased by 1 K and water vapour is increased by 1 ppmv. Based on 15 years of satellite measurements (2000-2014) from UARS/HALOE, Envisat/MIPAS, Odin/SMR, Aura/MLS, Envisat/SCIAMACHY and SCISAT/ACE-FTS it is further investigated if there is a decrease in temperature and/or increase of water vapour (H 2 O) observed in the polar regions similar to that observed at midlatitudes and in the tropics. Although in the polar regions no significant trend is found in the lower stratosphere, we found from the observations a correlation between cold winters and enhanced water vapour mixing ratios.
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| 7. |
- Khosrawi, F., et al.
(författare)
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The SPARC water vapour assessment II: Comparison of stratospheric and lower mesospheric water vapour time series observed from satellites
- 2018
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Ingår i: Atmospheric Measurement Techniques. - : Copernicus GmbH. - 1867-1381 .- 1867-8548. ; 11:7, s. 4435-4463
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Time series of stratospheric and lower mesospheric water vapour using 33 data sets from 15 different satellite instruments were compared in the framework of the second SPARC (Stratosphere-troposphere Processes And their Role in Climate) water vapour assessment (WAVAS-II). This comparison aimed to provide a comprehensive overview of the typical uncertainties in the observational database that can be considered in the future in observational and modelling studies, e.g addressing stratospheric water vapour trends. The time series comparisons are presented for the three latitude bands, the Antarctic (80°-70°S), the tropics (15°S-15°N) and the Northern Hemisphere mid-latitudes (50°-60°N) at four different altitudes (0.1, 3, 10 and 80hPa) covering the stratosphere and lower mesosphere. The combined temporal coverage of observations from the 15 satellite instruments allowed the consideration of the time period 1986-2014. In addition to the qualitative comparison of the time series, the agreement of the data sets is assessed quantitatively in the form of the spread (i.e. the difference between the maximum and minimum volume mixing ratios among the data sets), the (Pearson) correlation coefficient and the drift (i.e. linear changes of the difference between time series over time). Generally, good agreement between the time series was found in the middle stratosphere while larger differences were found in the lower mesosphere and near the tropopause. Concerning the latitude bands, the largest differences were found in the Antarctic while the best agreement was found for the tropics. From our assessment we find that most data sets can be considered in future observational and modelling studies, e.g. addressing stratospheric and lower mesospheric water vapour variability and trends, if data set specific characteristics (e.g. drift) and restrictions (e.g. temporal and spatial coverage) are taken into account.
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| 8. |
- Kiefer, M., et al.
(författare)
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The SPARC water vapour assessment II: biases and drifts of water vapour satellite data records with respect to frost point hygrometer records
- 2023
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Ingår i: Atmospheric Measurement Techniques. - 1867-1381 .- 1867-8548. ; 16:19, s. 4589-4642
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Satellite data records of stratospheric water vapour have been compared to balloon-borne frost point hygrometer (FP) profiles that are coincident in space and time. The satellite data records of 15 different instruments cover water vapour data available from January 2000 through December 2016. The hygrometer data are from 27 stations all over the world in the same period. For the comparison, real or constructed averaging kernels have been applied to the hygrometer profiles to adjust them to the measurement characteristics of the satellite instruments. For bias evaluation, we have compared satellite profiles averaged over the available temporal coverage to the means of coincident FP profiles for individual stations. For drift determinations, we analysed time series of relative differences between spatiotemporally coincident satellite and hygrometer profiles at individual stations. In a synopsis we have also calculated the mean biases and drifts (and their respective uncertainties) for each satellite record over all applicable hygrometer stations in three altitude ranges (10-30 hPa, 30-100 hPa, and 100 hPa to tropopause). Most of the satellite data have biases <10 % and average drifts <1 % yr-1 in at least one of the respective altitude ranges. Virtually all biases are significant in the sense that their uncertainty range in terms of twice the standard error of the mean does not include zero. Statistically significant drifts (95 % confidence) are detected for 35 % of the ≈ 1200 time series of relative differences between satellites and hygrometers.
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| 9. |
- Lossow, Stefan, et al.
(författare)
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A reassessment of the discrepancies in the annual variation of delta D-H2O in the tropical lower stratosphere between the MIPAS and ACE-FTS satellite data sets
- 2020
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Ingår i: Atmospheric Measurement Techniques. - : Copernicus GmbH. - 1867-1381 .- 1867-8548. ; 13:1, s. 287-308
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The annual variation of delta D in the tropical lower stratosphere is a critical indicator for the relative importance of different processes contributing to the transport of water vapour through the cold tropical tropopause region into the stratosphere. Distinct observational discrepancies of the delta D annual variation were visible in the works of Steinwagner et al. (2010) and Randel et al. (2012). Steinwagner et al. (2010) analysed MIPAS (Michelson Interferometer for Passive Atmospheric Sounding) observations retrieved with the IMK/IAA (Institut fur Meteorologie und Klimaforschung in Karlsruhe, Germany, in collaboration with the Instituto de Astrofisica de Andalucia in Granada, Spain) processor, while Randel et al. (2012) focused on ACE-FTS (Atmospheric Chemistry Experiment Fourier Transform Spectrometer) observations. Here we reassess the discrepancies based on newer MIPAS (IMK/IAA) and ACE-FTS data sets, also showing for completeness results from SMR (Sub-Millimetre Radiometer) observations and a ECHAM/MESSy (European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts Hamburg and Modular Earth Sub-model System) Atmospheric Chemistry (EMAC) simulation (Eichinger et al., 2015b). Similar to the old analyses, the MIPAS data set yields a pronounced annual variation (maximum about 75 parts per thousand), while that derived from the ACE-FTS data set is rather weak (maximum about 25 parts per thousand). While all data sets exhibit the phase progression typical for the tape recorder, the annual maximum in the ACE-FTS data set precedes that in the MIPAS data set by 2 to 3 months. We critically consider several possible reasons for the observed discrepancies, focusing primarily on the MIPAS data set. We show that the delta D annual variation in the MIPAS data up to an altitude of 40 hPa is substantially impacted by a start altitude effect, i.e. dependency between the lowermost altitude where MIPAS retrievals are possible and retrieved data at higher altitudes. In itself this effect does not explain the differences with the ACE-FTS data. In addition, there is a mismatch in the vertical resolution of the MIPAS HDO and H2O data (being consistently better for HDO), which actually results in an artificial tape-recorder-like signal in delta D. Considering these MIPAS characteristics largely removes any discrepancies between the MIPAS and ACE-FTS data sets and shows that the MIPAS data are consistent with a delta D tape recorder signal with an amplitude of about 25 parts per thousand in the lowermost stratosphere.
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| 10. |
- Lossow, Stefan, 1977, et al.
(författare)
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A reassessment of the discrepancies in the annual variation of δD-H2O in the tropical lower stratosphere between the MIPAS and ACE-FTS satellite data sets
- 2020
-
Ingår i: Atmospheric Measurement Techniques. - : Copernicus GmbH. - 1867-1381 .- 1867-8548. ; 13:1, s. 287-308
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The annual variation of δD in the tropical lower stratosphere is a critical indicator for the relative importance of different processes contributing to the transport of water vapour through the cold tropical tropopause region into the stratosphere. Distinct observational discrepancies of the δD annual variation were visible in the works of Steinwagner et al. (2010) and Randel et al. (2012). Steinwagner et al. (2010) analysed MIPAS (Michelson Interferometer for Passive Atmospheric Sounding) observations retrieved with the IMK/IAA (Institut für Meteorologie und Klimaforschung in Karlsruhe, Germany, in collaboration with the Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía in Granada, Spain) processor, while Randel et al. (2012) focused on ACE-FTS (Atmospheric Chemistry Experiment Fourier Transform Spectrometer) observations. Here we reassess the discrepancies based on newer MIPAS (IMK/IAA) and ACE-FTS data sets, also showing for completeness results from SMR (Sub-Millimetre Radiometer) observations and a ECHAM/MESSy (European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts Hamburg and Modular Earth Submodel System) Atmospheric Chemistry (EMAC) simulation (Eichinger et al., 2015b). Similar to the old analyses, the MIPAS data set yields a pronounced annual variation (maximum about 75 ‰), while that derived from the ACE-FTS data set is rather weak (maximum about 25 ‰). While all data sets exhibit the phase progression typical for the tape recorder, the annual maximum in the ACE-FTS data set precedes that in the MIPAS data set by 2 to 3 months. We critically consider several possible reasons for the observed discrepancies, focusing primarily on the MIPAS data set. We show that the δD annual variation in the MIPAS data up to an altitude of 40 hPa is substantially impacted by a “start altitude effect”, i.e. dependency between the lowermost altitude where MIPAS retrievals are possible and retrieved data at higher altitudes. In itself this effect does not explain the differences with the ACE-FTS data. In addition, there is a mismatch in the vertical resolution of the MIPAS HDO and H2O data (being consistently better for HDO), which actually results in an artificial tape-recorder-like signal in δD. Considering these MIPAS characteristics largely removes any discrepancies between the MIPAS and ACE-FTS data sets and shows that the MIPAS data are consistent with a δD tape recorder signal with an amplitude of about 25 ‰ in the lowermost stratosphere.
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