A retrieval algorithm for satellite remote sensing of the nighttime global distribution of the sodium layer

A new retrieval method for satellite remote sensing of global sodium during nighttime is proposed. This method uses satellite limb observations of ozone density, neutral temperature, and Na D nightglow volume emission rate to retrieve sodium density. Our calculations show that, in the ideal condition in which there is no measurement noise, the retrieval error in the main region of sodium layer is very small (less than 1%). The retrieval error is mainly determined by the uncertainties in the observations of ozone, temperature and the Na D-line nightglow emission.