A Differential Optical Absorption Spectroscopy Method for X_(CO_2) Retrieval from Ground-Based Fourier Transform Spectrometers Measurements of the Direct Solar Beam

A differential optical absorption spectroscopy （DOAS）-like algorithm is developed to retrieve the column-averaged dry- air mole fraction of carbon dioxide from ground-based hyper-spectral measurements of the direct solar beam. Different to the spectral fitting method, which minimizes the difference between the observed and simulated spectra, the ratios of multiple channel-pairs--one weak and one strong absorption channel--are used to retrieve Xc02 from measurements of the shortwave infrared （SWIR） band. Based on sensitivity tests, a super channel-pair is carefully selected to reduce the effects of solar lines, water vapor, air temperature, pressure, instrument noise, and frequency shift on retrieval errors. The new algorithm reduces computational cost and the retrievals are le^s sensitive to temperature and H20 uncertainty than the spectral fitting method. Multi-day Total Carbon Column Observing Network （TCCON） measurements under clear-sky conditions at two sites （Tsukuba and Bremen） are used to derive Xc02 for the algorithm evaluation and validation. The DOAS-like results agree very well with those of the TCCON algorithm after correction of an airmass-dependent bias.

Monitoring Carbon Dioxide from Space：Retrieval Algorithm and Flux Inversion Based on GOSAT Data and Using CarbonTracker-China

Monitoring atmospheric carbon dioxide（CO_2） from space-borne state-of-the-art hyperspectral instruments can provide a high precision global dataset to improve carbon flux estimation and reduce the uncertainty of climate projection. Here, we introduce a carbon flux inversion system for estimating carbon flux with satellite measurements under the support of ＂The Strategic Priority Research Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences—Climate Change： Carbon Budget and Relevant Issues＂. The carbon flux inversion system is composed of two separate parts： the Institute of Atmospheric Physics Carbon Dioxide Retrieval Algorithm for Satellite Remote Sensing（IAPCAS）, and Carbon Tracker-China（CT-China）, developed at the Chinese Academy of Sciences. The Greenhouse gases Observing SATellite（GOSAT） measurements are used in the carbon flux inversion experiment. To improve the quality of the IAPCAS-GOSAT retrieval, we have developed a post-screening and bias correction method, resulting in 25%–30% of the data remaining after quality control. Based on these data, the seasonal variation of XCO_2（column-averaged CO_2dry-air mole fraction） is studied, and a strong relation with vegetation cover and population is identified. Then, the IAPCAS-GOSAT XCO_2 product is used in carbon flux estimation by CT-China. The net ecosystem CO_2 exchange is-0.34 Pg C yr^（-1）（±0.08 Pg C yr^（-1））, with a large error reduction of 84%, which is a significant improvement on the error reduction when compared with in situ-only inversion.

Effect of HITRAN Database Improvement on Retrievals of Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide from Reflected Sunlight Spectra in the 1.61-μm Spectral Window

A large number of experimental and theoretical investigations of carbon dioxide （CO 2 ） spectra have been conducted since the most recent update of the High-Resolution Transmission Molecular Absorption （HITRAN） database. To maintain optimal parameters, the HITRAN 2004 CO 2 line list has been completely replaced by HITRAN 2008 data in the near-infrared region from 4300 cm-1 to 7000 cm-1 . To examine the effect of this change on the retrieval of CO 2 vertical column data from reflected sunlight spectra in the 1.61-μm spectral window, synthetic measurements for a given atmospheric state and instrument setup were generated and compared using radiative transfer model with the line-transition parameters from the HITRAN 2004 and 2008 databases. Simulated retrievals were then performed based on the optimal estimation retrieval theory. The results show that large systematic errors in atmospheric CO 2 column retrievals were induced by the differences in the HITRAN laboratory line parameters in the 1.61-μm region. The retrieved CO 2 columns were underestimated by 10 ppm using the HITRAN 2004 data, and improvements resulting from the use of the improved HITRAN database were more pronounced at a higher spectral resolution.

Sensitivity of on-line wavelength during retrieval of atmospheric CO2 vertical profile

Accurately measuring the differential molecular absorption cross section is the key to obtaining a high-precision concentration of atmospheric trace gases in a differential absorption lidar（DIAL） system. However, the CO2 absorption line is meticulous at 1.6 μm, easily translating and broadening because of the change of temperature and pressure. Hence, measuring the vertical profile of atmospheric temperature and pressure to calculate the vertical profile of the CO2 weight parameter is necessary. In general, measuring atmospheric temperature and pressure has a certain amount of uncertainty. Therefore, this study proposes the concept of a balanced on-line wavelength,where the differential molecular absorption cross section is larger and the CO2 weight parameter is insensitive to the uncertainty of atmospheric temperature and pressure. In this study, we analyzed the influence of uncertainty on the CO2 weight parameter at every preselected wavelength, as well as determined an appropriate wavelength near one of the absorption peaks. Our result shows that 1572.023 nm should be one of the appropriate balanced online wavelengths. The measurement errors of the mixing ratio of CO2 molecule in this wavelength are only 0.23%and 0.25% and are caused by 1 K temperature error and 1h Pa pressure error, respectively. This achievement of a balanced on-line wavelength will not only depress the requirement of the laser’s frequency stabilization but also the demand for measurement precision of the atmospheric temperature and pressure profile. Furthermore, this study can achieve the exact measurement of the vertical profile of atmospheric CO2 based on an independent differential absorption laser.