Methane Vertical Profiles Research Articles

Reanalysis of the Huygens GCMS dataset. I. High-resolution methane vertical profile in the atmosphere of Titan

More than 15 years after its landing on the surface of Titan, the data returned by the Huygens probe remain the only available in situ information on Titan’s lower atmosphere and its methane content. In this work, we present a reanalysis of the Huygens probe data obtained by the Gas Chromatograph Mass Spectrometer (GCMS) instrument on board Huygens. GCMS measured the atmospheric composition almost continuously during the Huygens probe descent by acquiring mass spectra between 145 km of altitude and Titan’s surface. We first focus on the recollection, reconstruction, and recalibration of the GCMS dataset to facilitate similar future work. We then reevaluate the methane vertical profile in Titan’s lower atmosphere by applying novel mass spectra data-treatment methods to this dataset. In addition to finding a slightly lower methane mixing ratio than those previously reported using GCMS measurements above the Huygens probe landing site, our work has revealed several kilometric to subkilometric-scale oscillations in the methane vertical profile below 30 km of altitude. We discuss several hypotheses that could explain these features, such as multiple layers of optically thin clouds or local convection cells, and strongly encourage the reanalysis of other Huygens datasets to further investigate these variations in the methane mixing ratio.

A high-precision retrieval method for methane vertical profiles based on dual-band spectral data from the GOSAT satellite

Satellite remote sensing has become an important method of monitoring methane concentrations. The full-physics algorithm is widely used for methane vertical profile retrieval, but the method is relatively time-consuming. Most current studies have focused on the retrieval of methane vertical profiles from thermal infrared (TIR) spectral data only, resulting in low accuracy in the near-surface retrieval results. To obtain the atmospheric methane vertical profile from satellite sounding data quickly and accurately, this paper proposes a high-precision retrieval method based on the ResNet18 model, a conventional and effective deep convolutional neural network, using TIR band and shortwave infrared (SWIR) band spectral data from the GOSAT. The model performs well on the test set, with mean absolute error (MAE) below 12.78 ppb and root mean square error (RMSE) below 23.71 ppb with pressure greater than 150 hPa. The accuracy of the retrieval results and GOSAT CH4 vertical profile products are validated using airborne measurement data. In the mid-latitude region, using NOAA airborne measurement data as reference values, the average of MAE and RMSE of the retrieval results between 500 hPa and 900 hPa are reduced by 12.05 ppb and 14.07 ppb, respectively, compared to the GOSAT CH₄ vertical profile product. In the low-latitude region, using CARIBIC airborne measurement data as reference values, the average of MAE and RMSE between 300 hPa and 600 hPa are reduced by 11.18 ppb and 12.20 ppb, respectively. The validation results show that the methane vertical profile can be quickly and accurately retrieved based on the ResNet18 model, combined with dual-band spectral data, temperature, and surface pressure.

Analysis of four solar occultations by Titan’s atmosphere with the infrared channel of the VIMS instrument: Haze, CH4, CH3D, and CO vertical profiles

Titan, the largest satellite of Saturn, has a dense atmosphere mainly composed of nitrogen, methane at a percent level, and minor species. It is also covered by a thick and global photochemical organic haze. In the last two decades, the observations made by the Cassini orbiter and the Huygens probe have greatly improved our knowledge of Titan's system. The surface, haze, clouds, and chemical species can be studied and characterised with several instruments simultaneously. On the other hand, some compounds of its climatic cycle remain poorly known. This is clearly the case of the methane cycle, which is, however, a critical component of Titan's climate and of its evolution. We reanalysed four solar occultations by Titan's atmosphere observed with the infrared part of the Visual Infrared Mapping Spectrometer (VIMS) instrument. These observations were already analysed, but here we used significantly improved methane spectroscopic data. We retrieved the haze properties (not treated previously) and the mixing ratios of methane, deuterated methane, and CO in the stratosphere and in the low mesosphere. The methane mixing ratio in the stratosphere is much lower (about 1.1%) than expected from Huygens measurements (about 1.4 to 1.5%). This is consistent with previous results obtained with other instruments. However, features in the methane vertical profiles clearly demonstrate that there are interactions between the methane distribution and the atmosphere circulation. We also retrieved the haze extinction profiles and the haze spectral behaviour. We find that aerosols are aggregates with a fractal dimension of Df ≃ 2.3 ± 0.1, rather than Df ≃ 2 as previously thought. Our analysis also reveals noticeable changes in their size distribution and their morphology with altitude and time. These changes are also clearly connected to the atmosphere circulation and concerns the whole stratosphere and the transition between the main and the detached haze layers. We finally display the vertical profiles of CH3D and CO for the four observations. Although the latter retrievals have large error bars due to noisy data, we could derive values in agreement with other works.

Methane Vertical Profile Retrieval from the Thermal and Near-Infrared Atmospheric Spectra

We present a method and algorithm for inverse problem solution in satellite sounding of the atmosphere for retrieval of vertical profiles of optically active gases by joint use of high-resolution thermal and near-infrared atmospheric spectra. To show the capabilities of the method, a computational experiment was performed on retrieving the vertical profile of the main methane isotopologue with simultaneous use of the simulated thermal and near-infrared spectra. The spectra simulated are similar to those measured by TANSO-FTS/GOSAT IR spectrometer. The signal-to-noise ratio in the simulated spectra was set to 350. The model experiments show higher accuracy of retrieval of the methane vertical profile and its total column in the case when both spectral bands (thermal and near-IR) are used in comparison with the case when each band is used separately.

Development of Algorithms for Atmospheric Methane Distribution Retrieval from METOP/IASI Spectra

The applicability of the Levenberg–Marquardt method, modified for the case of inaccessibility of a priori covariance matrices for methane vertical profiles, to atmospheric methane total column retrieval from the spectra measured by METOP/IASI is studied. The method and algorithm are software implemented together with an iterative evaluation of a posteriori covariance matrices and averaging kernels for each individual case of retrieval. This allows selection of the results based on properties of both matrices. The comparison between our results and IASI standard methane products retrieved from the same spectra shows their satisfactory agreement.

A method for joint methane vertical profile retrieval from atmospheric spectra in the thermal and near-infrared regions

A method for joint methane vertical profile retrieval from atmospheric spectra in the thermal and near-infrared regions

The vertical transport of methane from different potential emission types on Mars

AbstractThe contrasting evolutionary behavior of the vertical profile of methane from three potential release scenarios is analyzed using a global circulation model with assimilated temperature profiles. Understanding the evolving methane distribution is essential for interpretation of future retrievals of the methane vertical profile taken by instruments on the ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter spacecraft. We show that at methane release rates constrained by previous observations and modeling studies, discriminating whether the methane source is a sustained or instantaneous surface emission requires at least 10 sols of tracking the emission. A methane source must also be observed within 5 to 10 sols of the initial emission to distinguish whether the emission occurs directly at the surface or within the atmosphere via destabilization of metastable clathrates. Assimilation of thermal data is shown to be critical for the most accurate backtracking of an observed methane plume to its origin.

High resolution heterodyne spectroscopy of the atmospheric methane NIR absorption.

The paper describes the concept of a compact, lightweight heterodyne NIR spectro-radiometer suitable for atmospheric sounding with solar occultations, and the first measurement of CO2 and CH4 absorption near 1.65 μm with spectral resolution λ/δλ~10(8). A highly stabilized DFB laser was used as local oscillator, while single model silica fiber Y-coupler served as a diplexer. Radiation mixed in the single mode fiber was detected by a balanced couple of InGaAs p-i-n diodes within the bandpass of ~3 MHz. Wavelength coverage of spectral measurement was provided by sweeping local oscillator frequency in the range of 1.1 cm(-1). With the exposure time of 10 min, the absorption spectrum of the atmosphere over Moscow has been recorded with S/N ~120, limited by shot noise. The inversion algorithm applied to this spectrum resulted in methane vertical profile with a maximum mixing ratio of 2148 ± 10 ppbv near the surface and column density 4.59 ± 0.02·10(22) cm(-2).

Further seasonal changes in Uranus’ cloud structure observed by Gemini-North and UKIRT

Near-infrared observations of Uranus were made in October/November 2010 with the Gemini-North telescope in Hawaii, using NIFS, an integral field spectrograph, and the NIRI instrument in imaging mode. Observations were acquired using adaptive optics and have a spatial resolution of approximately 0.1–0.2″.The observed spectra along Uranus’ central meridian were analysed using a multiple-scattering retrieval algorithm to infer the vertical/latitudinal variation in cloud optical depth, which we compare with previous observations made by Gemini-North/NIFS in 2009 and UKIRT/UIST observations made between 2006 and 2008. Assuming a continuous distribution of small particles (r∼1μm, and refractive index of 1.4+0i) with the single scattering albedo set to 0.75 and using a Henyey–Greenstein phase function with asymmetry parameter set to 0.7 at all wavelengths and latitudes, the retrieved cloud density profiles show that the north polar zone at 45°N has continued to steadily brighten while the south polar zone at 45°S has continued to fade. As with our previous analyses we find that, assuming that the methane vertical profile is the same at all latitudes, the clouds forming these polar zones at 45°N and 45°S lie at slightly lower pressures than the clouds at more equatorial latitudes. However, we also find that the Gemini data can be reproduced by assuming that the main cloud remains fixed at ∼2bar at all latitudes and adjusting the relative humidity of methane instead. In this case we find that the deep cloud is still more opaque at the equator and at the zones at 45°N and 45°S and shows the same seasonal trends as when the methane humidity remain fixed. However, with this approach the relative humidity of methane is seen to rise sharply from approximately 20% at polar latitudes to values closer to 80% for latitudes equatorward of 45°S and 45°N, consistent with the analysis of 2002 HST observations by Karkoschka and Tomasko (Karkoschka, E., Tomasko, M. [2009]. Icarus 202, 287–302), with a possible indication of seasonal variability. Overall, Uranus appeared to be less convectively active in 2010 than in the previous 4years, supporting the conclusion that now the northern spring equinox (which occurred in 2007) has passed, the atmosphere is settling back into the more quiescent state seen by Voyager 2 in 1986.

Characterization and validation of methane products from the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS)

This paper presents the characterization and validation of retrievals of atmospheric methane (CH4) vertical profiles by the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) on the EOS/Aqua platform. AIRS channels near 7.6 μm are used for CH4 retrieval, and they are most sensitive to the middle to upper troposphere, i.e., about 200–300 hPa in the tropics and 400–500 hPa in the polar region. The atmospheric temperature‐humidity profiles, surface skin temperature, and emissivity required to derive CH4 are obtained from retrievals using separate AIRS channels and the Advanced Microwave Sounding Unit (AMSU). Comparison of AIRS retrieved profiles with some in situ aircraft CH4 profiles implied that the forward model used in the AIRS retrieval system V4.0 required a 2% increase in methane absorption coefficients for strong absorption channels, and this bias adjustment was implemented in the AIRS retrieval system V5.0. As a new operational product in V5.0, AIRS CH4 were validated using in situ aircraft observations at 22 sites of the NOAA Earth System Research Laboratory, Global Monitoring Division (NOAA/ESRL/GMD), ranging from the Arctic to the tropical South Pacific Ocean, but their altitudes are usually above 300 hPa. The results show the bias of the retrieved CH4 profiles for this version is −1.4∼0.1% and its RMS difference is about 0.5–1.6%, depending on altitude. These validation comparisons provide critical assessment of the retrieval algorithm and will continue using more in situ observations together with future improvement to the retrieval algorithm. AIRS CH4 products include not only the CH4 profile but also the information content. As examples, the products of AIRS CH4 in August 2004 and the difference of CH4 in May and September 2004 are shown. From these results a few features are evident: (1) a large AIRS CH4 plume southwest of the Tibetan plateau that may be associated with deep convection during the Asian summer monsoon; (2) high mixing ratios of AIRS CH4 in southeastern Asia and in the high northern hemisphere in the summer; and (3) the increase of AIRS CH4 from May to September in the high northern hemisphere that is likely linked with wetland emission but needs more study. Further analysis of these data and its comparison with model data will be addressed in a separate paper.

Halogen Occultation Experiment (HALOE) and balloon-borne in situ measurements of methane in stratosphere and their relation to the quasi-biennial oscillation (QBO)

Abstract. Measurements of methane have been made from various observational platforms in the atmosphere. In this article, we have compared four high precision balloon-borne measurements from Hyderabad (17.5°N), India in the period of 1987 and 1998 with a part of HALOE/UARS global observations available since 1991. All the balloon measurements correspond to boreal spring (March and April) but belong to different years. A comparison shows fairly good agreement with each other. The gradient in CH4 profiles in the troposphere is controlled by the variation in vertical transport. The strongest effect of dynamical influence on methane vertical profiles is shown to be resulting from the dynamical quasi-biennial oscillation in the stratosphere, and that has been consistently derived from both the measurement techniques and chemistry-transport model simulations. It is observed that the QBO signal in CH4 anomaly exhibits interhemispheric asymmetry caused by the tropics to midlatitude circulation in the stratosphere. A mechanism is suggested to explain how and to what extent the methane vertical profiles over Hyderabad and higher latitudes could be modulated by the prevailing QBO winds in the tropics. We have also discussed how the same mechanism would affect ozone distribution in the stratosphere quite differently.

Methane Abundance on Titan, Measured by the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph

Although methane is the dominant absorber in Titan's reflection spectrum, the amount of methane in the atmosphere has only been determined to an order of magnitude. We analyzed spectra from the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph, looking at both a bright surface region (700-km radius) and a dark surface region. The difference between the spectra of the two regions is attributed to light that has scattered off the surface, and therefore made a round-trip through all of Titan's methane. Considering only absorption, the shape of the difference spectrum provides an upper limit on methane abundance of 3.5 km-am. Modeling the multiple scattering in the atmosphere further constrains the methane abundance to 2.63±0.17 km-am. In the absence of supersaturation and with a simplified methane vertical profile, this corresponds to a surface methane-mole fraction near 3.8% and a relative humidity of 0.32. With supersaturation near the tropopause, the surface methane mole fraction could be as low as 3%.

Direct estimate of methane radiative forcing by use of nadir spectral radiances

Direct determination of the radiative forcing of trace gases will be made possible by use of the next generation of nadir-looking spaceborne instruments that provide measurements of atmospheric radiances in the infrared spectral range with improved spectral and spatial resolution. An inversion statistical method has thus been developed and applied to the direct determination of the radiative forcing of methane, based on such instruments as the Fourier-transform Interferometric Monitor for Greenhouse Gases launched onboard the Japanese Advanced Earth Observing Satellite in 1996 and the Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer planned for the European polar platform Meteorological Operational Satellite in 2000. The method is based on simple statistical laws that directly relate the measured radiances to the radiative forcing by use of an a priori selection of appropriate spectral intervals and global modeling of methane spatial variations. This procedure avoids the use of an indirect determination based on an inversion process that requires precise knowledge of the methane vertical profiles throughout the troposphere. The overall accuracy and precision of this new algorithm are studied, and interfering gases and instrumental characteristics are taken into account. It is shown that radiative forcing can be determined at high horizontal spatial resolution with a precision better than 7% in cloud-free conditions and with well-known surface properties.