Global retrieval of stratospheric and tropospheric BrO columns from OMPS-NM onboard the Suomi-NPP satellite

Abstract

Abstract. Quantifying the global bromine monoxide (BrO) budget is essential to understand ozone chemistry better. In particular, the tropospheric BrO budget has not been well characterized. Here, we retrieve nearly a decade (February 2012–July 2021) of stratospheric and tropospheric BrO vertical columns from the Ozone Mapping and Profiling Suite Nadir Mapper (OMPS-NM) onboard the Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership (Suomi-NPP) satellite. To address the mismatch between a priori profiles and column retrievals in the stratosphere-troposphere separation, for each OMPS-NM pixel, we save two types of BrO vertical profiles and use the appropriate one based on whether a tropospheric enhancement is detected. Total ozone columns observed from OMPS-NM are used to identify tropospheric BrO enhancements. We demonstrate good agreement for both the stratosphere (r = 0.81–0.83) and the troposphere (r = 0.50–0.69) by comparing monthly mean BrO vertical columns from OMPS-NM with ground-based observations from three stations (Lauder, Utqiag ̇vik, and Harestua). The OMPS-NM BrO retrievals successfully capture tropospheric enhancements not only in the polar but also in the extrapolar regions (the Rann of Kutch and the Great Salt Lake). We also estimate random uncertainties in the retrievals pixel by pixel, which can assist in quantitative applications of the OMPS-NM BrO dataset. Our BrO retrieval algorithm is designed for cross-sensor applications and can be adapted to other space-borne ultraviolet spectrometers, contributing to the creation of continuous long-term satellite BrO observation records.