Articles | Volume 19, issue 12
https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-19-4013-2026
© Author(s) 2026. 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-19-4013-2026
© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Global and diurnal variations in tropospheric ammonia observed from a constellation of hyperspectral infrared sounders in three different LEO orbits
Jiancong Hua
School of Earth and Space Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100087, China
Runyi Zhou
School of Earth and Space Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100087, China
Mengya Sheng
School of Earth and Space Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100087, China
School of Earth and Space Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100087, China
Related authors
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
Short summary
Short summary
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.
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
Short summary
Short summary
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.
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).
Short summary
Short summary
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.
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
Short summary
Short summary
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.
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
Short summary
Short summary
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.
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
Short summary
Short summary
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
Short summary
Short summary
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.
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
Short summary
Short summary
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.
Siraput Jongaramrungruang, Georgios Matheou, Andrew K. Thorpe, Zhao-Cheng Zeng, and Christian Frankenberg
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 14, 7999–8017, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-14-7999-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-14-7999-2021, 2021
Short summary
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.
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
Short summary
Short summary
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.
Cited articles
Abbatt, J. P. D., Benz, S., Cziczo, D. J., Kanji, Z., Lohmann, U., and Möhler, O.: Solid Ammonium Sulfate Aerosols as Ice Nuclei: A Pathway for Cirrus Cloud Formation, Science, 313, 1770–1773, https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1129726, 2006.
Adams, P. J., Seinfeld, J. H., Koch, D., Mickley, L., and Jacob, D.: General circulation model assessment of direct radiative forcing by the sulfate-nitrate-ammonium-water inorganic aerosol system, J. Geophys. Res.-Atmos., 106, 1097–1111, https://doi.org/10.1029/2000JD900512, 2001.
Bauduin, S., Clarisse, L., Theunissen, M., George, M., Hurtmans, D., Clerbaux, C., and Coheur, P.-F.: IASI's sensitivity to near-surface carbon monoxide (CO): Theoretical analyses and retrievals on test cases, J. Quant. Spectrosc. Ra., 189, 428–440, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jqsrt.2016.12.022, 2017.
Beer, R., Shephard, M. W., Kulawik, S. S., Clough, S. A., Eldering, A., Bowman, K. W., Sander, S. P., Fisher, B. M., Payne, V. H., Luo, M., Osterman, G. B., and Worden, J. R.: First satellite observations of lower tropospheric ammonia and methanol, Geophys. Res. Lett., 35, 2008GL033642, https://doi.org/10.1029/2008GL033642, 2008.
Behera, S. N., Sharma, M., Aneja, V. P., and Balasubramanian, R.: Ammonia in the atmosphere: a review on emission sources, atmospheric chemistry and deposition on terrestrial bodies, Environ. Sci. Pollut. Res., 20, 8092–8131, https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-013-2051-9, 2013.
Boynard, A., Clerbaux, C., Clarisse, L., Safieddine, S., Pommier, M., Van Damme, M., Bauduin, S., Oudot, C., Hadji-Lazaro, J., Hurtmans, D., and Coheur, P.: First simultaneous space measurements of atmospheric pollutants in the boundary layer from IASI: A case study in the North China Plain, Geophys. Res. Lett., 41, 645–651, https://doi.org/10.1002/2013GL058333, 2014.
Clarisse, L., Clerbaux, C., Dentener, F., Hurtmans, D., and Coheur, P.-F.: Global ammonia distribution derived from infrared satellite observations, Nat. Geosci., 2, 479–483, https://doi.org/10.1038/ngeo551, 2009.
Clarisse, L., Shephard, M. W., Dentener, F., Hurtmans, D., Cady-Pereira, K., Karagulian, F., Van Damme, M., Clerbaux, C., and Coheur, P.: Satellite monitoring of ammonia: A case study of the San Joaquin Valley, J. Geophys. Res.-Atmos., 115, 2009JD013291, https://doi.org/10.1029/2009JD013291, 2010.
Clarisse, L., Clerbaux, C., Franco, B., Hadji-Lazaro, J., Whitburn, S., Kopp, A. K., Hurtmans, D., and Coheur, P. -F.: A Decadal Data Set of Global Atmospheric Dust Retrieved From IASI Satellite Measurements, J. Geophys. Res.-Atmos., 124, 1618–1647, https://doi.org/10.1029/2018JD029701, 2019.
Clarisse, L., Van Damme, M., Hurtmans, D., Franco, B., Clerbaux, C., and Coheur, P.: The Diel Cycle of NH3 Observed From the FY-4A Geostationary Interferometric Infrared Sounder (GIIRS), Geophys. Res. Lett., 48, e2021GL093010, https://doi.org/10.1029/2021GL093010, 2021.
Dammers, E., Schaap, M., Haaima, M., Palm, M., Wichink Kruit, R. J., Volten, H., Hensen, A., Swart, D., and Erisman, J. W.: Measuring atmospheric ammonia with remote sensing campaign: Part 1 – Characterisation of vertical ammonia concentration profile in the centre of the Netherlands, Atmos. Environ., 169, 97–112, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atmosenv.2017.08.067, 2017.
De Mazière, M., Thompson, A. M., Kurylo, M. J., Wild, J. D., Bernhard, G., Blumenstock, T., Braathen, G. O., Hannigan, J. W., Lambert, J.-C., Leblanc, T., McGee, T. J., Nedoluha, G., Petropavlovskikh, I., Seckmeyer, G., Simon, P. C., Steinbrecht, W., and Strahan, S. E.: The Network for the Detection of Atmospheric Composition Change (NDACC): history, status and perspectives, Atmos. Chem. Phys., 18, 4935–4964, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-4935-2018, 2018.
Ding, J., van der A, R., Eskes, H., Dammers, E., Shephard, M., Wichink Kruit, R., Guevara, M., and Tarrason, L.: Ammonia emission estimates using CrIS satellite observations over Europe, Atmos. Chem. Phys., 24, 10583–10599, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-10583-2024, 2024.
Erisman, J. W., Sutton, M. A., Galloway, J., Klimont, Z., and Winiwarter, W.: How a century of ammonia synthesis changed the world, Nat. Geosci., 1, 636–639, https://doi.org/10.1038/ngeo325, 2008.
Erisman, J. W., Galloway, J. N., Seitzinger, S., Bleeker, A., Dise, N. B., Petrescu, A. M. R., Leach, A. M., and De Vries, W.: Consequences of human modification of the global nitrogen cycle, Philos. T. R. Soc. B, 368, 20130116, https://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2013.0116, 2013.
Ernst, J. W. and Massey, H. F.: The Effects of Several Factors on Volatilization of Ammonia Formed from Urea in the Soil, Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J., 24, 87–90, https://doi.org/10.2136/sssaj1960.03615995002400020007x, 1960.
Fowler, D., Coyle, M., Skiba, U., Sutton, M. A., Cape, J. N., Reis, S., Sheppard, L. J., Jenkins, A., Grizzetti, B., Galloway, J. N., Vitousek, P., Leach, A., Bouwman, A. F., Butterbach-Bahl, K., Dentener, F., Stevenson, D., Amann, M., and Voss, M.: The global nitrogen cycle in the twenty-first century, Philos. T. R. Soc. B, 368, 20130164, https://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2013.0164, 2013.
Galloway, J. N., Aber, J. D., Erisman, J. W., Seitzinger, S. P., Howarth, R. W., Cowling, E. B., and Cosby, B. J.: The Nitrogen Cascade, BioScience, 53, 341, https://doi.org/10.1641/0006-3568(2003)053[0341:TNC]2.0.CO;2, 2003.
Galloway, J. N., Dentener, F. J., Capone, D. G., Boyer, E. W., Howarth, R. W., Seitzinger, S. P., Asner, G. P., Cleveland, C. C., Green, P. A., Holland, E. A., Karl, D. M., Michaels, A. F., Porter, J. H., Townsend, A. R., and Vorosmarty, C. J.: Nitrogen Cycles: Past, Present, and Future, Biogeochemistry, 70, 153–226, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10533-004-0370-0, 2004.
Guendouz, N., Viatte, C., Zeng, Z., Boynard, A., Safieddine, S., Standfuss, C., Turquety, S., Van Damme, M., Clarisse, L., Coheur, P., Sheng, M., Armante, R., Prunet, P., and Clerbaux, C.: Monitoring Atmospheric Ammonia From Geostationary Orbit: Contributions of GIIRS-B and IRS Remote Sensors, J. Geophys. Res.-Atmos., 131, e2025JD046139, https://doi.org/10.1029/2025JD046139, 2026.
Guo, H., Otjes, R., Schlag, P., Kiendler-Scharr, A., Nenes, A., and Weber, R. J.: Effectiveness of ammonia reduction on control of fine particle nitrate, Atmos. Chem. Phys., 18, 12241–12256, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-12241-2018, 2018.
Hempel, S., Saha, C. K., Fiedler, M., Berg, W., Hansen, C., Amon, B., and Amon, T.: Non-linear temperature dependency of ammonia and methane emissions from a naturally ventilated dairy barn, Biosyst. Eng., 145, 10–21, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biosystemseng.2016.02.006, 2016.
Holmlund, K., Grandell, J., Schmetz, J., Stuhlmann, R., Bojkov, B., Munro, R., Lekouara, M., Coppens, D., Viticchie, B., August, T., Theodore, B., Watts, P., Dobber, M., Fowler, G., Bojinski, S., Schmid, A., Salonen, K., Tjemkes, S., Aminou, D., and Blythe, P.: Meteosat Third Generation (MTG): Continuation and Innovation of Observations from Geostationary Orbit, B. Am. Meteorol. Soc., 102, E990–E1015, https://doi.org/10.1175/BAMS-D-19-0304.1, 2021.
Hua, J., Liu, S., Qi, C., Wu, S., Lee, L., Hu, X., Zhao, X., Strong, K., Flood, V., Franco, B., Clarisse, L., Clerbaux, C., Wunch, D., Roehl, C., Wennberg, P., and Zeng, Z.-C.: Observing carbon monoxide and volatile organic compounds from Canadian wildfires in 2023 from FengYun-3E/HIRAS-II in a dawn-dusk sun-synchronous orbit, Remote Sens. Environ., 327, 114829, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rse.2025.114829, 2025.
Isaksen, I. S. A., Granier, C., Myhre, G., Berntsen, T. K., Dalsøren, S. B., Gauss, M., Klimont, Z., Benestad, R., Bousquet, P., Collins, W., Cox, T., Eyring, V., Fowler, D., Fuzzi, S., Jöckel, P., Laj, P., Lohmann, U., Maione, M., Monks, P., Prevot, A. S. H., Raes, F., Richter, A., Rognerud, B., Schulz, M., Shindell, D., Stevenson, D. S., Storelvmo, T., Wang, W.-C., Van Weele, M., Wild, M., and Wuebbles, D.: Atmospheric composition change: Climate–Chemistry interactions, Atmos. Environ., 43, 5138–5192, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atmosenv.2009.08.003, 2009.
Jiménez, E., Cabañas, B., and Lefebvre, G. (Eds.): Environment, Energy and Climate Change I: Environmental Chemistry of Pollutants and Wastes, Springer International Publishing, Cham, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-12907-5, 2015.
Kuang, Y., Xu, W., Lin, W., Meng, Z., Zhao, H., Ren, S., Zhang, G., Liang, L., and Xu, X.: Explosive morning growth phenomena of NH3 on the North China Plain: Causes and potential impacts on aerosol formation, Environ. Pollut., 257, 113621, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2019.113621, 2020.
Li, Z., Sun, K., Guan, K., Wang, S., Peng, B., Clarisse, L., Van Damme, M., Coheur, P.-F., Cady-Pereira, K., Shephard, M. W., Zondlo, M., and Moore, D.: Ammonia emissions and depositions over the contiguous United States derived from IASI and CrIS using the directional derivative approach, Atmos. Chem. Phys., 26, 703–721, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-26-703-2026, 2026.
Lindaas, J., Pollack, I. B., Calahorrano, J. J., O'Dell, K., Garofalo, L. A., Pothier, M. A., Farmer, D. K., Kreidenweis, S. M., Campos, T., Flocke, F., Weinheimer, A. J., Montzka, D. D., Tyndall, G. S., Apel, E. C., Hills, A. J., Hornbrook, R. S., Palm, B. B., Peng, Q., Thornton, J. A., Permar, W., Wielgasz, C., Hu, L., Pierce, J. R., Collett, J. L., Sullivan, A. P., and Fischer, E. V.: Empirical Insights Into the Fate of Ammonia in Western U. S. Wildfire Smoke Plumes, J. Geophys. Res.-Atmos., 126, e2020JD033730, https://doi.org/10.1029/2020JD033730, 2021.
Liu, M., Huang, X., Song, Y., Xu, T., Wang, S., Wu, Z., Hu, M., Zhang, L., Zhang, Q., Pan, Y., Liu, X., and Zhu, T.: Rapid SO2 emission reductions significantly increase tropospheric ammonia concentrations over the North China Plain, Atmos. Chem. Phys., 18, 17933–17943, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-17933-2018, 2018.
Liu, X., Zhang, Y., Han, W., Tang, A., Shen, J., Cui, Z., Vitousek, P., Erisman, J. W., Goulding, K., Christie, P., Fangmeier, A., and Zhang, F.: Enhanced nitrogen deposition over China, Nature, 494, 459–462, https://doi.org/10.1038/nature11917, 2013.
Lonsdale, C. R., Hegarty, J. D., Cady-Pereira, K. E., Alvarado, M. J., Henze, D. K., Turner, M. D., Capps, S. L., Nowak, J. B., Neuman, J. A., Middlebrook, A. M., Bahreini, R., Murphy, J. G., Markovic, M. Z., VandenBoer, T. C., Russell, L. M., and Scarino, A. J.: Modeling the diurnal variability of agricultural ammonia in Bakersfield, California, during the CalNex campaign, Atmos. Chem. Phys., 17, 2721–2739, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-2721-2017, 2017.
Luo, Z., Zhang, Y., Chen, W., Van Damme, M., Coheur, P.-F., and Clarisse, L.: Estimating global ammonia (NH3) emissions based on IASI observations from 2008 to 2018, Atmos. Chem. Phys., 22, 10375–10388, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-10375-2022, 2022.
Lutsch, E., Strong, K., Jones, D. B. A., Ortega, I., Hannigan, J. W., Dammers, E., Shephard, M. W., Morris, E., Murphy, K., Evans, M. J., Parrington, M., Whitburn, S., Van Damme, M., Clarisse, L., Coheur, P., Clerbaux, C., Croft, B., Martin, R. V., Pierce, J. R., and Fisher, J. A.: Unprecedented Atmospheric Ammonia Concentrations Detected in the High Arctic From the 2017 Canadian Wildfires, J. Geophys. Res.-Atmos., 124, 8178–8202, https://doi.org/10.1029/2019JD030419, 2019.
Myhre, G., Samset, B. H., Schulz, M., Balkanski, Y., Bauer, S., Berntsen, T. K., Bian, H., Bellouin, N., Chin, M., Diehl, T., Easter, R. C., Feichter, J., Ghan, S. J., Hauglustaine, D., Iversen, T., Kinne, S., Kirkevåg, A., Lamarque, J.-F., Lin, G., Liu, X., Lund, M. T., Luo, G., Ma, X., van Noije, T., Penner, J. E., Rasch, P. J., Ruiz, A., Seland, Ø., Skeie, R. B., Stier, P., Takemura, T., Tsigaridis, K., Wang, P., Wang, Z., Xu, L., Yu, H., Yu, F., Yoon, J.-H., Zhang, K., Zhang, H., and Zhou, C.: Radiative forcing of the direct aerosol effect from AeroCom Phase II simulations, Atmos. Chem. Phys., 13, 1853–1877, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-13-1853-2013, 2013.
Perrone, D.: Groundwater Overreliance Leaves Farmers and Households High and Dry, One Earth, 2, 214–217, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.oneear.2020.03.001, 2020.
Saraswati, Sharma, S. K., and Mandal, T. K.: Five-year measurements of ambient ammonia and its relationships with other trace gases at an urban site of Delhi, India, Meteorol. Atmos. Phys., 130, 241–257, https://doi.org/10.1007/s00703-017-0512-2, 2018.
Saylor, R. D., Edgerton, E. S., Hartsell, B. E., Baumann, K., and Hansen, D. A.: Continuous gaseous and total ammonia measurements from the southeastern aerosol research and characterization (SEARCH) study, Atmos. Environ., 44, 4994–5004, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atmosenv.2010.07.055, 2010.
Schjoerring, J. K., Husted, S., and Mattsson, M.: Physiological parameters controlling plant–atmosphere ammonia exchange, Atmos. Environ., 32, 491–498, https://doi.org/10.1016/S1352-2310(97)00006-X, 1998.
Sheng, M., Zhou, R., Hua, J., Han, S., Liu, S., Zhang, L., Wang, W., Dang, R., Cao, H., Chen, Z., Gu, Y., Liu, M., Lee, L., Qi, C., Lu, F., Han, C., Shephard, M. W., Guendouz, N., Viatte, C., Clarisse, L., Van Damme, M., Clerbaux, C., and Zeng, Z.-C.: Geostationary observations of atmospheric ammonia over East Asia: spatio-temporal variations revealed by three years of FY-4B/GIIRS measurements, Atmos. Chem. Phys., 26, 7803–7826, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-26-7803-2026, 2026.
Shephard, M. W. and Cady-Pereira, K. E.: Cross-track Infrared Sounder (CrIS) satellite observations of tropospheric ammonia, Atmos. Meas. Tech., 8, 1323–1336, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-8-1323-2015, 2015.
Shephard, M. W., Cady-Pereira, K. E., Luo, M., Henze, D. K., Pinder, R. W., Walker, J. T., Rinsland, C. P., Bash, J. O., Zhu, L., Payne, V. H., and Clarisse, L.: TES ammonia retrieval strategy and global observations of the spatial and seasonal variability of ammonia, Atmos. Chem. Phys., 11, 10743–10763, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-11-10743-2011, 2011.
Shephard, M. W., Dammers, E., Cady-Pereira, K. E., Kharol, S. K., Thompson, J., Gainariu-Matz, Y., Zhang, J., McLinden, C. A., Kovachik, A., Moran, M., Bittman, S., Sioris, C. E., Griffin, D., Alvarado, M. J., Lonsdale, C., Savic-Jovcic, V., and Zheng, Q.: Ammonia measurements from space with the Cross-track Infrared Sounder: characteristics and applications, Atmos. Chem. Phys., 20, 2277–2302, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-2277-2020, 2020.
Someya, Y., Imasu, R., Shiomi, K., and Saitoh, N.: Atmospheric ammonia retrieval from the TANSO-FTS/GOSAT thermal infrared sounder, Atmos. Meas. Tech., 13, 309–321, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-13-309-2020, 2020.
Sutton, M. A., Reis, S., Riddick, S. N., Dragosits, U., Nemitz, E., Theobald, M. R., Tang, Y. S., Braban, C. F., Vieno, M., Dore, A. J., Mitchell, R. F., Wanless, S., Daunt, F., Fowler, D., Blackall, T. D., Milford, C., Flechard, C. R., Loubet, B., Massad, R., Cellier, P., Personne, E., Coheur, P. F., Clarisse, L., Van Damme, M., Ngadi, Y., Clerbaux, C., Skjøth, C. A., Geels, C., Hertel, O., Wichink Kruit, R. J., Pinder, R. W., Bash, J. O., Walker, J. T., Simpson, D., Horváth, L., Misselbrook, T. H., Bleeker, A., Dentener, F., and De Vries, W.: Towards a climate-dependent paradigm of ammonia emission and deposition, Philos. T. R. Soc. B, 368, 20130166, https://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2013.0166, 2013.
Tevlin, A. G., Li, Y., Collett, J. L., McDuffie, E. E., Fischer, E. V., and Murphy, J. G.: Tall Tower Vertical Profiles and Diurnal Trends of Ammonia in the Colorado Front Range, J. Geophys. Res.-Atmos., 122, https://doi.org/10.1002/2017JD026534, 2017.
Van Damme, M., Erisman, J. W., Clarisse, L., Dammers, E., Whitburn, S., Clerbaux, C., Dolman, A. J., and Coheur, P.-F.: Worldwide spatiotemporal atmospheric ammonia (NH3) columns variability revealed by satellite, Geophys. Res. Lett., 42, 8660–8668, https://doi.org/10.1002/2015GL065496, 2015.
Walker, J. T., Robarge, W. P., Wu, Y., and Meyers, T. P.: Measurement of bi-directional ammonia fluxes over soybean using the modified Bowen-ratio technique, Agr. Forest Meteorol., 138, 54–68, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agrformet.2006.03.011, 2006.
Wang, Q., Zhang, Q., Ma, Z., Ge, B., Xie, C., Zhou, W., Zhao, J., Xu, W., Du, W., Fu, P., Lee, J., Nemitz, E., Cowan, N., Mullinger, N., Cheng, X., Zhou, L., Yue, S., Wang, Z., and Sun, Y.: Temporal characteristics and vertical distribution of atmospheric ammonia and ammonium in winter in Beijing, Sci. Total Environ., 681, 226–234, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.05.137, 2019.
Wang, T., Song, Y., Xu, Z., Liu, M., Xu, T., Liao, W., Yin, L., Cai, X., Kang, L., Zhang, H., and Zhu, T.: Why is the Indo-Gangetic Plain the region with the largest NH3 column in the globe during pre-monsoon and monsoon seasons?, Atmos. Chem. Phys., 20, 8727–8736, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-8727-2020, 2020.
Wang, W., Liu, C., Clarisse, L., Van Damme, M., Coheur, P.-F., Xie, Y., Shan, C., Hu, Q., Sun, Y., and Jones, N.: Ground-based measurements of atmospheric NH3 by Fourier transform infrared spectrometry at Hefei and comparisons with IASI data, Atmos. Environ., 287, 119256, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atmosenv.2022.119256, 2022.
Warner, J. X., Wei, Z., Strow, L. L., Dickerson, R. R., and Nowak, J. B.: The global tropospheric ammonia distribution as seen in the 13-year AIRS measurement record, Atmos. Chem. Phys., 16, 5467–5479, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-5467-2016, 2016.
Warner, J. X., Dickerson, R. R., Wei, Z., Strow, L. L., Wang, Y., and Liang, Q.: Increased atmospheric ammonia over the world's major agricultural areas detected from space, Geophys. Res. Lett., 44, 2875–2884, https://doi.org/10.1002/2016GL072305, 2017.
Weber, R. J., Guo, H., Russell, A. G., and Nenes, A.: High aerosol acidity despite declining atmospheric sulfate concentrations over the past 15 years, Nat. Geosci., 9, 282–285, https://doi.org/10.1038/ngeo2665, 2016.
Wells, K. C., Millet, D. B., Payne, V. H., Deventer, M. J., Bates, K. H., De Gouw, J. A., Graus, M., Warneke, C., Wisthaler, A., and Fuentes, J. D.: Satellite isoprene retrievals constrain emissions and atmospheric oxidation, Nature, 585, 225–233, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-020-2664-3, 2020.
Wells, K. C., Millet, D. B., Payne, V. H., Vigouroux, C., Aquino, C. A. B., De Mazière, M., De Gouw, J. A., Graus, M., Kurosu, T., Warneke, C., and Wisthaler, A.: Next-Generation Isoprene Measurements From Space: Detecting Daily Variability at High Resolution, J. Geophys. Res.-Atmos., 127, e2021JD036181, https://doi.org/10.1029/2021JD036181, 2022.
Zavyalov, V., Esplin, M., Scott, D., Esplin, B., Bingham, G., Hoffman, E., Lietzke, C., Predina, J., Frain, R., Suwinski, L., Han, Y., Major, C., Graham, B., and Phillips, L.: Noise performance of the CrIS instrument, J. Geophys. Res.-Atmos., 118, https://doi.org/10.1002/2013JD020457, 2013.
Zeng, Z.-C.: FengYun-4B/GIIRS FYGeoAIR NH3 retrievals from July 2022 to June 2025, Version v1, Zenodo [data set], https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17193848, 2025a.
Zeng, Z.-C.: Global carbon monoxide retrieval from the hyperspectral infrared atmospheric sounder-II onboard FengYun-3E in a dawn-dusk sun-synchronous orbit, J. Quant. Spectrosc. Ra., 333, 109336, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jqsrt.2024.109336, 2025b.
Zeng, Z.-C. and Hua, J.: FengYun-3E/HIRAS-II FYLeoAIR NH3 retrievals from January 2023 to December 2024, Version v1, Zenodo [data set], https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18359451, 2026a.
Zeng, Z.-C. and Hua, J.: FengYun-3F/HIRAS-II FYLeoAIR NH3 retrievals in 2024, Version v1, Zenodo [data set], https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18366114, 2026b.
Zeng, Z.-C., Lee, L., Qi, C., Clarisse, L., and Van Damme, M.: Optimal estimation retrieval of tropospheric ammonia from the Geostationary Interferometric Infrared Sounder on board FengYun-4B, Atmos. Meas. Tech., 16, 3693–3713, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-16-3693-2023, 2023.
Zeng, Z.-C., Clarisse, L., Franco, B., Clerbaux, C., Theys, N., Qi, C., Lee, L., Zhu, L., Hu, X., Gu, M., and Zhang, P.: Volcanic sulfur dioxide monitored from a constellation of FengYun hyperspectral infrared sounders in dawn-dusk, mid-morning, and afternoon sun-synchronous orbits, Remote Sens. Environ., 331, 115057, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rse.2025.115057, 2025.
Zhan, X., Adalibieke, W., Cui, X., Winiwarter, W., Reis, S., Zhang, L., Bai, Z., Wang, Q., Huang, W., and Zhou, F.: Improved Estimates of Ammonia Emissions from Global Croplands, Environ. Sci. Technol., 55, 1329–1338, https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.0c05149, 2021.
Zhang, C., Qi, C., Yang, T., Gu, M., Zhang, P., Lee, L., Xie, M., and Hu, X.: Evaluation of FY-3E/HIRAS-II Radiometric Calibration Accuracy Based on OMB Analysis, Remote Sens., 14, 3222, https://doi.org/10.3390/rs14133222, 2022a.
Zhang, L., Chen, Y., Zhao, Y., Henze, D. K., Zhu, L., Song, Y., Paulot, F., Liu, X., Pan, Y., Lin, Y., and Huang, B.: Agricultural ammonia emissions in China: reconciling bottom-up and top-down estimates, Atmos. Chem. Phys., 18, 339–355, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-339-2018, 2018.
Zhang, P., Hu, X., Lu, Q., Zhu, A., Lin, M., Sun, L., Chen, L., and Xu, N.: FY-3E: The First Operational Meteorological Satellite Mission in an Early Morning Orbit, Adv. Atmos. Sci., 39, 1–8, https://doi.org/10.1007/s00376-021-1304-7, 2022b.
Zhang, P., Hu, X., Sun, L., Xu, N., Chen, L., Zhu, A., Lin, M., Lu, Q., Yang, Z., Yang, J., and Wang, J.: The On-Orbit Performance of FY-3E in an Early Morning Orbit, B. Am. Meteorol. Soc., 105, E144–E175, https://doi.org/10.1175/BAMS-D-22-0045.1, 2024.
Zhang, Y., Dore, A. J., Ma, L., Liu, X. J., Ma, W. Q., Cape, J. N., and Zhang, F. S.: Agricultural ammonia emissions inventory and spatial distribution in the North China Plain, Environ. Pollut., 158, 490–501, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2009.08.033, 2010.
Zhou, M., Deng, Z., Robert, C., Zhang, X., Zhang, L., Wang, Y., Qi, C., Wang, P., and Mazière, M. D.: The First Global Map of Atmospheric Ammonia (NH3) as Observed by the HIRAS/FY-3D Satellite, Adv. Atmos. Sci., 41, 379–390, https://doi.org/10.1007/s00376-023-3059-9, 2024.
Editorial statement
This study establishes a novel integrated satellite constellation that delivers quasi-geostationary–like global coverage, enabling six daily observations of atmospheric NH₃ and substantially improving constraints on its diurnal variability. The framework provides a critical observational basis for more accurate emission quantification and for advancing climate and air quality model parameterizations.
This study establishes a novel integrated satellite constellation that delivers...
Short summary
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 Low-Earth-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.
The diurnal cycle of NH3 remains under-constrained at a global scale. To address this gap, we...