Comparison of Retrieved L2 Products from Four Successive Versions of L1B Spectra in the Thermal Infrared Band of TANSO-FTS over the Arctic Ocean

This paper concentrates on the calibration/validation of the Thermal and Near Infrared Sensor for Carbon Observation (TANSO)–Fourier Transform Spectrometer (FTS) spectra in the thermal infrared (TIR) spectral region (B4 band) over the Arctic Ocean. We have performed inter-comparisons of the retrieved L2 products from four successive versions of L1B products (V150, V160, V201, V203) to check the differences and the improvement in the spectral and radiometric calibration of TANSO-FTS spectra in the narrow spectral domain of 940–980 cm−1 covering CO2 lines of the so-called laser band in the rather clear 10.4 μm atmospheric window, allowing sounding down to the lowest atmospheric layers. To our knowledge, this is the first attempt to retrieve XCO2 from this spectral region. The period covered is the summer months (July, August, September) and the years from 2009 to 2015. Internal comparisons of L1B TANSO-FTS spectra, as well as comparisons of retrieved L2 products, i.e., Tsurf (sea surface temperature or SST) and the retrieved column-averaged dry air volume mixing ratio XCO2 derived with the same algorithm are presented. The overall trend in the CO2 column-averaged VMR is well captured over the six year period for Green-house Gases Observing Satellite (GOSAT), but calibration issues are still hindering the use of TANSO-FTS TIR spectra for accurate and stable XCO2 and Tsurf products. However, an internal comparison of the successive L1B versions is possible and helpful to make progress with respect to the radiometric and spectral calibration TIR spectra collected by TANSO-FTS on GOSAT.