IMK/IAA MIPAS retrievals version 8: CH 4 and N 2 O

. Using the IMK/IAA data processor, methane and nitrous oxide distributions were retrieved from version 8 limb emission spectra recorded with the Michelson Inferferometer for Passive Atmospheric Sounding (MIPAS). The dataset includes measurements from the Nominal, UTLS-1, Middle Atmosphere, Upper Atmosphere and Noctilucent Cloud observation modes. The processing differs from the previous version 5 data with respect to the atmospheric state variables jointly retrieved with the target gases CH 4 and N 2 O, the treatment of the radiance offset, the selection of microwindows, the regularization, the 5 spectroscopic data used and the treatment of horizontal variability of the atmospheric state. Besides the regular data product, a coarse-grid representation of the profiles with unity averaging kernels is available, as well as a specific research product for Middle Atmosphere measurements resulting from a slightly different retrieval approach. The CH 4 errors are dominated by the large spectroscopic uncertainty for line intensities, which probably is too pessimistic, and estimated to be 21 - 34% in the altitude range 6 - 68 km for northern midlatitude summer day conditions. The N 2 O errors are 7 - 17% below 45 km. At higher 10 altitudes they increase strongly due to nearly vanishing N 2 O amounts. Analysis of the horizontal averaging kernels reveals that for both gases the horizontal resolution is sampling-limited, i.e., information is not smeared over consecutive limb scans. Zonal mean seasonal composites of both CH 4 and N 2 O exhibit the typical distribution of source gases with strong upwelling in the tropics and subsidence above the winter poles. Comparison with the previous data version shows several improvements: First, the vertical resolution of the retrieved CH 4 (N 2 O) profiles has generally been significantly enhanced and varies between 15 2.5 (2.5) and 4 (5) km at altitudes between 10 and 60 km, with the best resolution around 30 km for both species. Secondly, the number of not converged retrievals has been clearly reduced, and thirdly, formerly strongly oscillating profiles are now considerably smoother.

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