title: The average of atmospheric vertical profiles.
abstract: A new method to perform averages of atmospheric vertical profiles is presented. The method allows changing a-posteriori the strength of the constraint used in the retrievals of the single profiles with the purpose of optimizing the trade-off between measurement error and vertical resolution. The method is used to calculate averages of HCFC-22 profiles retrieved from MIPAS observations, demonstrating the possibility of correctly obtaining retrievals with smaller constraints (that is: having at least a factor ten greater errors) and more degrees of freedom by up to a factor two.
authors.forename: Simone
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ceccherini
authors.forename: Bruno
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Carli
authors.forename: Piera
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Raspollini