Seven years of observations of mid-tropospheric CO 2 from the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder

Abstract

The Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) on the EOS Aqua Spacecraft was launched on May 4, 2002. AIRS acquires hyperspectral infrared radiances in the 3.7–15.4 μm spectral region with spectral resolving power of better than 1200. The AIRS was designed to measure temperature and water vapor profiles and cloud properties for improvement in weather forecast and improved parameterization of climate processes. Currently a subset of AIRS Level 1B Radiance Products is assimilated by NWP centers, resulting in significant forecast improvement. Scientists have also demonstrated accurate retrievals of minor gases from AIRS including carbon monoxide, methane, and ozone. The excellent sensitivity and stability of the AIRS instrument has recently allowed the AIRS team to successfully retrieve carbon dioxide (CO 2) concentrations in the mid-troposphere (8–10 km) with a horizontal resolution of 100 km and accuracy better than 2 ppm. The AIRS mid-tropospheric CO 2 yield is 15,000 measurements per 24-h period over land and ocean, day and night for clear and cloudy scenes. The AIRS CO 2 accuracy has been validated against a variety of mid-tropospheric aircraft measurements as well as upward looking interferometers. Findings from the AIRS data include higher than expected variability in the mid-troposphere, the presence of a seasonally variable belt of enhanced CO 2 in the southern hemisphere, and observations of impact of atmospheric dynamics on the CO 2 concentrations in the mid-troposphere including the effects of El Nino/La Nina and the Arctic polar vortex. The full mid-tropospheric AIRS CO 2 data set is now available at the NASA GES/DISC for the 8 year time span since AIRS became operational.