Results from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory stratospheric ozone lidar during STOIC 1989

Abstract : Stratospheric ozone concentration profiles measured by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory differential absorption lidar system during the Stratospheric Ozone Intercomparison Campaign in July/August 1989 are presented. These profiles are compared with the mean profiles based on all of the measurements made by the different participating instruments. The results from the blind intercomparison showed that the lidar results agreed with the overall Stratospheric Ozone Intercomparison Campaign average profile to better than 5% between 21 and 45 km altitude. At 20 km the difference was ∼10%, as it was also in the region from 47 to 50 km altitude. Some systematic features were observed in the comparison of the blind results and these were subsequently investigated. The results of this investigation allowed the analysis algorithm to be refined and improved. The changes made are discussed and the comparison of the refined results showed agreement with the STOIC average to better than 4% from 18 to 48 km altitude. For both cases the results above 45 km altitude are subject to the greatest uncertainty and error and are of questionable value even though they agree within 10% with the STOIC average. Examples of comparisons of individual lidar profiles with each of the other instruments are also presented.