The uncertainties of satellite DOAS total ozone retrieval for a cloudy sky

This paper aimed to the study of the influence of the uncertainties of satellite Differential Optical Absorption Spectroscopy (DOAS) total ozone retrieval scheme due to unconstrained parameters of the plane-parallel scattering cloud model. The work is based on the exact radiative transfer calculations for a realistic atmospheric model described in the paper. In particular, the accuracy of the DOAS technique based on hyperspectral measurements in the ozone absorption band 315–340 nm is investigated. The general weighting functions approach to the calculation of the error of total ozone introduced in the paper can be used for studies of errors in the retrieved concentration of other trace gases (e.g., NO2, SO2, etc.) as well. It was found that the uncertainties in the cloud geometrical and optical characteristics can produce absolute errors in the retrieved total ozone column of up to 6%. This calls for the introduction of accurate cloud retrieval algorithms in ozone satellite retrieval schemes.