Monitoring the TROPOMI-SWIR module instrument stability using desert sites

Abstract

Abstract. Since its launch in 2017, the TROPOMI instrument on S-5P has provided very high quality data using daily global coverage for a number of key atmospheric trace gasses. Over its first 1,000 days in operations, the SWIR module has been very stable and the continuously monitored calibration has remained of high quality. This calibration relies on a combination of extensive pre-launch and post-launch measurements, complemented by regular monitoring of internal light sources and background measurements. In this paper we present a method and results for independent validation of the SWIR module calibration and instrument stability by examining the signal stability of a sample of 23 pseudo-invariant calibration desert sites. The data covers over two years of operational data. With a Lambertian surface assumption, the results show that the SWIR module has little to no instrument degradation down to an accuracy of about 0.3 % per year, validating results obtained from the internal calibration suite. The method presented here will be used as ongoing validation of the SWIR calibration.