Construction of the Global Reference Atmospheric Profile Database

Abstract

Atmospheric profiles are important input parameters for atmospheric radiative transfer models and atmospheric parameter inversions. The construction of regionally representative reference atmospheric profiles can provide basic data for global atmospheric and environmental research. Most reference atmospheric profile databases commonly used lag behind in updating frequency. These databases usually have limited spatial and temporal resolution and differ greatly from the real atmospheric state. To present the real atmospheric state, this article constructs the Global Reference Atmospheric Profile Database (GRAP) based on ACE-FTS satellite products of 2021 and 2022, AIRS satellite products and ERA5 reanalysis data of 2022 u6sing a random forest regression model and a hierarchical mean algorithm. The radiance spectrum of FY-3E HIRAS-II using different profile databases was simulated and compared with the measured spectrum. The results show that GRAP spectral simulations fit better with the measured HIRAS-II spectrum. Comparing the CO2, CH4, O3 and N2O profiles of GRAP, AFGL, MIPAS, RTTOV and NDACC ground station profiles in equatorial, mid-latitude summer and polar winter, the results show that GRAP has high spatial and temporal resolution and better fits the current real atmospheric state. Comparing the temperature profiles of eight regions in China, the results illustrate that GRAP is a better representation of the state of the atmosphere in the Chinese region. GRAP can provide fundamental atmospheric data for radiative transfer studies and atmospheric parameter inversions.