Ensemble-based satellite-derived carbon dioxide and methane column-averaged dry-air mole fraction data sets (2003–2018) for carbon and climate applications

Atmospheric measurement techniques, vol. 13, pp. 789–819

Abstract

Satellite retrievals of column-averaged dry-air mole fractions of carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) and methane (CH 4 ), denoted XCO 2 and XCH 4 , respectively, have been used in recent years to obtain information on natural and anthropogenic sources and sinks and for other applications such as comparisons with climate models. Here we present new data sets based on merging several individual satellite data products in order to generate consistent long-term climate data records (CDRs) of these two Essential Climate Variables (ECVs). These ECV CDRs, which cover the time period 2003–2018, have been generated using an ensemble of data products from the satellite sensors SCIAMACHY/ENVISAT and TANSO-FTS/GOSAT and (for XCO 2 ) for the first time also including data from the Orbiting Carbon Observatory 2 (OCO-2) satellite. Two types of products have been generated: (i) Level 2 (L2) products generated with the latest version of the ensemble median algorithm (EMMA) and (ii) Level 3 (L3) products obtained by gridding the corresponding L2 EMMA products to obtain a monthly 5∘×5∘ data product in Obs4MIPs (Observations for Model Intercomparisons Project) format. The L2 products consist of daily NetCDF (Network Common Data Form) files, which contain in addition to the main parameters, i.e., XCO 2 or XCH 4 , corresponding uncertainty estimates for random and potential systematic uncertainties and the averaging kernel for each single (quality-filtered) satellite observation. We describe the algorithms used to generate these data products and present quality assessment results based on comparisons with Total Carbon Column Observing Network (TCCON) ground-based retrievals. We found that the XCO 2 Level 2 data set at the TCCON validation sites can be characterized by the following figures of merit (the corresponding values for the Level 3 product are listed in brackets) – single-observation random error (1 σ ): 1.29 ppm (monthly: 1.18 ppm); global bias: 0.20 ppm (0.18 ppm); and spatiotemporal bias or relative accuracy (1 σ ): 0.66 ppm (0.70 ppm). The corresponding values for the XCH 4 products are single-observation random error (1 σ ): 17.4 ppb (monthly: 8.7 ppb); global bias: −2.0 ppb (−2.9 ppb); and spatiotemporal bias (1 σ ): 5.0 ppb (4.9 ppb). It has also been found that the data products exhibit very good long-term stability as no significant long-term bias trend has been identified. The new data sets have also been used to derive annual XCO 2 and XCH 4 growth rates, which are in reasonable to good agreement with growth rates from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) based on marine surface observations. The presented ECV data sets are available (from early 2020 onwards) via the Climate Data Store (CDS, https://cds.climate.copernicus.eu/, last access: 10 January 2020) of the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S, https://climate.copernicus.eu/, last access: 10 January 2020).

Authors 40

1. Maximilian Reuter

   University of Bremen

   Affiliation as printed

   Institute of Environmental Physics (IUP), University of Bremen, 28334 Bremen, Germany

2. Michael Buchwitz corresponding

   University of Bremen

   Affiliation as printed

   Institute of Environmental Physics (IUP), University of Bremen, 28334 Bremen, Germany

3. Oliver Schneising

   University of Bremen

   Affiliation as printed

   Institute of Environmental Physics (IUP), University of Bremen, 28334 Bremen, Germany

4. Stefan Noël

   University of Bremen

   Affiliation as printed

   Institute of Environmental Physics (IUP) , University of Bremen , 28334 Bremen , Germany

   Institute of Environmental Physics (IUP), University of Bremen, 28334 Bremen, Germany

5. H. Bovensmann

   University of Bremen

   Affiliation as printed

   Institute of Environmental Physics (IUP), University of Bremen, 28334 Bremen, Germany

6. Hartmut Boesch

   University of Leicester · National Centre for Earth Observation

   Affiliation as printed

   Earth Observation Science, University of Leicester, LE1 7RH, Leicester, UK

   NERC National Centre for Earth Observation, LE1 7RH, Leicester, UK

7. Antonio Di Noia

   University of Leicester · National Centre for Earth Observation

   Affiliation as printed

   Earth Observation Science, University of Leicester, LE1 7RH, Leicester, UK

   NERC National Centre for Earth Observation, LE1 7RH, Leicester, UK

8. Jasdeep Singh Anand

   University of Leicester · National Centre for Earth Observation

   Affiliation as printed

   Earth Observation Science, University of Leicester, LE1 7RH, Leicester, UK

   NERC National Centre for Earth Observation, LE1 7RH, Leicester, UK

9. Robert J. Parker

   University of Leicester · National Centre for Earth Observation

   Affiliation as printed

   Earth Observation Science, University of Leicester, LE1 7RH, Leicester, UK

   NERC National Centre for Earth Observation, LE1 7RH, Leicester, UK

10. Peter Somkuti

    University of Leicester · National Centre for Earth Observation · Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere · Colorado State University

    Affiliation as printed

    Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere, Colorado State University (CSU), Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA

    Earth Observation Science, University of Leicester, LE1 7RH, Leicester, UK

    NERC National Centre for Earth Observation, LE1 7RH, Leicester, UK

11. Lianghai Wu Aachen SRON Netherlands Institute for Space Research

    Space Research Organisation Netherlands

    Affiliation as printed

    SRON Netherlands Institute for Space Research, 3584 CA Utrecht, the Netherlands

12. Otto Hasekamp Aachen SRON Netherlands Institute for Space Research

    Space Research Organisation Netherlands

    Affiliation as printed

    SRON Netherlands Institute for Space Research, 3584 CA Utrecht, the Netherlands

13. Ilse Aben Aachen SRON Netherlands Institute for Space Research

    Space Research Organisation Netherlands

    Affiliation as printed

    SRON Netherlands Institute for Space Research, 3584 CA Utrecht, the Netherlands

14. Akihiko Kuze

    Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency

    Affiliation as printed

    Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), 305-8505, Tsukuba, Japan

15. Hiroshi Suto

    Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency

    Affiliation as printed

    Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), 305-8505, Tsukuba, Japan

16. Kei Shiomi

    Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency

    Affiliation as printed

    Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), 305-8505, Tsukuba, Japan

17. Yukio Yoshida

    National Institute for Environmental Studies

    Affiliation as printed

    National Institute for Environmental Studies (NIES), 305-8506, Tsukuba, Japan

18. Isamu Morino

    National Institute for Environmental Studies

    Affiliation as printed

    National Institute for Environmental Studies (NIES), 305-8506, Tsukuba, Japan

19. David Crisp

    Jet Propulsion Laboratory

    Affiliation as printed

    Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), Pasadena, CA 91109, USA

20. Christopher W O'dell

    Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere · Colorado State University

    Affiliation as printed

    Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere, Colorado State University (CSU), Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA

21. Justus Notholt

    University of Bremen

    Affiliation as printed

    Institute of Environmental Physics (IUP), University of Bremen, 28334 Bremen, Germany

22. Christof Petri

    University of Bremen

    Affiliation as printed

    Institute of Environmental Physics (IUP), University of Bremen, 28334 Bremen, Germany

23. Thorsten Warneke

    University of Bremen

    Affiliation as printed

    Institute of Environmental Physics (IUP), University of Bremen, 28334 Bremen, Germany

24. Voltaire A. Velazco

    University of Wollongong

    Affiliation as printed

    Centre for Atmospheric Chemistry, School of Earth, Atmospheric and Life Sciences, University of Wollongong, NSW, 2522, Australia

25. Nicholas Michael Deutscher

    University of Wollongong

    Affiliation as printed

    Centre for Atmospheric Chemistry, School of Earth, Atmospheric and Life Sciences, University of Wollongong, NSW, 2522, Australia

26. DAVID W. T. GRIFFITH

    University of Wollongong

    Affiliation as printed

    Centre for Atmospheric Chemistry, School of Earth, Atmospheric and Life Sciences, University of Wollongong, NSW, 2522, Australia

27. Rigel Kivi

    Finnish Meteorological Institute

    Affiliation as printed

    Space and Earth Observation Centre, Finnish Meteorological Institute (FMI), 99600 Sodankylä, Finland

28. David Frank Pollard

    National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research

    Affiliation as printed

    National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA), Lauder, New Zealand

29. Frank Hase

    Karlsruhe Institute of Technology

    Affiliation as printed

    Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Institute of Meteorology and Climate Research (IMK), IMK-ASF, 76021 Karlsruhe, Germany

30. Ralf Sussmann

    Karlsruhe Institute of Technology

    Affiliation as printed

    Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Institute of Meteorology and Climate Research (IMK), IMK-IFU, 82467 Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany

31. Yao Té

    Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique · University of Bremen · Université Paris Sciences et Lettres · Observatoire de Paris · Sorbonne Université · Laboratoire d’Etudes du Rayonnement et de la Matière en Astrophysique et Atmosphères

    Affiliation as printed

    Laboratoire d'Etudes du Rayonnement et de la Matière en Astrophysique et Atmosphéres (LERMA-IPSL) , Sorbonne Université , CNRS , Observatoire de Paris , PSL Université , 75005 Paris , France

    Institute of Environmental Physics (IUP), University of Bremen, 28334 Bremen, Germany

32. Kimberly Strong

    University of Toronto

    Affiliation as printed

    Department of Physics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S 1A7, Canada

33. Sébastien Roche

    University of Toronto

    Affiliation as printed

    Department of Physics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S 1A7, Canada

34. Mahesh Kumar Sha

    Royal Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy

    Affiliation as printed

    Royal Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy (BIRA-IASB), 1180 Brussels, Belgium

35. Martine M. De Maziere

    Royal Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy

    Affiliation as printed

    Royal Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy (BIRA-IASB) , 1180 Brussels , Belgium

    Royal Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy (BIRA-IASB), 1180 Brussels, Belgium

36. Dietrich G. Feist

    Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt e. V. (DLR) · Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry · Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München

    Affiliation as printed

    Institut für Physik der Atmosphäre, Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt Oberpfaffenhofen, 82234 Weßling, Germany

    Lehrstuhl für Physik der Atmosphäre, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, 80333 Munich, Germany

    Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry, 07745 Jena, Germany

37. Laura T. Iraci

    National Aeronautics and Space Administration

    Affiliation as printed

    Atmospheric Science Branch, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Moffett Field, CA 94035, USA

38. Coleen M. Roehl

    California Institute of Technology

    Affiliation as printed

    California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA

39. Christian Retscher

    European Space Agency · European Space Research Institute

    Affiliation as printed

    Directorate of Earth Observation Programmes, European Space Agency (ESA), ESRIN, 00044 Frascati, Italy

40. Dinand Schepers

    European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts

    Affiliation as printed

    European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF), Reading RG2 9AX, UK