Articles | Volume 14, issue 12
https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-14-7999-2021
© Author(s) 2021. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-14-7999-2021
© Author(s) 2021. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| 
22 Dec 2021
Research article |
| 22 Dec 2021
| 22 Dec 2021
Remote sensing of methane plumes: instrument tradeoff analysis for detecting and quantifying local sources at global scale
Siraput Jongaramrungruang
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
Georgios Matheou
Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269, USA
Andrew K. Thorpe
NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91109, USA
Zhao-Cheng Zeng
Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
Christian Frankenberg
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269, USA
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Mengya Sheng, Runyi Zhou, Jiancong Hua, Shan Han, Shangyi Liu, Lin Zhang, Wei Wang, Ruijun Dang, Hansen Cao, Zichong Chen, Yixuan Gu, Mingxu Liu, Lu Lee, Chengli Qi, Feng Lu, Changpei Han, Mark W. Shephard, Nadir Guendouz, Camille Viatte, Lieven Clarisse, Martin Van Damme, Cathy Clerbaux, and Zhao-Cheng Zeng
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 26, 7803–7826, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-26-7803-2026, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-26-7803-2026, 2026
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Geostationary observations of NH3 provide an unprecedented opportunity to monitor spatial and temporal variations in emissions and their evolution throughout the day. Using 3 years of observations from FY-4B/GIIRS over East Asia, we demonstrated the enhanced capability of geostationary observations to identify emission sources and capture daytime variations associated with agricultural activities. This shows the potential of future geostationary satellites for monitoring air quality globally.
Thomas Plewa, André Butz, Christian Frankenberg, Andrew K. Thorpe, and Julia Marshall
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2026-2572, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2026-2572, 2026
This preprint is open for discussion and under review for Atmospheric Measurement Techniques (AMT).
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In this paper, we present an improved deep learning method to estimate emissions of methane plumes from 2-D imagery. We present a new neural network architecture that provides insight into the wind speed used for the emission estimation and apply it to synthetic data that were used in previous studies. Our analysis illustrates that the performance increases by around 40% compared to the previous version, and that external wind speed data can be used to verify and improve the model's predictions.
Shangyi Liu, Yingjun Zheng, Mengya Sheng, Lu Lee, Chengli Qi, Feng Lu, Bruno Franco, Lieven Clarisse, Cathy Clerbaux, Nicolas Theys, Jhoon Kim, and Zhao-Cheng Zeng
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2026-1745, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2026-1745, 2026
This preprint is open for discussion and under review for Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics (ACP).
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Volcanic sulfur dioxide evolves rapidly after an eruption, which makes it challenging to monitor. Taking the 2024 Kanlaon eruption as a case study, we propose using a constellation of GEO and LEO satellites to track SO2 mass and layer height at high frequency. In particular, we present the first quantitative SO2 retrieval from a GEO hyperspectral infrared sounder (FY-4B/GIIRS). This research provides a vital blueprint for the future global monitoring of volcanic events.
James Young Suk Yoon, Kelley C. Wells, Dylan B. Millet, Christian Frankenberg, Suniti Sanghavi, Abigail L. S. Swann, Joel A. Thornton, and Alexander J. Turner
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 26, 4509–4529, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-26-4509-2026, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-26-4509-2026, 2026
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Isoprene is a molecule emitted by trees that is oxidized in the atmosphere within hours. Much of the isoprene globally is emitted in the remote tropics, where we have few direct observations of isoprene. Here, we use new satellite retrievals of isoprene to infer drivers of tropical isoprene variability. Across three regions, isoprene column variability is controlled by different factors, namely changes in isoprene emissions or changes in natural nitrogen oxide sources, like soils and fires.
Jiancong Hua, Runyi Zhou, Mengya Sheng, and Zhao-Cheng Zeng
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2026-746, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2026-746, 2026
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The diurnal cycle of NH3 remains under-constrained at a global scale. To address this gap, we construct an integrated constellation with hyperspectral infrared sounders in three different LEO orbits to achieve quasi-geostationary-like global monitoring coverage of NH3 and provide six maps of global NH3 for every 4-hour in each day. This constellation has the potential to enhance the global climate-monitoring capacity of polar-orbiting meteorological satellites.
Sarah E. Hancock, Daniel J. Jacob, Rodrigo Jimenez, Andrés Ardila, Luis Morales-Rincon, Néstor Rojas, Lucas A. Estrada, Nicholas Balasus, James D. East, Melissa P. Sulprizio, Xiaolin Wang, James L. France, Lauren Potyk, Elise Penn, Zichong Chen, Daniel J. Varon, Christian Frankenberg, Marci Baranski, Andreea Calcan, and Robert J. Parker
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-5478, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-5478, 2026
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We combined satellite observations with detailed national data to improve estimates of Colombia’s methane emissions. Our results show that total methane emissions are higher than reported, with the biggest differences from fossil fuels. This approach demonstrates how satellite data can make national greenhouse gas reporting more accurate and transparent under the Paris Agreement.
Fan Sun, Yu Cui, Jiayin Su, Mark W. Shephard, Shailesh K. Kharol, Yifan Zhang, Xuejing Shi, Junqing Zhang, Huili Liu, Qitao Xiao, Xiao Lu, Zhao-Cheng Zeng, Timothy J. Griffis, and Cheng Hu
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 17907–17932, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-17907-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-17907-2025, 2025
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This study used satellite data and models to track ammonia concentration and dry deposition across China from 2013 to 2023. Ammonia levels rose sharply, especially in urban and farming regions, with the North China Plain showing the highest values. Human activity was the main driver of change. These findings highlight growing environmental risks and provide key insights for managing air quality and nitrogen pollution in one of the world's major emission hotspots.
Riley Duren, Daniel Cusworth, Alana Ayasse, Katherine Howell, Alex Diamond, Tia Scarpelli, Jinsol Kim, Kelly O'neill, Judy Lai-Norling, Andrew Thorpe, Sander R. Zandbergen, Lucas Shaw, Mark Keremedjiev, Jeff Guido, Paul Giuliano, Malkam Goldstein, Ravi Nallapu, Geert Barentsen, David R. Thompson, Keely Roth, Daniel Jensen, Michael Eastwood, Frances Reuland, Taylor Adams, Adam Brandt, Eric A. Kort, James Mason, and Robert O. Green
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 18, 6933–6958, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-18-6933-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-18-6933-2025, 2025
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We describe the Carbon Mapper emissions monitoring system including methane and carbon dioxide observations from the constellation of Tanager hyperspectral satellites, a global monitoring strategy optimized for enabling mitigation impact at the scale of individual facilities, and a data platform that delivers timely and transparent information for diverse stakeholders. We present early findings from Tanager-1 including the use of our data to locate and repair a leaking oil and gas pipeline.
Yitong Yao, Yujie Wang, Yi Yin, Jeffrey D. Wood, and Christian Frankenberg
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-5684, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-5684, 2025
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Droughts can leave lasting "scars" that slow down recovery long after the rain returns. In this study, we found that models assuming plants recover immediately after drought performed poorly, while those allowing only partial recovery matched real observations much better. Accounting for these delayed recovery processes will make land surface models more accurate in predicting carbon and water cycles under future droughts.
Gerrit Kuhlmann, Foteini Stavropoulou, Stefan Schwietzke, Daniel Zavala-Araiza, Andrew Thorpe, Andreas Hueni, Lukas Emmenegger, Andreea Calcan, Thomas Röckmann, and Dominik Brunner
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 5371–5385, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-5371-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-5371-2025, 2025
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A measurement campaign in 2019 found that methane emissions from oil and gas in Romania were significantly higher than reported. In 2021, our follow-up campaign using airborne remote sensing showed a marked decreases in emissions by 20 %–60 % due to improved infrastructure. The study highlights the importance of measurement-based emission monitoring and illustrates the value of a multi-scale assessment integrating ground-based observations with large-scale airborne remote sensing campaigns.
Yitong Yao, Philippe Ciais, Emilie Joetzjer, Wei Li, Lei Zhu, Yujie Wang, Christian Frankenberg, and Nicolas Viovy
Earth Syst. Dynam., 15, 763–778, https://doi.org/10.5194/esd-15-763-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/esd-15-763-2024, 2024
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Elevated CO2 concentration (eCO2) is critical for shaping the future path of forest carbon uptake, while uncertainties remain about concurrent carbon loss. Here, we found that eCO2 might amplify competition-induced carbon loss, while the extent of drought-induced carbon loss hinges on the balance between heightened biomass density and water-saving benefits. This is the first time that such carbon loss responses to ongoing climate change have been quantified separately over the Amazon rainforest.
Zhonghua He, Ling Gao, Miao Liang, and Zhao-Cheng Zeng
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 17, 2937–2956, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-2937-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-2937-2024, 2024
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Using Gaofen-5B satellite data, this study detected 93 methane plume events from 32 coal mines in Shanxi, China, with emission rates spanning from 761.78 ± 185.00 to 12729.12 ± 4658.13 kg h-1, showing significant variability among sources. This study highlights Gaofen-5B’s capacity for monitoring large methane point sources, offering valuable support in reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Juliëtte C. S. Anema, Klaas Folkert Boersma, Piet Stammes, Gerbrand Koren, William Woodgate, Philipp Köhler, Christian Frankenberg, and Jacqui Stol
Biogeosciences, 21, 2297–2311, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-2297-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-2297-2024, 2024
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To keep the Paris agreement goals within reach, negative emissions are necessary. They can be achieved with mitigation techniques, such as reforestation, which remove CO2 from the atmosphere. While governments have pinned their hopes on them, there is not yet a good set of tools to objectively determine whether negative emissions do what they promise. Here we show how satellite measurements of plant fluorescence are useful in detecting carbon uptake due to reforestation and vegetation regrowth.
Russell Doughty, Yujie Wang, Jennifer Johnson, Nicholas Parazoo, Troy Magney, Zoe Pierrat, Xiangming Xiao, Luis Guanter, Philipp Köhler, Christian Frankenberg, Peter Somkuti, Shuang Ma, Yuanwei Qin, Sean Crowell, and Berrien Moore III
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.22541/essoar.168167172.20799710/v1, https://doi.org/10.22541/essoar.168167172.20799710/v1, 2024
Preprint archived
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Here we present a novel model of global photosynthesis, ChloFluo, which uses spaceborne chlorophyll fluorescence to estimate the amount of photosynthetically active radiation absorbed by chlorophyll. Potential uses of our model are to advance our understanding of the timing and magnitude of photosynthesis, its effect on atmospheric carbon dioxide fluxes, and vegetation response to climate events and change.
Ke Liu, Yujie Wang, Troy S. Magney, and Christian Frankenberg
Biogeosciences, 21, 1501–1516, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-1501-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-1501-2024, 2024
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Stomata are pores on leaves that regulate gas exchange between plants and the atmosphere. Existing land models unrealistically assume stomata can jump between steady states when the environment changes. We implemented dynamic modeling to predict gradual stomatal responses at different scales. Results suggested that considering this effect on plant behavior patterns in diurnal cycles was important. Our framework also simplified simulations and can contribute to further efficiency improvements.
Alana K. Ayasse, Daniel Cusworth, Kelly O'Neill, Justin Fisk, Andrew K. Thorpe, and Riley Duren
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 16, 6065–6074, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-16-6065-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-16-6065-2023, 2023
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Methane is a powerful greenhouse gas, and a significant portion of methane comes from large individual plumes. Recently, airplane-mounted infrared technologies have proven very good at detecting and quantifying these plumes. In order to extract the methane signal from the infrared image, there are two widely used approaches. In this study, we assess the performance of both approaches using controlled-release experiments. We also examine the minimum detection limit of the infrared technology.
Daniel H. Cusworth, Andrew K. Thorpe, Charles E. Miller, Alana K. Ayasse, Ralph Jiorle, Riley M. Duren, Ray Nassar, Jon-Paul Mastrogiacomo, and Robert R. Nelson
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 23, 14577–14591, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-14577-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-14577-2023, 2023
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Carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from combustion sources are uncertain in many places across the globe. Satellites have the ability to detect and quantify emissions from large CO2 point sources, including coal-fired power plants. In this study, we tasked two satellites to routinely observe CO2 emissions at 30 coal-fired power plants between 2021 and 2022. These results present the largest dataset of space-based CO2 emission estimates to date.
Zhao-Cheng Zeng, Lu Lee, Chengli Qi, Lieven Clarisse, and Martin Van Damme
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 16, 3693–3713, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-16-3693-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-16-3693-2023, 2023
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This study presents an NH3 retrieval algorithm based on the optimal estimation method for the Geostationary Interferometric Infrared Sounder (GIIRS) on board China’s FengYun-4B satellite (FY-4B/GIIRS). Retrieval results demonstrate the capability of FY-4B/GIIRS in capturing the diurnal NH3 changes in East Asia. This operational geostationary observation by FY-4B/GIIRS represents an important advancement over the twice-per-day observations provided by current low-Earth-orbit (LEO) instruments.
Zhao-Cheng Zeng, Lu Lee, and Chengli Qi
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 16, 3059–3083, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-16-3059-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-16-3059-2023, 2023
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Observations from geostationary orbit provide contiguous coverage with a high temporal resolution, representing an important advancement over current low-Earth-orbit instruments. Using measurements from GIIRS on board China's FengYun satellite, the world’s first geostationary hyperspectral infrared sounder, we showed the first results of diurnal CO in eastern Asia from a geostationary orbit, which will have great potential in improving local and global air quality and climate research.
Vincent Humphrey and Christian Frankenberg
Biogeosciences, 20, 1789–1811, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-1789-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-1789-2023, 2023
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Microwave satellites can be used to monitor how vegetation biomass changes over time or how droughts affect the world's forests. However, such satellite data are still difficult to validate and interpret because of a lack of comparable field observations. Here, we present a remote sensing technique that uses the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) as a makeshift radar, making it possible to observe canopy transmissivity at any existing environmental research site in a cost-efficient way.
Maria J. Chinita, Mikael Witte, Marcin J. Kurowski, Joao Teixeira, Kay Suselj, Georgios Matheou, and Peter Bogenschutz
Geosci. Model Dev., 16, 1909–1924, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-16-1909-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-16-1909-2023, 2023
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Low clouds are one of the largest sources of uncertainty in climate prediction. In this paper, we introduce the first version of the unified turbulence and shallow convection parameterization named SHOC+MF developed to improve the representation of shallow cumulus clouds in the Simple Cloud-Resolving E3SM Atmosphere Model (SCREAM). Here, we also show promising preliminary results in a single-column model framework for two benchmark cases of shallow cumulus convection.
Broghan M. Erland, Cristen Adams, Andrea Darlington, Mackenzie L. Smith, Andrew K. Thorpe, Gregory R. Wentworth, Steve Conley, John Liggio, Shao-Meng Li, Charles E. Miller, and John A. Gamon
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 15, 5841–5859, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-15-5841-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-15-5841-2022, 2022
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Accurately estimating greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions is essential to reaching net-zero goals to combat the climate crisis. Airborne box-flights are ideal for assessing regional GHG emissions, as they can attain small error. We compare two box-flight algorithms and found they produce similar results, but daily variability must be considered when deriving emissions inventories. Increasing the consistency and agreement between airborne methods moves us closer to achieving more accurate estimates.
Yujie Wang and Christian Frankenberg
Biogeosciences, 19, 4705–4714, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-4705-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-4705-2022, 2022
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Plant hydraulics is often misrepresented in topical research. We highlight the commonly seen ambiguities and/or mistakes, with equations and figures to help visualize the potential biases. We recommend careful thinking when using or modifying existing plant hydraulic terms, methods, and models.
Yujie Wang and Christian Frankenberg
Biogeosciences Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-2022-172, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-2022-172, 2022
Revised manuscript not accepted
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Leaf light absorption coefficient is often not measured along with leaf gas exchange, but assumed to be constant. This potentially causes biases in estimated photosynthetic capacity and modeled photosynthetic rates. We explored how leaf light absorption features and light source may impact the photosynthesis modeling, and found that the biases are dependent of model assumptions. Researchers need to be more cautious with these inaccurate assumptions in photosynthesis models.
Daniel J. Jacob, Daniel J. Varon, Daniel H. Cusworth, Philip E. Dennison, Christian Frankenberg, Ritesh Gautam, Luis Guanter, John Kelley, Jason McKeever, Lesley E. Ott, Benjamin Poulter, Zhen Qu, Andrew K. Thorpe, John R. Worden, and Riley M. Duren
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 22, 9617–9646, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-9617-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-9617-2022, 2022
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We review the capability of satellite observations of atmospheric methane to quantify methane emissions on all scales. We cover retrieval methods, precision requirements, inverse methods for inferring emissions, source detection thresholds, and observations of system completeness. We show that current instruments already enable quantification of regional and national emissions including contributions from large point sources. Coverage and resolution will increase significantly in coming years.
Russell Doughty, Thomas P. Kurosu, Nicholas Parazoo, Philipp Köhler, Yujie Wang, Ying Sun, and Christian Frankenberg
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 14, 1513–1529, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-14-1513-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-14-1513-2022, 2022
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We describe and compare solar-induced chlorophyll fluorescence data produced by NASA from the Greenhouse Gases Observing Satellite (GOSAT) and the Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2 (OCO-2) and OCO-3 platforms.
Johannes Gensheimer, Alexander J. Turner, Philipp Köhler, Christian Frankenberg, and Jia Chen
Biogeosciences, 19, 1777–1793, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-1777-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-1777-2022, 2022
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We develop a convolutional neural network, named SIFnet, that increases the spatial resolution of SIF from TROPOMI by a factor of 10 to a spatial resolution of 0.005°. SIFnet utilizes coarse SIF observations, together with a broad range of high-resolution auxiliary data. The insights gained from interpretable machine learning techniques allow us to make quantitative claims about the relationships between SIF and other common parameters related to photosynthesis.
Vijay Natraj, Ming Luo, Jean-Francois Blavier, Vivienne H. Payne, Derek J. Posselt, Stanley P. Sander, Zhao-Cheng Zeng, Jessica L. Neu, Denis Tremblay, Longtao Wu, Jacola A. Roman, Yen-Hung Wu, and Leonard I. Dorsky
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 15, 1251–1267, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-15-1251-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-15-1251-2022, 2022
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High-fidelity monitoring and forecast of air quality and the hydrological cycle require understanding the vertical distribution of temperature, humidity, and trace gases at high spatiotemporal resolution. We describe a new instrument concept, called the JPL GEO-IR Sounder, that would provide this information for the first time from a single instrument platform. Simulations demonstrate the benefits of combining measurements from multiple wavelengths for this purpose from geostationary orbit.
Yujie Wang and Christian Frankenberg
Biogeosciences, 19, 29–45, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-29-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-29-2022, 2022
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Modeling vegetation canopy is important in predicting whether the land remains a carbon sink to mitigate climate change in the near future. Vegetation canopy model complexity, however, impacts the model-predicted carbon and water fluxes as well as canopy fluorescence, even if the same suite of model inputs is used. Given the biases caused by canopy model complexity, we recommend not misusing parameters inverted using different models or assumptions.
Alexander J. Turner, Philipp Köhler, Troy S. Magney, Christian Frankenberg, Inez Fung, and Ronald C. Cohen
Biogeosciences, 18, 6579–6588, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-6579-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-6579-2021, 2021
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This work builds a high-resolution estimate (500 m) of gross primary productivity (GPP) over the US using satellite measurements of solar-induced chlorophyll fluorescence (SIF) from the TROPOspheric Monitoring Instrument (TROPOMI) between 2018 and 2020. We identify ecosystem-specific scaling factors for estimating gross primary productivity (GPP) from TROPOMI SIF. Extreme precipitation events drive four regional GPP anomalies that account for 28 % of year-to-year GPP differences across the US.
Luis Guanter, Cédric Bacour, Andreas Schneider, Ilse Aben, Tim A. van Kempen, Fabienne Maignan, Christian Retscher, Philipp Köhler, Christian Frankenberg, Joanna Joiner, and Yongguang Zhang
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 13, 5423–5440, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-13-5423-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-13-5423-2021, 2021
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Sun-induced chlorophyll fluorescence (SIF) is an electromagnetic signal emitted by plants in the red and far-red parts of the spectrum. It has a functional link to photosynthesis and can be measured by satellite instruments, which makes it an important variable for the remote monitoring of the photosynthetic activity of vegetation ecosystems around the world. In this contribution we present a SIF dataset derived from the new Sentinel-5P TROPOMI missions.
Yujie Wang, Philipp Köhler, Liyin He, Russell Doughty, Renato K. Braghiere, Jeffrey D. Wood, and Christian Frankenberg
Geosci. Model Dev., 14, 6741–6763, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-14-6741-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-14-6741-2021, 2021
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We present the first step in testing a new land model as part of a new Earth system model. Our model links plant hydraulics, stomatal optimization theory, and a comprehensive canopy radiation scheme. We compared model-predicted carbon and water fluxes to flux tower observations and model-predicted sun-induced chlorophyll fluorescence to satellite retrievals. Our model quantitatively predicted the carbon and water fluxes as well as the canopy fluorescence yield.
Zhao-Cheng Zeng, Vijay Natraj, Feng Xu, Sihe Chen, Fang-Ying Gong, Thomas J. Pongetti, Keeyoon Sung, Geoffrey Toon, Stanley P. Sander, and Yuk L. Yung
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 14, 6483–6507, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-14-6483-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-14-6483-2021, 2021
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Large carbon source regions such as megacities are also typically associated with heavy aerosol loading, which introduces uncertainties in the retrieval of greenhouse gases from reflected and scattered sunlight measurements. In this study, we developed a full physics algorithm to retrieve greenhouse gases in the presence of aerosols and demonstrated its performance by retrieving CO2 and CH4 columns from remote sensing measurements in the Los Angeles megacity.
Yi Yin, Frederic Chevallier, Philippe Ciais, Philippe Bousquet, Marielle Saunois, Bo Zheng, John Worden, A. Anthony Bloom, Robert J. Parker, Daniel J. Jacob, Edward J. Dlugokencky, and Christian Frankenberg
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 21, 12631–12647, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-12631-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-12631-2021, 2021
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The growth of methane, the second-most important anthropogenic greenhouse gas after carbon dioxide, has been accelerating in recent years. Using an ensemble of multi-tracer atmospheric inversions constrained by surface or satellite observations, we show that global methane emissions increased by nearly 1 % per year from 2010–2017, with leading contributions from the tropics and East Asia.
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Short summary
This study shows how precision error and bias in column methane retrieval change with different instrument specifications and the impact of spectrally complex surface albedos on retrievals. We show how surface interferences can be mitigated with an optimal spectral resolution and a higher polynomial degree in a retrieval process. The findings can inform future satellite instrument designs to have robust observations capable of separating real CH4 plume enhancements from surface interferences.
This study shows how precision error and bias in column methane retrieval change with different...
