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Investigating Regional Scale Processes Using Remotely Sensed Atmospheric CO2 Column Concentrations from SCIAMACHY

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Environmental Change in Siberia

Part of the book series: Advances in Global Change Research ((AGLO,volume 40))

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Abstract

Satellite observations of atmospheric CO2 are a rapidly emerging area of scientific research which have the potential to reduce the uncertainties in global carbon cycle fluxes and provide insight into surface sources and sinks. In this chapter, the potential of atmospheric CO2 measurements, retrieved by the SCIAMACHY instrument on-board the ENVISAT satellite, to investigate regional carbon cycle processes is explored. The methodology for high precision measurements of the CO2 total column retrievals from SCIAMACHY near infrared (NIR) spectral measurements are demonstrated using the Full Spectral Initiation (FSI) algorithm; which is based on the inclusion of suitable a priori information within the retrieval in order to minimize the errors on the retrieved CO2 columns. The monthly averaged CO2 distributions over Siberia and also North America contain significant spatial features which correlate well with land vegetation type. Validation of the data from the FSI retrievals is also briefly discussed. Furthermore, the capability of the SCIAMACHY to observe lower tropospheric and surface CO2 variability is then examined through comparisons to in situ aircraft observations over Siberia and additionally to surface CO2 data over Eurasia. It is shown that strong similarities exist between the CO2 anomalies measured by SCIAMACHY and those of the in situ instruments thus demonstrating the potential of SCIAMACHY to detect variations in lower tropospheric CO2.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of GeoSciences, University of Edinburgh, Crew Building, The King’s Buildings, West Mains Road, Edinburgh, EH9 3JN, UK

    M. P. Barkley

  2. Earth Observation Science group, Departments of Physics and Chemistry, University of Leicester, University Road, Leicester, LE1 7RH, UK

    A. J. Hewitt & P. S. Monks

Authors
  1. M. P. Barkley
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  2. A. J. Hewitt
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  3. P. S. Monks
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to M. P. Barkley .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Dept. Geography, Centre for Environmental Research, University of Leicester, University Road, Leicester, LE1 7RH, United Kingdom

    Heiko Balzter

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Barkley, M.P., Hewitt, A.J., Monks, P.S. (2010). Investigating Regional Scale Processes Using Remotely Sensed Atmospheric CO2 Column Concentrations from SCIAMACHY. In: Balzter, H. (eds) Environmental Change in Siberia. Advances in Global Change Research, vol 40. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-90-481-8641-9_11

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