The atmosphere is divided into regions or "spheres" based on its vertical thermal structure.
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SAGE III temperature measurements will provide a unique data set for monitoring and understanding atmospheric temperature changes. In particular, the long-term stability and self-calibration capabilities of SAGE III may permit the detection of trends in stratospheric and mesospheric temperature that would be important diagnostics of climate change. SAGE III temperature measurements will provide important contributions in the following areas:
SAGE III temperature measurements in the upper stratosphere and mesosphere will be the only source of long-term temperature measurements in this region of the atmosphere.
Short-term temperature variations are important in understanding the photochemical interactions and feedback in the formation and destruction of stratospheric ozone.
SAGE III temperature measurements will allow the monitoring of periodic temperature changes, such as those associated with the solar cycle and quasi-biennial oscillation, and the effects of radiative forcing by aerosols.
An improved temperature climatology will lead to better radiative-dynamical-chemical general circulation models and enhance the understanding of the interactions between these processes and the state of the climate system.
Temperature and pressure measurements are essential to SAGE III for computing molecular scattering and the retrieval of mass mixing ratios of gaseous species on pressure surfaces.
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