PMC observations from the OMPS Limb Profiler

We present new observations of polar mesospheric clouds (PMCs) from the Ozone Mapping and Profiler Suite (OMPS) Limb Profiler (LP) instrument. The OMPS LP limb scattering measurements provide altitude-resolved PMC observations with full global coverage from 2012 to the present. Relative PMC brightness observed by OMPS LP varies between hemispheres due to changes in viewing geometry, consistent with other limb scattering PMC measurements. LP season start dates for PMC detection are comparable to the CIPS instrument on the AIM satellite. LP also views the same location as nadir-viewing PMC measurements from the OMPS Nadir Profiler with a minimal time difference. These “common volume” measurements can be used to improve the quality of the 40+ year satellite PMC data record by reducing the number of false detections in SBUV-type measurements at mid-latitudes.