Instrumental characteristics and potential greenhouse gas measurement capabilities of the Compact High-Spectral-Resolution Infrared Spectrometer: CHRIS
Abstract. Ground-based high-spectral-resolution infrared measurements are an
efficient way to obtain accurate tropospheric abundances of different
gaseous species, in particular greenhouse gases (GHGs) such as
 CO2 and CH4 . Many ground-based spectrometers are used
in the NDACC and TCCON networks to validate the Level 2 satellite
data, but their large dimensions and heavy mass make them inadequate
for field campaigns. To overcome these problems, the use of portable
spectrometers was recently investigated. In this context, this paper
deals with the CHRIS (Compact High-Spectral-Resolution Infrared
Spectrometer) prototype with unique characteristics such as its high
spectral resolution (0.135  cm−1 nonapodized) and its wide
spectral range (680 to 5200  cm−1 ). Its main objective is
the characterization of gases and aerosols in the thermal and
shortwave infrared regions. That is why it requires high radiometric
precision and accuracy, which are achieved by performing spectral and
radiometric calibrations that are described in this paper. Furthermore,
CHRIS's capabilities to retrieve vertical CO2 and CH4 
profiles are presented through a complete information content
analysis, a channel selection and an error budget estimation in the
attempt to join ongoing campaigns such as MAGIC (Monitoring of
Atmospheric composition and Greenhouse gases through multi-Instruments
Campaigns) to monitor GHGs and validate the actual and future
space missions such as IASI-NG and Microcarb.