Two year of TROPOMI methane observations: Data quality and science opportunities
Abstract
Since about one and a half year, the Tropospheric Monitoring Instrument (TROPOMI) on ESA's Sentinel-5P satellite is fully operational and March this year the methane dry air column mixing ratio product was released. The data product relies on strict cloud clearing of the observations using collocated VIIRS data, which flies less than 3 minutes ahead on NOAA's Suomi NPP satellite in loose formation with S5P. The S5P processing for methane uses the TROPOMI Earth radiance measurements in the 2.3 µm spectral range combined with O2 A band measurements in the near infrared. The retrieval approach simultaneously infers gas concentrations and scattering properties of the atmosphere in order to model the light path through the Earth's atmosphere. In this presentation, we discuss results on the first two years of TROPOMI methane data. The data quality is evaluated by an extended validation with collocated ground-based measurements of methane at different TCCON sites. We show that there is a very good agreement with a mean bias < 5 ppb and a station-to-station variability < 6 ppb. Moreover, a comparison of the GOSAT methane product over the same period enhances the confidence in the data quality of the S5P methane product. Finally, we focus on the new observation possibilities given by TROPOMI with a global coverage within one day. We discuss observations of enhanced methane concentration above oil and gas production areas in the US and over wetlands along the Mississippi river and in Florida.
- Publication:
-
AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- December 2019
- Bibcode:
- 2019AGUFM.A53F..01L
- Keywords:
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- 0315 Biosphere/atmosphere interactions;
- ATMOSPHERIC COMPOSITION AND STRUCTURE;
- 3360 Remote sensing;
- ATMOSPHERIC PROCESSES;
- 0414 Biogeochemical cycles;
- processes;
- and modeling;
- BIOGEOSCIENCES;
- 0428 Carbon cycling;
- BIOGEOSCIENCES