Assessment of the Spectral MIsaLignment Effect (SMILE) on EarthCARE’s Multi-Spectral Imager aerosol and cloud property retrievals

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Abstract. The Multi-spectral Imager (MSI) on board the Earth Cloud, Aerosol and Radiation Explorer (EarthCARE) will provide horizontal information about aerosols and clouds. These measurements are needed to extend vertical cloud and aerosol property information, which are obtained from EarthCARE's active sensors, in order to obtain a full three dimensional view on cloud and aerosol conditions. Especially, meso-scale weather systems will be characterized. The discovery of a non-compliance of the MSI VNS camera’s visible (VIS) and shortwave-infrared (SWIR1) channels regarding a spectral central wavelength (CWVL) shift across track of up to 14 nm (VIS) and 20 nm (SWIR1), led to the need for an analysis regarding its impact on MSI Level 2A aerosol and cloud products. A significant influence of the Spectral MIsaLignment Effect (SMILE) on MSI retrievals is identified due to the spectral variation of gas absorption, surface reflectance as well as aerosol and cloud properties within the spectral ranges of these MSI bands. For example, the VIS channel is positioned in close proximity to the red edge of green vegetation and is impacted by residual absorption of water vapour and ozone. Small central wavelength variations introduce uncertainties due to the rapid change in surface reflectance for conditions with low optical thickness. The present central wavelength shift in the VIS towards shorter wavelengths than at nadir introduces a relative error in transmission of up to 3.3 % due to the increasing influence of water vapour and ozone absorption. We found relative errors in the TOA signal due to the SMILE of up to 30 % for low optical thickness over a land surface in that band. Since the magnitude of the impact strongly depends on the underlying surface and atmospheric conditions, we conclude that accounting for the SMILE in Level 2 retrievals or correcting the Level 1 signal will improve MSI aerosol and cloud product quality.

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