MAX-DOAS Solar Spectra and Ship Attitude Data from Aurora Australis Voyage

Solar scattered light spectra and associated Euler angle measurements were collected using a MAX-DOAS instrument aboard the research vessel Aurora Australis during the 2017-18 season. The dataset includes daily binary spectrum files, log files with geometric and location data, and accelerometer readings for pitch, roll, and yaw. Data collection was managed by the Australian Antarctic Data Centre (AU_AADC).

Use Cases

• Retrieve tropospheric vertical profiles for trace gases by inverting measured differential slant column densities (dSCDs) from multi-angle spectra.
• Correct MAX-DOAS elevation angles for ship motion using co-located accelerometer data on pitch, roll, and yaw Euler angles.
• Analyze spatial and temporal trends of atmospheric constituents using daily log files containing latitude, longitude, and solar zenith angle.
• Process raw solar scattered light spectra using DOASIS or QDOAS software to determine slant column densities for specific trace gases.

Strengths

• Includes precise elevation angle scans across 12 angles from -3 to 90 degrees for detailed atmospheric profiling.
• Instrument specifications indicate high precision with elevation angle accuracy under 0.1 degrees and spectrometer temperature stabilization within 0.05°C.
• Co-located accelerometer data allows for correction of ship pitch and roll, crucial for accurate retrieval over the Southern Ocean.

Limitations

• The dataset's size, row count, and specific column names are not provided, complicating initial assessment of scope.
• Data is from a single season (2017-18) and a specific vessel track, limiting temporal and spatial generalizability.
• Raw spectra are in binary format requiring specialized software (DOASIS/QDOAS) for processing, creating a technical barrier.

Provenance

Source

Australian Antarctic Data Centre (AU_AADC), collected aboard the RV Aurora Australis.

Collection Method

Field measurements using a MAX-DOAS instrument and a co-located accelerometer.

Time Range

2017-2018 season.

Freshness

Data collection concluded for the 2017-18 season, with a last updated date of March 2018.

Geography

Southern Ocean, along the track of the Aurora Australis research vessel.