scholarly journals The arctic seasonal cycle of total column CO<sub>2</sub> and CH<sub>4</sub> from ground-based solar and lunar FTIR absorption spectrometry

2017 ◽  
Vol 10 (7) ◽  
pp. 2397-2411 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthias Buschmann ◽  
Nicholas M. Deutscher ◽  
Mathias Palm ◽  
Thorsten Warneke ◽  
Christine Weinzierl ◽  
...  

Abstract. Solar absorption spectroscopy in the near infrared has been performed in Ny-Ålesund (78.9° N, 11.9° E) since 2002; however, due to the high latitude of the site, the sun is below the horizon from October to March (polar night) and no solar absorption measurements are possible. Here we present a novel method of retrieving the total column dry-air mole fractions (DMFs) of CO2 and CH4 using moonlight in winter. Measurements have been taken during the polar nights from 2012 to 2016 and are validated with TCCON (Total Carbon Column Observing Network) measurements by solar and lunar absorption measurements on consecutive days and nights during spring and autumn. The complete seasonal cycle of the DMFs of CO2 and CH4 is presented and a precision of up to 0.5 % is achieved. A comparison of solar and lunar measurements on consecutive days during day and night in March 2013 yields non-significant biases of 0. 66 ± 4. 56 ppm for xCO2 and −1. 94 ± 20. 63 ppb for xCH4. Additionally a model comparison has been performed with data from various reanalysis models.

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthias Buschmann ◽  
Nicholas M. Deutscher ◽  
Mathias Palm ◽  
Thorsten Warneke ◽  
Christine Weinzierl ◽  
...  

Abstract. Solar absorption spectroscopy in the near infrared has been performed in Ny-Ålesund (78.9° N, 11.9° E) since 2002; however, due to the high latitude of the site, the sun is below the horizon from October to March (Polar Night) and no solar absorption measurements are possible. Here we present a novel method of retrieving the total column dry-air mole fractions (DMF) of CO2 and CH4 using the moon as a light source in winter. Measurements have been taken during the Polar Nights from 2012 to 2016 and are validated with TCCON (Total Carbon Column Observing Network) measurements by parallel solar and lunar absorption measurements during spring and autumn. The complete seasonal cycle of the DMFs of CO2 and CH4 is presented and a precision of up to 0.5 % is achieved. Additionally a model comparison has been performed with data from various reanalysis models.


2014 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 2071-2106
Author(s):  
O. E. García ◽  
M. Schneider ◽  
F. Hase ◽  
T. Blumenstock ◽  
E. Sepúlveda ◽  
...  

Abstract. This study examines the possibility of ground-based remote sensing ozone total column amounts (OTC) from spectral signatures at 3040 and 4030 cm−1. These spectral regions are routinely measured by the NDACC (Network for the Detection of Atmospheric Composition Change) ground-based FTIR (Fourier Transform InfraRed) experiments. In addition, they are potentially detectable by the TCCON (Total Carbon Column Observing Network) FTIR instruments. The ozone retrieval strategy presented here estimates the OTC from NDACC FTIR high resolution spectra with a theoretical precision of about 2% and 5% in the 3040 cm−1 and 4030 cm−1 regions, respectively. Empirically, these OTC products are validated by inter-comparison to FTIR OTC reference retrievals in the 1000 cm−1 spectral region (standard reference for NDACC ozone products), using a 8 year FTIR time series (2005–2012) taken at the subtropical ozone super-site of the Izaña Observatory (Tenerife, Spain). Associated with the weaker ozone signatures at the higher wavenumber regions, the 3040 cm−1 and 4030 cm−1 retrievals show lower vertical sensitivity than the 1000 cm−1 retrievals. Nevertheless, we observe that the rather consistent variations are detected: the variances of the 3040 cm−1 and the 4030 cm−1 retrievals agree within 90% and 75%, respectively, with the variance of the 1000 cm−1 standard retrieval. Furthermore, all three retrievals show very similar annual cycles. However, we observe a large systematic difference of about 7% between the OTC obtained at 1000 cm−1 and 3040 cm−1, indicating a significant inconsistency between the spectroscopic ozone parameters (HITRAN 2012) of both regions. Between the 1000 cm−1 and the 4030 cm−1 retrieval the systematic difference is only 2–3%. Finally, the long-term stability of the OTC retrievals has also been examined, observing that both near infrared retrievals can monitor the long-term OTC evolution in consistency to the 1000 cm−1reference data.


2016 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 577-585 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthias Buschmann ◽  
Nicholas M. Deutscher ◽  
Vanessa Sherlock ◽  
Mathias Palm ◽  
Thorsten Warneke ◽  
...  

Abstract. High-resolution solar absorption spectra, taken within the Network for the Detection of Atmospheric Composition Change Infrared Working Group (NDACC-IRWG) in the mid-infrared spectral region, are used to infer partial or total column abundances of many gases. In this paper we present the retrieval of a column-averaged mole fraction of carbon dioxide from NDACC-IRWG spectra taken with a Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectrometer at the site in Ny-Ålesund, Spitsbergen. The retrieved time series is compared to colocated standard TCCON (Total Carbon Column Observing Network) measurements of column-averaged dry-air mole fractions of CO2 (denoted by xCO2). Comparing the NDACC and TCCON retrievals, we find that the sensitivity of the NDACC retrieval is lower in the troposphere (by a factor of 2) and higher in the stratosphere, compared to TCCON. Thus, the NDACC retrieval is less sensitive to tropospheric changes (e.g., the seasonal cycle) in the column average.


2014 ◽  
Vol 7 (10) ◽  
pp. 3295-3305 ◽  
Author(s):  
Z. Wang ◽  
N. M. Deutscher ◽  
T. Warneke ◽  
J. Notholt ◽  
B. Dils ◽  
...  

Abstract. Tropospheric column-averaged CH4 mole fractions were derived from ground-based column absorption measurements. The method uses stratospheric N2O columns to correct for the stratospheric contribution to the CH4 total column. The method was applied to four Total Carbon Column Observing Network (TCCON) sites covering locations from the Northern Arctic to the tropics. It performs well for all sites. The derived tropospheric CH4 concentrations were compared with profiles measured by aircraft at three sites. The results indicate an inter-site consistency within 6 ppb (~0.3%). With aircraft profiles up to 3 km, the seasonal behavior of the derived tropospheric CH4 concentration was also checked, revealing a difference of around 20 ppb. The mean relative uncertainty of the four sites, as estimated from the daily standard deviations, is 0.23%.


2014 ◽  
Vol 7 (9) ◽  
pp. 3071-3084 ◽  
Author(s):  
O. E. García ◽  
M. Schneider ◽  
F. Hase ◽  
T. Blumenstock ◽  
E. Sepúlveda ◽  
...  

Abstract. This study examines the possibility of ground-based remote-sensing ozone total column amounts (OTC) from spectral signatures at 3040 and 4030 cm−1. These spectral regions are routinely measured by the NDACC (Network for the Detection of Atmospheric Composition Change) ground-based FTIR (Fourier transform infraRed) experiments. In addition, they are potentially detectable by the TCCON (Total Carbon Column Observing Network) FTIR instruments. The ozone retrieval strategy presented here estimates the OTC from NDACC FTIR high-resolution spectra with a theoretical precision of about 2 and 5% in the 3040 and 4030 cm−1 regions, respectively. Empirically, these OTC products are validated by inter-comparison to FTIR OTC reference retrievals in the 1000 cm−1 spectral region (standard reference for NDACC ozone products), using an 8-year FTIR time series (2005–2012) taken at the subtropical ozone supersite of the Izaña Atmospheric Observatory (Tenerife, Spain). Associated with the weaker ozone signatures at the higher wave number regions, the 3040 and 4030 cm−1 retrievals show lower vertical sensitivity than the 1000 cm−1 retrievals. Nevertheless, we observe that the rather consistent variations are detected: the variances of the 3040 cm−1 and the 4030 cm−1 retrievals agree within 90 and 75%, respectively, with the variance of the 1000 cm−1 standard retrieval. Furthermore, all three retrievals show very similar annual cycles. However, we observe a large systematic difference of about 7% between the OTC obtained at 1000 and 3040 cm−1, indicating a significant inconsistency between the spectroscopic ozone parameters (HITRAN, 2012) of both regions. Between the 1000 cm and the 4030 cm−1 retrieval the systematic difference is only 2–3%. Finally, the long-term stability of the OTC retrievals has also been examined, observing that both near-infrared retrievals can monitor the long-term OTC evolution, consistent with the 1000 cm−1 reference data. These findings demonstrate that recording the solar absorption spectra in the 3000 cm−1 spectral region at high spectral resolution (about 0.005 cm−1) might be useful for TCCON sites. Hence, both NDACC and TCCON ground-based FTIR experiments might contribute to global ozone databases.


2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (11) ◽  
pp. 6125-6141 ◽  
Author(s):  
Minqiang Zhou ◽  
Bavo Langerock ◽  
Mahesh Kumar Sha ◽  
Nicolas Kumps ◽  
Christian Hermans ◽  
...  

Abstract. The Total Carbon Column Observing Network (TCCON) column-averaged dry air mole fraction of CH4 (XCH4) measurements have been widely used to validate satellite observations and to estimate model simulations. The GGG2014 code is the standard TCCON retrieval software used in performing a profile scaling retrieval. In order to obtain several vertical pieces of information in addition to the total column, in this study, the SFIT4 retrieval code is applied to retrieve the CH4 mole fraction vertical profile from the Fourier transform spectrometer (FTS) spectrum at six sites (Ny-Ålesund, Sodankylä, Bialystok, Bremen, Orléans and St Denis) during the time period of 2016–2017. The retrieval strategy of the CH4 profile retrieval from ground-based FTS near-infrared (NIR) spectra using the SFIT4 code (SFIT4NIR) is investigated. The degree of freedom for signal (DOFS) of the SFIT4NIR retrieval is about 2.4, with two distinct pieces of information in the troposphere and in the stratosphere. The averaging kernel and error budget of the SFIT4NIR retrieval are presented. The data accuracy and precision of the SFIT4NIR retrievals, including the total column and two partial columns (in the troposphere and stratosphere), are estimated by TCCON standard retrievals, ground-based in situ measurements, Atmospheric Chemistry Experiment – Fourier Transform Spectrometer (ACE-FTS) satellite observations, TCCON proxy data and AirCore and aircraft measurements. By comparison against TCCON standard retrievals, it is found that the retrieval uncertainty of SFIT4NIR XCH4 is similar to that of TCCON standard retrievals with systematic uncertainty within 0.35 % and random uncertainty of about 0.5 %. The tropospheric and stratospheric XCH4 from SFIT4NIR retrievals are assessed by comparison with AirCore and aircraft measurements, and there is a 1.0 ± 0.3 % overestimation in the SFIT4NIR tropospheric XCH4 and a 4.0 ± 2.0 % underestimation in the SFIT4NIR stratospheric XCH4, which are within the systematic uncertainties of SFIT4NIR-retrieved partial columns in the troposphere and stratosphere respectively.


2012 ◽  
Vol 5 (7) ◽  
pp. 1627-1635 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Petri ◽  
T. Warneke ◽  
N. Jones ◽  
T. Ridder ◽  
J. Messerschmidt ◽  
...  

Abstract. Throughout the last few years solar absorption Fourier Transform Spectrometry (FTS) has been further developed to measure the total columns of CO2 and CH4. The observations are performed at high spectral resolution, typically at 0.02 cm−1. The precision currently achieved is generally better than 0.25%. However, these high resolution instruments are quite large and need a dedicated room or container for installation. We performed these observations using a smaller commercial interferometer at its maximum possible resolution of 0.11 cm−1. The measurements have been performed at Bremen and have been compared to observations using our high resolution instrument also situated at the same location. The high resolution instrument has been successfully operated as part of the Total Carbon Column Observing Network (TCCON). The precision of the low resolution instrument is 0.32% for XCO2 and 0.46% for XCH4. A comparison of the measurements of both instruments yields an average deviation in the retrieved daily means of &amp;leq;0.2% for CO2. For CH4 an average bias between the instruments of 0.47% was observed. For test cases, spectra recorded by the high resolution instrument have been truncated to the resolution of 0.11 cm−1. This study gives an offset of 0.03% for CO2 and 0.26% for CH4. These results indicate that for CH4 more than 50% of the difference between the instruments results from the resolution dependent retrieval. We tentatively assign the offset to an incorrect a-priori concentration profile or the effect of interfering gases, which may not be treated correctly.


2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
David F. Pollard ◽  
Vanessa Sherlock ◽  
John Robinson ◽  
Nicholas M. Deutscher ◽  
Brian Connor ◽  
...  

Abstract. In this paper we describe the retrievals of atmospheric trace gases from near infrared, high resolution solar absorption spectroscopy measurements at the Lauder atmospheric research station in New Zealand and submitted to the Total Carbon Column Observing Network (TCCON) archive. The Lauder site (45.034°S, 169.68°E, 370 masl) is located within a sparsely populated region of the South Island of New Zealand, and is sheltered from the prevailing wind direction by the Southern Alps, which gives the site a high number of clear-sky days and an airmass that is largely unmodified by regional anthropogenic sources. The Lauder TCCON archive consists of data from two instruments; a Bruker IFS 120HR from June 2004 to February 2010 and a Bruker IFS 125HR from February 2010 to present. The bias between the two instrument is assessed to be 0.068% for CO2. Since measurements using the IFS 125HR began, the standard deviation about the hourly mean has been better than 0.1% for 96.81% of CO2 column retrievals. The retrievals have been calibrated against in situ airborne measurements to correct for biases and provide traceability to the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) scales with an accuracy of 0.1% for CO2. The Lauder TCCON time series of retrieved dry-air mole fractions of CO2, CH4, N2O, HF, H2O, HDO and CO are available from the TCCON data archive. The DOIs are: doi:10.14291/tccon.ggg2014.lauder01.R0/1149293 for the IFS 120HR data doi:10.14291/tccon.ggg2014.lauder02.R0/1149298 for the IFS 125HR data.


2021 ◽  
Vol 34 (10) ◽  
pp. 4145-4158
Author(s):  
Xianwen Jing ◽  
Xianglei Huang ◽  
Xiuhong Chen ◽  
Dong L. Wu ◽  
Peter Pilewskie ◽  
...  

AbstractNot only total solar irradiance (TSI) but also spectral solar irradiance (SSI) matter for our climate. Different surfaces can have different reflectivity for the visible (VIS) and near-infrared (NIR). The recent NASA Total and Spectral Solar Irradiance Sensor (TSIS-1) mission has provided more accurate SSI observations than before. The TSI observed by TSIS-1 differs from the counterpart used by climate models by no more than 1 W m−2. However, the SSI difference in a given VIS (e.g., 0.44–0.63 μm) and NIR (e.g., 0.78–1.24 μm) band can be as large as 4 W m−2 with opposite signs. Using the NCAR CESM2, we study to what extent such different VIS and NIR SSI partitions can affect the simulated climate. Two sets of simulations with identical TSI are carried out, one with SSI partitioning as observed by the TSIS-1 mission and the other with what has been used in the current climate models. Due to different VIS-NIR spectral reflectance contrasts between icy (or snowy) surfaces and open water, the simulation with more SSI in the VIS has less solar absorption by the high-latitude surfaces, ending up with colder polar surface temperature and larger sea ice coverage. The difference is more prominent over the Antarctic than over the Arctic. Our results suggest that, even for the identical TSI, the surface albedo feedback can be triggered by different SSI partition between the VIS and NIR. The results underscore the importance of continuously monitoring SSI and the use of correct SSI in climate simulations.


2017 ◽  
Vol 10 (7) ◽  
pp. 2425-2434 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jorge L. Baylon ◽  
Wolfgang Stremme ◽  
Michel Grutter ◽  
Frank Hase ◽  
Thomas Blumenstock

Abstract. In this investigation we analyze two common optical configurations to retrieve CO2 total column amounts from solar absorption infrared spectra. The noise errors using either a KBr or a CaF2 beam splitter, a main component of a Fourier transform infrared spectrometer (FTIR), are quantified in order to assess the relative precisions of the measurements. The configuration using a CaF2 beam splitter, as deployed by the instruments which contribute to the Total Carbon Column Observing Network (TCCON), shows a slightly better precision. However, we show that the precisions in XCO2 ( =  0.2095  ⋅  Total Column CO2Total Column O2) retrieved from  >  96 % of the spectra measured with a KBr beam splitter fall well below 0.2 %. A bias in XCO2 (KBr − CaF2) of +0.56 ± 0.25 ppm was found when using an independent data set as reference. This value, which corresponds to +0.14 ± 0.064 %, is slightly larger than the mean precisions obtained. A 3-year XCO2 time series from FTIR measurements at the high-altitude site of Altzomoni in central Mexico presents clear annual and diurnal cycles, and a trend of +2.2 ppm yr−1 could be determined.


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