scholarly journals Retrieval of MetOp-A/IASI CO profiles and validation with MOZAIC data

2012 ◽  
Vol 5 (11) ◽  
pp. 2843-2857 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. De Wachter ◽  
B. Barret ◽  
E. Le Flochmoën ◽  
E. Pavelin ◽  
M. Matricardi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Lower Troposphere ◽  
Correlation Coefficients ◽  
Lower Surface ◽  
Global Scale ◽  
Upper Troposphere ◽  
Retrieval Algorithms ◽  
Atmospheric Sounding ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Limited Sensitivity

Abstract. The IASI (Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer) nadir-looking thermal infrared sounder onboard MetOp-A enables the monitoring of atmospheric constituents on a global scale. This paper presents a quality assessment of IASI CO profiles retrieved by the two different retrieval algorithms SOFRID and FORLI, by an intercomparison with airborne in-situ CO profiles from the MOZAIC program for the 2008–2009 period. Lower (surface–480 hPa) and upper tropospheric partial column (480–225 hPa) comparisons as well as profile comparisons are made. The retrieval errors of the IASI products are less than 21% in the lower troposphere and less than 10% in the upper troposphere. A statistical analysis shows similar correlation coefficients for the two retrieval algorithms and smoothed MOZAIC of r ~ 0.8 and r ~ 0.7 in the lower and upper troposphere respectively. Comparison with smoothed MOZAIC data of the temporal variation of the CO profiles at the airports of Frankfurt and Windhoek demonstrates that the IASI products are able to capture the seasonal variability at these sites. At Frankfurt SOFRID (respectively FORLI) is positively biased by 10.5% (13.0%) compared to smoothed MOZAIC in the upper (lower) troposphere, and the limited sensitivity of the IASI instrument to the boundary layer when thermal contrast is low is identified. At Windhoek, the impact of the vegetation fires in Southern Africa from July to November is captured by both SOFRID and FORLI, with an overestimation of the CO background values (fire maxima) by SOFRID (FORLI) by 12.8% (10%). Profile comparisons at Frankfurt and Windhoek show that the largest discrepancies are found between the two IASI products and MOZAIC for the nighttime retrievals.

scholarly journals Retrieval of MetOp-A/IASI CO profiles and validation with MOZAIC data

2012 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 3271-3301
Author(s):  
E. De Wachter ◽  
B. Barret ◽  
E. Le Flochmoën ◽  
E. Pavelin ◽  
M. Matricardi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Lower Troposphere ◽  
Correlation Coefficients ◽  
Global Scale ◽  
Upper Troposphere ◽  
Retrieval Algorithms ◽  
Good Reproduction ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Good Agreement ◽  
Limited Sensitivity

Abstract. The IASI nadir looking thermal infrared sounder onboard MetOp-A enables the monitoring of atmospheric constituents on a global scale. This paper presents a quality assessment of IASI CO profiles retrieved by the two different retrieval algorithms SOFRID and FORLI, by an intercomparison with airborne in-situ CO profiles from the MOZAIC program. A statistical analysis shows a very good agreement between the two retrieval algorithms and smoothed MOZAIC data for the lower troposphere (surface-480 hPa) with correlation coefficients r ~ 0.8, and a good agreement in the upper troposphere (480–225 hPa) with r ~ 0.7. Closer investigation of the temporal variation of the CO profiles at the airports of Frankfurt and Windhoek demonstrates that on the overall a very good agreement is found between the IASI products and smoothed MOZAIC data in terms of seasonal variability. At Frankfurt SOFRID (resp. FORLI) is positively biased by 10.5% (resp. 13.0%) compared to smoothed MOZAIC in the upper (resp. lower) troposphere, and the limited sensitivity of the IASI instrument to the boundary layer when thermal contrast is low is identified. At Windhoek, we find a good reproduction of the impact of the vegetation fires in Southern Africa from July to November by both SOFRID and FORLI, with an overestimation of the CO background values (resp. fire maxima) by SOFRID (resp. FORLI) by 12.8% (resp. ~10%). Profile comparisons at Frankfurt and Windhoek identify a reduced performance of the nighttime retrievals of both products compared to daytime retrievals.

scholarly journals Optimal estimation of tropospheric H<sub>2</sub>O and δD with IASI/METOP

2011 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 16107-16146 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Schneider ◽  
F. Hase
Keyword(s):  
Lower Troposphere ◽  
Optimal Estimation ◽  
Atmospheric Temperature ◽  
Data Sets ◽  
Error Sources ◽  
Upper Troposphere ◽  
Significant Bias ◽  
Atmospheric Sounding ◽  
Better Than

Abstract. We present an optimal estimation retrieval for tropospheric H2O and δD applying thermal nadir spectra measured by the instrument IASI (Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer) flown on EUMETSAT's polar orbiter METOP. We document that the IASI spectra allow for retrieving H2O profiles between the surface and the upper troposphere as well as middle tropospheric δD values. A theoretical error estimation suggests a precision for H2O of better than 35 % in the lower troposphere and of better than 15 % in the middle and upper troposphere, respectively, whereby surface emissivity and atmospheric temperature uncertainties are the leading error sources. For the middle tropospheric δD values we estimate a precision of 15–20‰, with the measurement noise being the dominating error source. We compare our IASI products to a large number of quasi coincident radiosonde in-situ and ground-based FTS (Fourier Transform Spectrometer) remote sensing measurements and find no significant bias between the H2O and δD data obtained by the different techniques. Furthermore, the scatter between the different data sets confirms our theoretical precision estimates.

scholarly journals Long-Term Free-Atmosphere Temperature Trends in China Derived from Homogenized In Situ Radiosonde Temperature Series

2009 ◽  
Vol 22 (4) ◽  
pp. 1037-1051 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yanjun Guo ◽  
Yihui Ding
Keyword(s):  
Lower Troposphere ◽  
Global Scale ◽  
Data Availability ◽  
Free Atmosphere ◽  
Upper Troposphere ◽  
Temperature Trends ◽  
Atmosphere Temperature ◽  
Temperature Time

Abstract In this paper, radiosonde temperature time series (RTT) from 1958 to 2005 collected by the 116-station Chinese radiosonde network are examined. Quality control and homogenization are used to obtain a reliable RTT. The homogenization results revealed significant discontinuities in the RTT. Analysis suggested that 70% data availability is the minimum data requirement (MDR) for these RTTs. A new dataset is built by meeting this MDR, which reduced the number of potential stations from 116 to 92. Analysis on this dataset reveals that warming trends in the troposphere and cooling trends in the stratosphere were weakened by reducing the stations. Averaged RTT trends for China were generally consistent with those of global scale, but with some discrepancies. During 1958–2005, averaged temperatures in China tended to decrease in the lower stratosphere and upper troposphere, in contrast to warming trends in the mid- and lower troposphere. The trends varied with two different subperiods. For 1958–78, cooling trends in the entire atmosphere were similar to trends at the global scale. For 1979–2005, warming occurred in the lower troposphere, with the amplitude of the warming tending to weaken with increases in altitude and shifting to a cooling trend above 400 hPa. Seasonal trend structures suggest that warming in the lower troposphere is attributable to temperature increases in December–February (DJF); cooling in the upper troposphere and stratosphere was found mainly in June–August (JJA). Unlike with results of a larger spatial scale, a robust cooling layer was found around 300 hPa.

scholarly journals Two decades of in-situ temperature measurements in the upper troposphere and lowermost stratosphere from IAGOS long-term routine observation

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Florian Berkes ◽  
Patrick Neis ◽  
Martin G. Schultz ◽  
Ulrich Bundke ◽  
Susanne Rohs ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Weather Forecast ◽  
Global Scale ◽  
Temperature Trend ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Medium Range Weather Forecast ◽  
Upper Troposphere ◽  
Temperature Trends ◽  
Geographical Regions

Abstract. Despite several studies on temperature trends in the tropopause region, a comprehensive understanding of the evolution of temperatures in this climate-sensitive region of the atmosphere remains elusive. Here we present a unique global-scale, long-term data set of high-resolution in-situ temperature data measured aboard passenger aircraft within the European Research Infrastructure IAGOS (In-service Aircraft for a Global Observing System, www.iagos.org). This data set is used to investigate temperature trends within the global upper troposphere and lowermost stratosphere (UTLS) for the period 1995 to 2012 in different geographical regions and vertical layers of the UTLS. The largest amount of observations is available over the North Atlantic. Here, a neutral temperature trend is found within the lowermost stratosphere. This contradicts the temperature trend in the European Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecast (ECMWF) ERA-Interim reanalysis, where a significant (95 % confidence) temperature increase of +0.56 K/decade is obtained. Differences between trends derived from observations and reanalysis data can be traced back to changes in the temperature bias between observation and model data over the studied period. This study demonstrates the value of the IAGOS temperature observations as anchor point for the evaluation of reanalyses and its suitability for independent trend analyses.

scholarly journals The dispersion characteristics of air pollution from the world's megacities

2013 ◽  
Vol 13 (19) ◽  
pp. 9975-9996 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Cassiani ◽  
A. Stohl ◽  
S. Eckhardt
Keyword(s):  
Human Population ◽  
Scale Effects ◽  
Lower Troposphere ◽  
Global Scale ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Particle Model ◽  
Modeling Framework ◽  
Local Conditions ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The City

Abstract. Megacities are extreme examples of the continuously growing urbanization of the human population that pose (new) challenges to the environment and human health at a local scale. However, because of their size megacities also have larger-scale effects, and more research is needed to quantify their regional- and global-scale impacts. We performed a study of the characteristics of pollution plumes dispersing from a group of 36 of the world's megacities using the Lagrangian particle model FLEXPART and focusing on black carbon (BC) emissions during the years 2003–2005. BC was selected since it is representative of combustion-related emissions and has a significant role as a short-lived climate forcer. Based on the BC emissions two artificial tracers were modeled: a purely passive tracer and one subject to wet and dry deposition more closely resembling the behavior of a true aerosol. These tracers allowed us to investigate the role of deposition processes in determining the impact of megacities' pollutant plumes. The particles composing the plumes have been sampled in space and time. The time sampling allowed us to investigate the evolution of the plume from its release up to 48 days after emission and to generalize our results for any substance decaying with a timescale sufficiently shorter than the time window of 48 days. The physical characteristics of the time-averaged plume have been investigated, and this showed that, although local conditions are important, overall a city's latitude is the main factor influencing both the local and the regional-to-global dispersion of its pollution. We also repeated the calculations of some of the regional-pollution-potential metrics previously proposed by Lawrence et al. (2007), thus extending their results to a depositing scalar and retaining the evolution in time for all the plumes. Our results agreed well with their previous results despite being obtained using a totally different modeling framework. For the environmental impact on a global scale we focused on the export of mass from the megacities to the sensitive polar regions. We found that the sole city of Saint Petersburg contributes more to the lower-troposphere pollution and deposition in the Arctic than the whole ensemble of Asian megacities. In general this study showed that the pollution of urban origin in the lower troposphere of the Arctic is mainly generated by northern European sources. We also found that the deposition of the modeled artificial BC aerosol in the Antarctic due to megacities is comparable to the emissions of BC generated by local shipping activities. Finally multiplying population and ground level concentration maps, we found that the exposure of human population to megacity pollution occurs mainly inside the city boundaries, and this is especially true if deposition is accounted for. However, some exceptions exist (Beijing, Tianjin, Karachi) where the impact on population outside the city boundary is larger than that inside the city boundary.

scholarly journals The impact of organic pollutants from Indonesian peatland fires on the tropospheric and lower stratospheric composition

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (14) ◽  
pp. 11257-11288
Author(s):  
Simon Rosanka ◽  
Bruno Franco ◽  
Lieven Clarisse ◽  
Pierre-François Coheur ◽  
Andrea Pozzer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Biomass Burning ◽  
El Niño ◽  
Lower Stratosphere ◽  
El Nino ◽  
Lower Troposphere ◽  
Atmospheric Composition ◽  
Voc Emissions ◽  
Upper Troposphere ◽  
Upward Transport ◽  
The Impact

Abstract. The particularly strong dry season in Indonesia in 2015, caused by an exceptionally strong El Niño, led to severe peatland fires resulting in high volatile organic compound (VOC) biomass burning emissions. At the same time, the developing Asian monsoon anticyclone (ASMA) and the general upward transport in the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) efficiently transported the resulting primary and secondary pollutants to the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere (UTLS). In this study, we assess the importance of these VOC emissions for the composition of the lower troposphere and the UTLS and investigate the effect of in-cloud oxygenated VOC (OVOC) oxidation during such a strong pollution event. This is achieved by performing multiple chemistry simulations using the global atmospheric model ECHAM/MESSy (EMAC). By comparing modelled columns of the biomass burning marker hydrogen cyanide (HCN) and carbon monoxide (CO) to spaceborne measurements from the Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer (IASI), we find that EMAC properly captures the exceptional strength of the Indonesian fires. In the lower troposphere, the increase in VOC levels is higher in Indonesia compared to other biomass burning regions. This has a direct impact on the oxidation capacity, resulting in the largest regional reduction in the hydroxyl radical (OH) and nitrogen oxides (NOx). While an increase in ozone (O3) is predicted close to the peatland fires, simulated O3 decreases in eastern Indonesia due to particularly high phenol concentrations. In the ASMA and the ITCZ, the upward transport leads to elevated VOC concentrations in the lower stratosphere, which results in the reduction of OH and NOx and the increase in the hydroperoxyl radical (HO2). In addition, the degradation of VOC emissions from the Indonesian fires becomes a major source of lower stratospheric nitrate radicals (NO3), which increase by up to 20 %. Enhanced phenol levels in the upper troposphere result in a 20 % increase in the contribution of phenoxy radicals to the chemical destruction of O3, which is predicted to be as large as 40 % of the total chemical O3 loss in the UTLS. In the months following the fires, this loss propagates into the lower stratosphere and potentially contributes to the variability of lower stratospheric O3 observed by satellite retrievals. The Indonesian peatland fires regularly occur during El Niño years, and the largest perturbations of radical concentrations in the lower stratosphere are predicted for particularly strong El Niño years. By activating the detailed in-cloud OVOC oxidation scheme Jülich Aqueous-phase Mechanism of Organic Chemistry (JAMOC), we find that the predicted changes are dampened. Global models that neglect in-cloud OVOC oxidation tend to overestimate the impact of such extreme pollution events on the atmospheric composition.

scholarly journals Global carbon monoxide products from combined AIRS, TES and MLS measurements on A-train satellites

2013 ◽  
Vol 13 (6) ◽  
pp. 15409-15441
Author(s):  
J. X. Warner ◽  
R. Yang ◽  
Z. Wei ◽  
F. Carminati ◽  
A. Tangborn ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Monoxide ◽  
Data Fusion ◽  
Lower Troposphere ◽  
Atmospheric Infrared Sounder ◽  
Upper Troposphere ◽  
In Situ Data ◽  
Diode Laser Spectrometer ◽  
Spatial Coverage ◽  
Transport Experiment

Abstract. This study tests a novel methodology to add value to satellite datasets. This methodology, data fusion, is similar to data assimilation, except that the background model-based field is replaced by a satellite dataset, in this case AIRS (Atmospheric Infrared Sounder) carbon monoxide (CO) measurements. The observational information comes from CO measurements with lower spatial coverage than AIRS, namely, from TES (Tropospheric Emission Spectrometer) and MLS (Microwave Limb Sounder). We show that combining these datasets with data fusion uses the higher spectral resolution of TES to extend AIRS CO observational sensitivity to the lower troposphere, a region especially important for air quality studies. We also show that combined CO measurements from AIRS and MLS provide enhanced information in the UTLS (upper troposphere/lower stratosphere) region compared to each product individually. The combined AIRS/TES and AIRS/MLS CO products are validated against DACOM (differential absorption mid-IR diode laser spectrometer) in situ CO measurements from the INTEX-B (Intercontinental Chemical Transport Experiment: MILAGRO and Pacific phases) field campaign and in situ data from HIPPO (HIAPER Pole-to-Pole Observations) flights. The data fusion results show improved sensitivities in the lower and upper troposphere (20–30% and above 20%, respectively) as compared with AIRS-only retrievals, and improved coverage compared with TES and MLS CO data.

scholarly journals Geo-Climatic Changes and Apomixis as Major Drivers of Diversification in the Mediterranean Sea Lavenders (Limonium Mill.)

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Konstantina Koutroumpa ◽  
Ben H. Warren ◽  
Spyros Theodoridis ◽  
Mario Coiro ◽  
Maria M. Romeiras ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Species Diversity ◽  
Regional Scale ◽  
Mediterranean Area ◽  
Global Scale ◽  
Significant Shift ◽  
Extrinsic Factors ◽  
Diversification Rates ◽  
The Mediterranean ◽  
The Impact

The Mediterranean realm, comprising the Mediterranean and Macaronesian regions, has long been recognized as one of the world’s biodiversity hotspots, owing to its remarkable species richness and endemism. Several hypotheses on biotic and abiotic drivers of species diversification in the region have been often proposed but rarely tested in an explicit phylogenetic framework. Here, we investigate the impact of both species-intrinsic and -extrinsic factors on diversification in the species-rich, cosmopolitan Limonium, an angiosperm genus with center of diversity in the Mediterranean. First, we infer and time-calibrate the largest Limonium phylogeny to date. We then estimate ancestral ranges and diversification dynamics at both global and regional scales. At the global scale, we test whether the identified shifts in diversification rates are linked to specific geological and/or climatic events in the Mediterranean area and/or asexual reproduction (apomixis). Our results support a late Paleogene origin in the proto-Mediterranean area for Limonium, followed by extensive in situ diversification in the Mediterranean region during the late Miocene, Pliocene, and Pleistocene. We found significant increases of diversification rates in the “Mediterranean lineage” associated with the Messinian Salinity Crisis, onset of Mediterranean climate, Plio-Pleistocene sea-level fluctuations, and apomixis. Additionally, the Euro-Mediterranean area acted as the major source of species dispersals to the surrounding areas. At the regional scale, we infer the biogeographic origins of insular endemics in the oceanic archipelagos of Macaronesia, and test whether woodiness in the Canarian Nobiles clade is a derived trait linked to insular life and a biotic driver of diversification. We find that Limonium species diversity on the Canary Islands and Cape Verde archipelagos is the product of multiple colonization events followed by in situ diversification, and that woodiness of the Canarian endemics is indeed a derived trait but is not associated with a significant shift to higher diversification rates. Our study expands knowledge on how the interaction between abiotic and biotic drivers shape the uneven distribution of species diversity across taxonomic and geographical scales.

scholarly journals In situ detection of electrified aerosols in the upper troposphere and in the stratosphere

2013 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 7061-7079 ◽  
Author(s):  
J.-B. Renard ◽  
S. N. Tripathi ◽  
M. Michael ◽  
A. Rawal ◽  
G. Berthet ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Lower Stratosphere ◽  
Lower Troposphere ◽  
Stratospheric Aerosol ◽  
Balloon Flight ◽  
Model Calculations ◽  
Upper Troposphere ◽  
Charged Aerosols ◽  
In Situ Detection ◽  
Aerosol Counter

Abstract. Electrified aerosols have been observed in the lower troposphere and in the mesosphere, but have never been detected in the stratosphere and upper troposphere. We present measurements of aerosols during a balloon flight to an altitude of ~24 km. The measurements were performed with an improved version of the STAC aerosol counter dedicated to the search for charged aerosols. It is found that most of the aerosols are charged in the upper troposphere for altitudes below 10 km and in the stratosphere for altitudes above 20 km. On the contrary, the aerosols seem to be uncharged between 10 km and 20 km. Model calculations are used to quantify the electrification of the aerosols with a stratospheric aerosol-ion model. The percentages of charged aerosols obtained with model calculations are in excellent agreement with the observations below 10 km and above 20 km. On the other hand, the model cannot reproduce the absence of detected electrification in the lower stratosphere, such that a distinct unknown process in this altitude range inhibits electrification. The presence of sporadic transient layers of electrified aerosol in the upper troposphere and in the stratosphere could have significant implications for sprite formation.

Analysis of the impact of biomass burning emissions on global ozone production in the upper troposphere with MOCAGE CTM and IAGOS airborne data.

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin Cussac ◽  
Virginie Marécal ◽  
Valérie Thouret ◽  
Béatrice Josse
Keyword(s):  
Significant Role ◽  
Biomass Burning ◽  
Transport Model ◽  
Chemical Species ◽  
Ozone Production ◽  
In Situ Observation ◽  
Transport Pathway ◽  
Upper Troposphere ◽  
The Impact

&lt;p&gt;The UTLS (Upper Troposphere/Lower Stratosphere) is a key layer of the atmosphere as its chemical composition impacts both the troposphere and the stratosphere, and therefore plays a significant role in the climate system. Ozone at this altitude for instance plays a great role on surface temperature. Unlike in the stratosphere; it can be produced from the photolysis of precursors originating in the troposphere; mainly nitrous oxides (NO&lt;sub&gt;x&lt;/sub&gt;) and carbon monoxide (CO) at this pressure range. Biomass burning emissions in particular are likely to play a significant role in the quantities of these species in the upper troposphere and thus impacting ozone balance. This effect is investigated thanks to the global chemistry transport model MOCAGE. Because of the strong vertical gradients in this layer of the atmosphere, well resolved in-situ observation dataset are valuable for model evaluation. As of measurements used to validate MOCAGE results, IAGOS in-situ measurements from equipped commercial aircraft were chosen for their fine vertical resolution as well as their wide geographical coverage. Using both of these tools, upper tropospheric air composition is studied, with a focus on ozone precursors and production linked to biomass burning emissions.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Firstly is investigated the direct impact of biomass burning emissions on CO concentration in the upper troposphere, as it is both a good tracer of wildfire plumes in the atmosphere and it plays a role in the upper troposphere chemical balance. For this purpose MOCAGE simulations spaning over the year of 2013 where biomass burning emissions were turned on and off are compared to estimate a contribution to upper tropospheric CO. These simulations were validated using all the available data from the IAGOS database. It was found that biomass burning impacted CO levels globally, with the strongest enhancement happening above the most emitting areas (equatorial Africa and the Boreal forests). The importance of a fast vertical transport pathway above the fires was also highlighted with the possible occurrence of pyroconvection in addition to deep convection. Secondly, other chemical species related to ozone production were looked upon. Peroxyacetyl Nitrates (PAN) for instance were found to be impacted by biomass burning as it is a product of NOx oxidation as well as the main &quot;reservoir&quot; specie for NOx in the upper troposphere. Ultimately, ozone production resulting from biomass burning emissions is investigated, both in biomass burning plumes encountered by IAGOS aircraft, and on a more global scale using the MOCAGE simulations.&lt;/p&gt;

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