Satellite observations of ethylene (C2H4) from the Aura Tropospheric Emission Spectrometer: A scoping study

Abstract

We present a study focusing on detection and initial quantitative estimates of ethylene (C2H4) in observations from the Tropospheric Emission Spectrometer (TES), a Fourier transform spectrometer aboard the Aura satellite that measures thermal infrared radiances with high spectral resolution (0.1 cm−1). We analyze observations taken in support of the 2008 Arctic Research of the Composition of the Troposphere from Aircraft and Satellites (ARCTAS) mission and demonstrate the feasibility of future development of C2H4 into a TES standard product. In the Northern Hemisphere, C2H4 is commonly associated with boreal fire plumes, motor vehicle exhaust and petrochemical emissions. It has a short lifetime (∼14–32 h) in the troposphere due to its reaction with OH and O3. Chemical destruction of C2H4 in the atmosphere leads to the production of ozone and other species such as carbon monoxide (CO) and formaldehyde. Results indicate a correlation between C2H4 and CO in boreal fire plumes. Quantitative C2H4 estimates are sensitive to assumptions about the plume height and width. We find that C2H4 greater than 2–3 ppbv can be detected in a single TES observation (for a fire plume at 3 km altitude and 1.5 km width). Spatial averaging will be needed for surface-peaking profiles where TES sensitivity is lower.