The Tropospheric Emission Spectrometer (TES) is an infrared (IR) Fourier Transform Spectrometer (FTS) on-board the NASA EOS-Aura platform. Launched in July, 2004, Aura is in a near-polar, sun-synchronous orbit with equator crossing times of 13:40 for the ascending orbit.  TES is predominantly nadir viewing (down-looking) and measures the outgoing longwave spectral radiation of the earth's surface attenuated by clouds and atmospheric gases. TES measurements have sufficiently fine spectral resolution  to be sensitive to the vertical distribution of tropospheric ozone.

The inference of the vertical distribution of tropospheric ozone and other trace gases requires the solution of a non-linear inverse problem.  The methodology used for this inference will be discussed along with the detailed error characterization of the estimate. Characterization of the estimate is shown to be critical to integrate these observations  into global 3-D chemistry and transport models through data assimilation and parameter estimation algorithms.  

This approach is illustrated for the estimate of global surface emissions of carbon monoxide in the GEOS-Chem chemistry and transport model and the assimilation of tropospheric ozone into the Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory (GFDL) AM2 chemistry-climate model with implications for future climate prediction.