Title: Temperature and water vapor mixing ratio profiles retrieved from the AERI. Location: Scottsboro Airport Site for Vortex-SE-2017 Lat/Lon: 34.68720 degN, -86.00490 degE Date updated: 30 September 2017 DOI: 10.5065/D69W0D7S Contact: Dave Turner, NOAA (dave.turner@noaa.gov) --- Background The AERIoe algorithm (Turner and Loehnert 2014) retrieves profiles of temperature and water vapor mixing ratio, together with cloud properties for a single-layer cloud (i.e., LWP, effective radius), from AERI-observed infrared radiance spectrum. The data can be used to characterize the evolution of the planetary boundary layer and boundary layer clouds. This dataset was collected at the Scottsboro Airport, Alabama, during the VORTEX-SE-2017 field campaign. The AERIoe retrieval was run at 5-minute resolution, but retrievals can be performed at the maximum temporal resolution of the AERI instrument (order 30 s) -- if this higher temporal resolution is desired, please contact Dave Turner. This is a physical-iterative retrieval method. The retrieval of thermodynamic profiles from spectral infrared radiance observations is an ill-posed problem, and thus constraints need to be included in the retrieval algorithm to provide physically plausible results. Here, we use a climatology of radiosonde profiles collected at the NWS station just south of Birmingham, Alabama, during the spring as our prior information in an optimal estimation framework. As the method uses an optimal estimation framework, a full error covariance matrix of each solution is included in the output file. The 1-sigma uncertainty of each retrieved variable, which is derived from the error covariance matrix, is included for each scientific field and is named "sigma_X", where "X" is the name of the scientific field (e.g., 'temperature'). The information content in the AERI observations, which is in the "dfs" field, on the thermodynamic profiles is primarily concentrated in the lowest 3 km or up to cloud base; the retrieved data should not be used above that level (or used with caution). There is an overall "qc_flag" field that is set when a retrieval should not be trusted. However, the logic that sets this flag didn't work correctly, and it should not be used. Instead, consider all retrievals that have a value for "converged_flag" greater than 0 and less than 9 as valid. If you have any questions, contact Dave Turner. --- Version information This is Release_2_5 of the AERIoe algorithm. It has the same basic characteristics as Release_2_2 (which was how the Vortex-SE-2016 data were processed). --- Details on the AERI The AERI (Atmospheric Emitted Radiance Interferometer) is a hardened, operational infrared spectrometer that was developed at the University of Wisconsin - Madison for the Department of Energy Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) program. Details of the AERI, including how it is calibrated, are provided by Knuteson et al. (2004 a,b). The AERI used in this field campaign was part of the Collaborative Lower Atmospheric Mobile Profiling System (CLAMPS-2), which was developed by NOAA National Severe Storms Laboratory. The AERIoe retrievals were performed by Dave Turner. --- References Turner, D.D., and U. Loehnert, 2014: Information content and uncertainties in thermodynamic profiles and liquid cloud properties retrieved from the ground-based Atmospheric Emitted Radiance Interferometer (AERI). J. Appl. Meteor. Clim., 53, 752-771, doi:10.1175/JAMC-D-13-0126.1. Knuteson, R.O., and coauthors, 2004: Atmospheric Emitted Radiance Interferometer. Part 1: Instrument design. J. Atmos. Oceanic Technol., 21, 1763-1776. Knuteson, R.O., and coauthors, 2004: Atmospheric Emitted Radiance Interferometer. Part 2: Instrument performance. J. Atmos. Oceanic Technol., 21, 1777-1789. --- END