Ammonia emissions in tropical biomass burning regions: Comparison between satellite-derived emissions and bottom-up fire inventories

Whitburn, Simon; Damme, Martin Van; Kaiser, J. W.; Werf, Guido R. van der; Turquety, Solène; Hurtmans, Daniel; Clerbaux, Cathy; Coheur, P.-F.

doi:10.1016/j.atmosenv.2015.03.015

Cited by 100 publications

(132 citation statements)

References 72 publications

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“…Currently, observations of NH 3 are mostly available in north-western Europe and central North America, supplemented by a small number of observations made in China (Van Damme et al, 2015b). Furthermore, there is a lack of detailed information on its vertical distribution as only a few dedicated airborne measurements are available (Nowak et al, 2007(Nowak et al, , 2010; Leen et al, 2013;Whitburn et al, 2015;. The atmospheric lifetime of NH 3 is rather short, ranging from hours to a few days.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Validation of the CrIS fast physical NH3 retrieval with ground-based FTIR

et al. 2017

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Abstract. Presented here is the validation of the CrIS (Cross-track Infrared Sounder) fast physical NH 3 retrieval (CFPR) column and profile measurements using groundbased Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) observations. We use the total columns and profiles from seven FTIR sites in the Network for the Detection of Atmospheric Composition Change (NDACC) to validate the satellite data products. The overall FTIR and CrIS total columns have a positive correlation of r = 0.77 (N = 218) with very little bias (a slope of 1.02). Binning the comparisons by total column amounts, for concentrations larger than 1.0 × 10 16 molecules cm −2 , i.e. ranging from moderate to polluted conditions, the relative difference is on average ∼ 0-5 % with a standard deviation of 25-50 %, which is comparable to the estimated retrieval uncertainties in both CrIS and the FTIR. For the smallest total column range (< 1.0x × 10 16 molecules cm −2 ) where there are a large number of observations at or near the CrIS noise level (detection limit) the absolute differences between CrIS and the FTIR total columns show a slight positive column bias. The CrIS and FTIR profile comparison differences are mostly within the range of the single-level retrieved profile values from estimated retrieval uncertainties, showing average differences in the range of ∼ 20 to 40 %. The CrIS retrievals typically show good vertical sensitivity down into the boundary layer which typically peaks at ∼ 850 hPa (∼ 1.5 km). At this level the median absolute difference is 0.87 (std = ±0.08) ppb, corresponding to a median relative difference of 39 % (std = ±2 %). Most of the absolute andPublished by Copernicus Publications on behalf of the European Geosciences Union. 2646 E. Dammers et al.: Validation of the CrIS fast physical NH 3 retrieval with ground-based FTIR relative profile comparison differences are in the range of the estimated retrieval uncertainties. At the surface, where CrIS typically has lower sensitivity, it tends to overestimate in low-concentration conditions and underestimate in higher atmospheric concentration conditions.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Validation of the CrIS fast physical NH3 retrieval with ground-based FTIR

et al. 2017

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“…In this way, more insight was gained into known and unknown NH 3 sources worldwide including biomass burning, industry, and agricultural areas. Hence, satellite observations have the potential to improve our knowledge of the distribution of global emissions and their seasonal variation due to their large spatial coverage and (bi-)daily observations (Zhu et al, 2013;Van Damme et al, 2014a, 2015bWhitburn et al, 2015;Luo et al, 2015). However, the satellite observations remain poorly validated with only a few dedicated campaigns performed with limited spatial, vertical, or temporal coverage (Van Damme et al, 2015a;Sun et al, 2015).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…As the lifetime of atmospheric NH 3 is rather short, on the order of hours to a few days, due to efficient deposition and fast conversion to particulate matter, the existing surface measurements are not sufficient to estimate global emissions without inducing large errors. The lack of vertical profile information further hampers the quantification of the budget, with only a few reported airborne measurements (Nowak et al, 2007(Nowak et al, , 2010; Leen et al, 2013;Whitburn et al, 2015).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

An evaluation of IASI-NH3 with ground-based Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy measurements

et al. 2016

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Abstract. Global distributions of atmospheric ammonia (NH 3 ) measured with satellite instruments such as the Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer (IASI) contain valuable information on NH 3 concentrations and variability in regions not yet covered by ground-based instruments. Due to their large spatial coverage and (bi-)daily overpasses, the satellite observations have the potential to increase our knowledge of the distribution of NH 3 emissions and associated seasonal cycles. However the observations remain poorly validated, with only a handful of available studies often using only surface measurements without any vertical information. In this study, we present the first validation of the IASI-NH 3 product using ground-based Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) observations. Using a recently developed consistent retrieval strategy, NH 3 concentration profiles have been retrieved using observations from nine Network for the Detection of Atmospheric Composition Change (NDACC) stations around the world between 2008 and 2015. We demonstrate the importance of strict spatiotemporal collocation criteria for the comparison. Large differences in the regression results are observed for changing intervals of spatial criteria, mostly due to terrain characteristics and the short lifetime of NH 3 in the atmosphere. The seasonal variations of both datasets are consistent for most sites. Correlations are found to be high at sites in areas with considerable NH 3 levels, whereas correlations are lower at sites with low atmospheric NH 3 levels close to the detection limit of the IASI instrument. A combination of the observations Published by Copernicus Publications on behalf of the European Geosciences Union. These results give an improved estimate of the IASI-NH3 product performance compared to the previous upper-bound estimates (−50 to +100 %).

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“…The CO total columns have been validated for different locations and atmospheric conditions (e.g., De Wachter et al, 2012;Kerzenmacher et al, 2012), and the comparisons with other data have shown good overall agreement, even if some discrepancies were found within COenriched plumes (reaching 12 % over the Arctic in summer, see Pommier et al, 2010; and reaching 17 % in comparison with other IR sounders, see George et al, 2009). These data were also used previously to study biomass burning plumes (e.g., Turquety et al, 2009;Pommier et al, 2010;Krol et al, 2013;Whitburn et al, 2015).…”

Section: The Co Retrieval Characteristicsmentioning

confidence: 85%

Determination of enhancement ratios of HCOOH relative to CO in biomass burning plumes by the Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer (IASI)

2017

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Abstract. Formic acid (HCOOH) concentrations are often underestimated by models, and its chemistry is highly uncertain. HCOOH is, however, among the most abundant atmospheric volatile organic compounds, and it is potentially responsible for rain acidity in remote areas. HCOOH data from the Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer (IASI) are analyzed from 2008 to 2014 to estimate enhancement ratios from biomass burning emissions over seven regions. Fire-affected HCOOH and CO total columns are defined by combining total columns from IASI, geographic location of the fires from Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), and the surface wind speed field from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF). Robust correlations are found between these fire-affected HCOOH and CO total columns over the selected biomass burning regions, allowing the calculation of enhancement ratios equal to 7.30 × 10 −3 ± 0.08 × 10 −3 mol mol −1 over Amazonia (AMA), 11.10 × 10 −3 ± 1.37 × 10 −3 mol mol −1 over Australia (AUS), 6.80 × 10 −3 ± 0.44 × 10 −3 mol mol −1 over India (IND), 5.80 × 10 −3 ± 0.15 × 10 −3 mol mol −1 over Southeast Asia (SEA), 4.00 × 10 −3 ± 0.19 × 10 −3 mol mol −1 over northern Africa (NAF), 5.00 × 10 −3 ± 0.13 × 10 −3 mol mol −1 over southern Africa (SAF), and 4.40 × 10 −3 ± 0.09 × 10 −3 mol mol −1 over Siberia (SIB), in a fair agreement with previous studies. In comparison with referenced emission ratios, it is also shown that the selected agricultural burning plumes captured by IASI over India and Southeast Asia correspond to recent plumes where the chemistry or the sink does not occur. An additional classification of the enhancement ratios by type of fuel burned is also provided, showing a diverse origin of the plumes sampled by IASI, especially over Amazonia and Siberia. The variability in the enhancement ratios by biome over the different regions show that the levels of HCOOH and CO do not only depend on the fuel types.

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Ammonia emissions in tropical biomass burning regions: Comparison between satellite-derived emissions and bottom-up fire inventories

Cited by 100 publications

References 72 publications

Validation of the CrIS fast physical NH<sub>3</sub> retrieval with ground-based FTIR

Validation of the CrIS fast physical NH<sub>3</sub> retrieval with ground-based FTIR

An evaluation of IASI-NH<sub>3</sub> with ground-based Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy measurements

Determination of enhancement ratios of HCOOH relative to CO in biomass burning plumes by the Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer (IASI)

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Ammonia emissions in tropical biomass burning regions: Comparison between satellite-derived emissions and bottom-up fire inventories

Cited by 100 publications

References 72 publications

Validation of the CrIS fast physical NH&lt;sub&gt;3&lt;/sub&gt; retrieval with ground-based FTIR

Validation of the CrIS fast physical NH&lt;sub&gt;3&lt;/sub&gt; retrieval with ground-based FTIR

An evaluation of IASI-NH&lt;sub&gt;3&lt;/sub&gt; with ground-based Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy measurements

Determination of enhancement ratios of HCOOH relative to CO in biomass burning plumes by the Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer (IASI)

Contact Info

Product

Resources

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Validation of the CrIS fast physical NH<sub>3</sub> retrieval with ground-based FTIR

Validation of the CrIS fast physical NH<sub>3</sub> retrieval with ground-based FTIR

An evaluation of IASI-NH<sub>3</sub> with ground-based Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy measurements