XCO₂ retrieval for GOSAT and GOSAT-2 based on the FOCAL algorithm

Abstract. Since 2009, the Greenhouse gases Observing SATellite (GOSAT) performs radiance measurements in the shortwave-infrared (SWIR) spectral region. From February 2019 onward, data from GOSAT-2 are also available.

We present first results from the application of the Fast atmOspheric traCe gAs retrieval (FOCAL) algorithm to derive column-averaged dry-air mole fractions of carbon dioxide (XCO₂) from GOSAT and GOSAT-2 radiances and their validation. FOCAL has initially been developed for OCO-2 XCO₂ retrievals and allows simultaneous retrievals of several gases over both land and ocean. Because FOCAL is accurate and numerically very fast it is currently considered as a candidate algorithm for the forthcoming European anthropogenic CO₂ Monitoring (CO2M) mission, to be launched in 2025.

We present the adaptation of FOCAL to GOSAT and discuss the changes made and GOSAT specific additions. This includes particularly modifications in pre-processing (e.g. cloud detection) and post-processing (bias correction and filtering).

A feature of the new application of FOCAL to GOSAT/GOSAT-2 is the independent use of both S and P polarisation spectra in the retrieval. This is not possible for OCO-2, which measures only one polarisation direction. Additionally, we make use of GOSAT’s wider spectral coverage compared to OCO-2 and derive not only XCO₂, water vapour (H₂O) and solar induced fluorescence (SIF) but also methane (XCH₄), with the potential for further atmospheric constituents and parameters like semiheavy water vapour (HDO) and (in the case of GOSAT-2) also carbon monoxide (CO) total columns and possibly nitrous oxide (XN₂O).

Here, we concentrate on the new FOCAL XCO₂ data products. We describe the generation of the products as well as applied filtering and bias correction procedures. GOSAT-FOCAL XCO₂ data have been produced for the time interval 2009 to 2019. Comparisons with other independent GOSAT data sets reveal an agreement of long-term temporal variations within about 1 ppm over one decade; differences in seasonal variations of about 0.5 ppm are observed. Furthermore, we obtain a mean regional bias of the new GOSAT-FOCAL product to the ground based Total Carbon Column Observing Network (TCCON) of 0.56 ppm with a mean scatter of 1.89 ppm.

The GOSAT-2-FOCAL XCO₂ product is generated in a similar way as the GOSAT-FOCAL product, but with adapted settings. All GOSAT-2 data until end of 2019 have been processed. Because of this limited time interval, the GOSAT-2 results are considered to be preliminary only, but first comparisons show that these data compare well with the GOSAT-FOCAL results.