| CEOS EO HANDBOOK – MEASUREMENT INSTRUMENTS
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Measurements > Atmosphere >
Trace gases (excluding ozone) >
N2O (column/profile)
  | Measurement Definition*: N2O = Nitrous oxide. Requested from surface to TOA (layers: LT, HT, LS, HS&M) - Physical unit: [ ppm ] - Accuracy unit: [ % ]. |
| Instrument | Status/
Accuracy | Instrument Description | Measurement Technology | Timeline |
ACE-FTS
Atmospheric Chemistry Experiment (ACE) Fourier Transform Spectrometer | Operational
| Measure and understand the chemical processes that control the distribution of ozone in the Earth's atmosphere, especially at high altitudes. | Limb-scanning IR spectrometer | |
GAS
Greenhouse gases Absorption Spectrometer | Operational
| Measures greenhouse gases. | High-resolution nadir-scanning SW spectrometer | |
IASI
Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer | Operational
+/-20 % | Measures tropospheric moisture and temperature, column integrated contents of ozone, carbon monoxide, methane, nitrous oxide and other minor gases which affect tropospheric chemistry. Also measures sea surface and land temperature. | n/a | |
MLS (EOS-Aura)
Microwave Limb Sounder (EOS-Aura) | Operational
| Measures lower stratospheric temperature and concentration of H2O, O3, ClO, HCl, OH, HNO3, N2O and SO2. | Limb-scanning MW spectrometer | |
SMR
Submillimetre Radiometer | Operational
| Measures global distributions of ozone and species of importance for ozone chemistry ClO, HNO3, H2O, N2O, (HO2, H2O2). Measures temperature in the height range 15 - 100 km. | Limb-scanning MW spectrometer | |
ScepterSat Instrument
ScepterSat Instrument | Proposed
| | n/a | |
TGSP
Trace Gas Spectrometer | Proposed
| Trace gas measurements. | n/a | |
HiRDLS
High Resolution Dynamics Limb Sounder | No longer operational
| Measures atmospheric temperature, concentrations of ozone, water vapour, methane, NOx, N2O, CFCs and other minor species, aerosol concentration, location of polar stratospheric clouds and cloud tops. Currently not collecting data on Aqua. | Limb-scanning IR spectrometer | |
TES
Tropospheric Emission Spectrometer | No longer operational
| 3D profiles on a global scale of all infra-red active species from surface to lower stratosphere. Measures greenhouse gas concentrations, tropospheric ozone, acid rain precursors, gas exchange leading to stratospheric ozone depletion. | High-resolution nadir-scanning IR spectrometer | |
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* Description adapted from WMO.
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