An internally consistent set of globally distributed atmospheric carbon monoxide mixing ratios developed using results from an intercomparison of measurements

Abstract

The Measurement of Air Pollution from Satellite (MAPS) instrument measures carbon monoxide (CO) in the middle troposphere from a space platform. In anticipation of the deployment of MAPS aboard the space shuttle Endeavor for two 10-day missions in 1994, plans were made to prepare a set of correlative measurements which would be used as part of the mission validation program. Eleven laboratories participated in the correlative measurement program by providing NASA with the results of their CO field programs during April and October 1994. Measurements of CO in the boundary layer, while not used in the MAPS validation, provide a picture of CO in the lower troposphere. Because measurements of CO made by different laboratories have been known to differ significantly, all correlative team members participated in an intercomparison of their measurements to define potential differences in techniques and calibration scales. While good agreement was found between some laboratories, there were differences between others. The use of similar analytical techniques and calibration scales did not always provide similar results. The results of the intercomparisons were used to normalize all ground-based measurements to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration/Climate Monitoring and Diagnostics Laboratory CO reference scale. These data provide an internally consistent picture of CO in the lower atmosphere during spring and fall 1994.