An Overview of the Nadir Sensor and Algorithms for the NPOESS Ozone Mapping and Profiler Suite (OMPS)

The Ozone Mapping and Profiler Suite (OMPS) nadir sensor and algorithms for the United States National Polarorbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System (NPOESS) comprise a system to map ozone total column globally in 24 hours and to measure the altitude distribution of ozone in the upper stratosphere (30-50 km). The sensor consists of a wide field (110 degree) telescope and two spectrometers: an imager covering 300 to 380 nm with a 50 km nadir footprint for mapping total column ozone across a 2800 km swath, and a 250 to 310 nm spectrometer with a single 250 km footprint to provide ozone profile data with SBUV/2 heritage. Both spectrometers provide 1 nm resolution (fullwidth at half-maximum, FWHM) spectra. The sensitivity of the OMPS total column algorithm to sensor random and systematic errors is analyzed, and a preliminary evaluation of the potential for deriving concentrations of other trace gases from the calibrated spectral radiances is provided.