Application of a bias estimator for the improved assimilation of Measurements of Pollution in the Troposphere (MOPITT) carbon monoxide retrievals

This study discusses an improved technique for the assimilation of carbon monoxide retrievals from the Measurements of Pollution in the Troposphere (MOPITT) instrument in a chemistry-transport model using a suboptimal Kalman filter. An online bias estimator algorithm is employed to identify systematic biases in the model and account for them during the assimilation. Results suggest a large decline (both locally and globally) in the observation minus forecast diagnostics and provide insights about possible model deficiencies by enabling explicit examination of model biases.