Inferring regional sources and sinks of atmospheric CO<sub>2</sub> from GOSAT XCO<sub>2</sub> data

We have examined the utility of retrieved column-averaged, dry-air mole fractions of CO<sub>2</sub> (XCO<sub>2</sub>) from the Greenhouse Gases Observing Satellite (GOSAT) for quantifying monthly, regional flux estimates of CO<sub>2</sub>, using the GEOS-Chem four...

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Main Authors: F. Deng, D. B. A. Jones, D. K. Henze, N. Bousserez, K. W. Bowman, J. B. Fisher, R. Nassar, C. O'Dell, D. Wunch, P. O. Wennberg, E. A. Kort, S. C. Wofsy, T. Blumenstock, N. M. Deutscher, D. W. T. Griffith, F. Hase, P. Heikkinen, V. Sherlock, K. Strong, R. Sussmann, T. Warneke
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Copernicus Publications 2014-04-01
Series:Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics
Online Access:http://www.atmos-chem-phys.net/14/3703/2014/acp-14-3703-2014.pdf
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author F. Deng
D. B. A. Jones
D. K. Henze
N. Bousserez
K. W. Bowman
J. B. Fisher
R. Nassar
C. O'Dell
D. Wunch
P. O. Wennberg
E. A. Kort
S. C. Wofsy
T. Blumenstock
N. M. Deutscher
D. W. T. Griffith
F. Hase
P. Heikkinen
V. Sherlock
K. Strong
R. Sussmann
T. Warneke
author_facet F. Deng
D. B. A. Jones
D. K. Henze
N. Bousserez
K. W. Bowman
J. B. Fisher
R. Nassar
C. O'Dell
D. Wunch
P. O. Wennberg
E. A. Kort
S. C. Wofsy
T. Blumenstock
N. M. Deutscher
D. W. T. Griffith
F. Hase
P. Heikkinen
V. Sherlock
K. Strong
R. Sussmann
T. Warneke
author_sort F. Deng
collection DOAJ
description We have examined the utility of retrieved column-averaged, dry-air mole fractions of CO<sub>2</sub> (XCO<sub>2</sub>) from the Greenhouse Gases Observing Satellite (GOSAT) for quantifying monthly, regional flux estimates of CO<sub>2</sub>, using the GEOS-Chem four-dimensional variational (4D-Var) data assimilation system. We focused on assessing the potential impact of biases in the GOSAT CO<sub>2</sub> data on the regional flux estimates. Using different screening and bias correction approaches, we selected three different subsets of the GOSAT XCO<sub>2</sub> data for the 4D-Var inversion analyses, and found that the inferred global fluxes were consistent across the three XCO<sub>2</sub> inversions. However, the GOSAT observational coverage was a challenge for the regional flux estimates. In the northern extratropics, the inversions were more sensitive to North American fluxes than to European and Asian fluxes due to the lack of observations over Eurasia in winter and over eastern and southern Asia in summer. The regional flux estimates were also sensitive to the treatment of the residual bias in the GOSAT XCO<sub>2</sub> data. The largest differences obtained were for temperate North America and temperate South America, for which the largest spread between the inversions was 1.02 and 0.96 Pg C, respectively. In the case of temperate North America, one inversion suggested a strong source, whereas the second and third XCO<sub>2</sub> inversions produced a weak and strong sink, respectively. Despite the discrepancies in the regional flux estimates between the three XCO<sub>2</sub> inversions, the a posteriori CO<sub>2</sub> distributions were in good agreement (with a mean difference between the three inversions of typically less than 0.5 ppm) with independent data from the Total Carbon Column Observing Network (TCCON), the surface flask network, and from the HIAPER Pole-to-Pole Observations (HIPPO) aircraft campaign. The discrepancy in the regional flux estimates from the different inversions, despite the agreement of the global flux estimates suggests the need for additional work to determine the minimum spatial scales at which we can reliably quantify the fluxes using GOSAT XCO<sub>2</sub>. The fact that the a posteriori CO<sub>2</sub> from the different inversions were in good agreement with the independent data although the regional flux estimates differed significantly, suggests that innovative ways of exploiting existing data sets, and possibly additional observations, are needed to better evaluate the inferred regional flux estimates.
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spelling doaj.art-ca46e092e3714348ae12460d616ef46e2022-12-21T18:40:39ZengCopernicus PublicationsAtmospheric Chemistry and Physics1680-73161680-73242014-04-011473703372710.5194/acp-14-3703-2014Inferring regional sources and sinks of atmospheric CO<sub>2</sub> from GOSAT XCO<sub>2</sub> dataF. Deng0D. B. A. Jones1D. K. Henze2N. Bousserez3K. W. Bowman4J. B. Fisher5R. Nassar6C. O'Dell7D. Wunch8P. O. Wennberg9E. A. Kort10S. C. Wofsy11T. Blumenstock12N. M. Deutscher13D. W. T. Griffith14F. Hase15P. Heikkinen16V. Sherlock17K. Strong18R. Sussmann19T. Warneke20Department of Physics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, CanadaDepartment of Physics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, CanadaDepartment of Mechanical Engineering, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, USADepartment of Mechanical Engineering, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, USAJoint Institute for Regional Earth System Science and Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USAJet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USAClimate Research Division, Environment Canada, Toronto, ON, CanadaDepartment of Atmospheric Science, Colorado State University, Colorado, USACalifornia Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USACalifornia Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USADepartment of Atmospheric, Oceanic and Space Sciences, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USADepartment of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USAKarlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Institute for Meteorology and Climate Research (IMK-ASF), Karlsruhe, GermanyInstitute of Environmental Physics, University of Bremen, Bremen, GermanySchool of Chemistry, University of Wollongong, NSW, AustraliaKarlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Institute for Meteorology and Climate Research (IMK-ASF), Karlsruhe, GermanyFMI-Arctic Research Center, Sodankylä, FinlandNational Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research, Wellington, New ZealandDepartment of Physics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, CanadaIMK-IFU, Garmisch-Partenkirchen, GermanyInstitute of Environmental Physics, University of Bremen, Bremen, GermanyWe have examined the utility of retrieved column-averaged, dry-air mole fractions of CO<sub>2</sub> (XCO<sub>2</sub>) from the Greenhouse Gases Observing Satellite (GOSAT) for quantifying monthly, regional flux estimates of CO<sub>2</sub>, using the GEOS-Chem four-dimensional variational (4D-Var) data assimilation system. We focused on assessing the potential impact of biases in the GOSAT CO<sub>2</sub> data on the regional flux estimates. Using different screening and bias correction approaches, we selected three different subsets of the GOSAT XCO<sub>2</sub> data for the 4D-Var inversion analyses, and found that the inferred global fluxes were consistent across the three XCO<sub>2</sub> inversions. However, the GOSAT observational coverage was a challenge for the regional flux estimates. In the northern extratropics, the inversions were more sensitive to North American fluxes than to European and Asian fluxes due to the lack of observations over Eurasia in winter and over eastern and southern Asia in summer. The regional flux estimates were also sensitive to the treatment of the residual bias in the GOSAT XCO<sub>2</sub> data. The largest differences obtained were for temperate North America and temperate South America, for which the largest spread between the inversions was 1.02 and 0.96 Pg C, respectively. In the case of temperate North America, one inversion suggested a strong source, whereas the second and third XCO<sub>2</sub> inversions produced a weak and strong sink, respectively. Despite the discrepancies in the regional flux estimates between the three XCO<sub>2</sub> inversions, the a posteriori CO<sub>2</sub> distributions were in good agreement (with a mean difference between the three inversions of typically less than 0.5 ppm) with independent data from the Total Carbon Column Observing Network (TCCON), the surface flask network, and from the HIAPER Pole-to-Pole Observations (HIPPO) aircraft campaign. The discrepancy in the regional flux estimates from the different inversions, despite the agreement of the global flux estimates suggests the need for additional work to determine the minimum spatial scales at which we can reliably quantify the fluxes using GOSAT XCO<sub>2</sub>. The fact that the a posteriori CO<sub>2</sub> from the different inversions were in good agreement with the independent data although the regional flux estimates differed significantly, suggests that innovative ways of exploiting existing data sets, and possibly additional observations, are needed to better evaluate the inferred regional flux estimates.http://www.atmos-chem-phys.net/14/3703/2014/acp-14-3703-2014.pdf
spellingShingle F. Deng
D. B. A. Jones
D. K. Henze
N. Bousserez
K. W. Bowman
J. B. Fisher
R. Nassar
C. O'Dell
D. Wunch
P. O. Wennberg
E. A. Kort
S. C. Wofsy
T. Blumenstock
N. M. Deutscher
D. W. T. Griffith
F. Hase
P. Heikkinen
V. Sherlock
K. Strong
R. Sussmann
T. Warneke
Inferring regional sources and sinks of atmospheric CO<sub>2</sub> from GOSAT XCO<sub>2</sub> data
Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics
title Inferring regional sources and sinks of atmospheric CO<sub>2</sub> from GOSAT XCO<sub>2</sub> data
title_full Inferring regional sources and sinks of atmospheric CO<sub>2</sub> from GOSAT XCO<sub>2</sub> data
title_fullStr Inferring regional sources and sinks of atmospheric CO<sub>2</sub> from GOSAT XCO<sub>2</sub> data
title_full_unstemmed Inferring regional sources and sinks of atmospheric CO<sub>2</sub> from GOSAT XCO<sub>2</sub> data
title_short Inferring regional sources and sinks of atmospheric CO<sub>2</sub> from GOSAT XCO<sub>2</sub> data
title_sort inferring regional sources and sinks of atmospheric co sub 2 sub from gosat xco sub 2 sub data
url http://www.atmos-chem-phys.net/14/3703/2014/acp-14-3703-2014.pdf
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