title: Autonomous field measurements of CO2in the atmospheric column with the miniaturized laser heterodyne radiometer (Mini-LHR).
abstract: We present column CO2measurements taken by the passive miniaturized laser heterodyne radiometer (Mini-LHR) at 1611.51 nm at the Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaii. The Mini-LHR was operated autonomously, during the month of May 2013 at this site, working in tandem with an AERONET sun photometer that measures aerosol optical depth at 15-min intervals during daylight hours. Laser heterodyne radiometry has been used since the 1970s to measure atmospheric gases such as ozone, water vapor, methane, ammonia, chlorine monoxide, and nitrous oxide. This iteration of the technology utilizes distributed feedback lasers to produce a low-cost, small, portable sensor that has potential for global deployment. Applications of this instrument include supplementation of existing monitoring networks to provide denser global coverage, providing validation for larger satellite missions, and targeting regions of carbon flux uncertainty. Also presented here are preliminary retrieval analysis and the performance analysis that demonstrate that the Mini-LHR responds extremely well to changes in the atmospheric absorption.
authors: American University, 4400 Massachusetts Avenue, Washington, DC 20016 USA.
authors: H R
authors: HR
authors: Melroy
authors: Laser Remote Sensing Laboratory, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, 8800 Greenbelt Road, Greenbelt, MD 20771 USA.
authors: E L
authors: EL
authors: Wilson
authors: American University, 4400 Massachusetts Avenue, Washington, DC 20016 USA.
authors: G B
authors: GB
authors: Clarke
authors: Global Modeling and Assimilation Office, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, 8800 Greenbelt Road, Greenbelt, MD 20771 USA.
authors: L E
authors: LE
authors: Ott
authors: Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20740 USA.
authors: J
authors: J
authors: Mao
authors: Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20740 USA.
authors: A K
authors: AK
authors: Ramanathan
authors: Microwave Instrument and Technology Branch, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, 8800 Greenbelt Road, Greenbelt, MD 20771 USA.
authors: M L
authors: ML
authors: McLinden