Greenhouse gaz observation by AERIS

While COP 27 has just ended in Egypt with a very mixed outcome, the issue of reducing greenhouse gas emissions remains crucial: according to the annual bulletin of the World Meteorological Organisation, greenhouse gas levels have reached record levels in 2021. This additional greenhouse effect is leading to an increase in global temperature (+ 1.2°C since the pre-industrial era), an increase in extreme events, as seen this summer, and a rise in sea levels.
In 2021, the concentration of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere will be 416 parts per million (ppm), that of methane 1 908 parts per billion (ppb) and that of nitrous oxide 335 ppb, i.e. increases of 149%, 262% and 124% respectively compared to the pre-industrial era, when human activities did not yet disturb the natural balance of these gases in the atmosphere.
The concentration of CO2, the main greenhouse gas, is now at a level not seen for more than 2 million years: after the exceptional drop in 2020, with the Covid-19 crisis, carbon emissions have largely returned to normal in 2021, and are expected to increase slightly again in 2022. Methane concentrations, which also have a very significant impact on the greenhouse effect, rose “exceptionally” in 2020 and 2021, reports the WMO. With an increase of 15 ppb and then 18 ppb, these are the highest increases since measurements began nearly forty years ago.

Observing greenhouse gases is therefore a key issue for monitoring global warming.
The national data and services centre dedicated to the atmosphere, AERIS, collects and disseminates various data concerning greenhouse gases:
The AERIS catalogue includes data from satellite observations such as those acquired by the Atmospheric Infrared Sounding Interferometer (IASI), which provides useful information for meteorology, atmospheric composition monitoring and climate studies. In particular, it measures the atmospheric composition with the vertical composition of the main greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4).

Quicklook of CO Total Column by IASI/METOP-B of 04/12/22

Measurement campaigns whose data are managed by AERIS are dedicated to the observation of greenhouse gases. This is the case, for example, with the MAGIC campaigns, which measure greenhouse gases (carbon dioxide and methane) using various instruments (ground-based instrumented platforms, balloon launches, instruments mounted on research aircraft). The MAGIC initiative already has 5 measurement campaigns initiated since 2018 and led by CNES and CNRS and also benefits from the support of the German (DLR) and European (ESA, Eumetsat) space agencies. It involves 17 teams from 7 countries. These different measurement campaigns aim to prepare the future CNES space mission “MICROCARB”, whose objective is to map the sources and sinks of carbon dioxide on a global scale with a dedicated instrument on board a mini-satellite. AERIS will participate in this space mission by contributing to the acquisition and dissemination of data to users and to the preparation of the ground segment.

Balloon launch on MAGIC 2020 campaign (c) CNRS/LMD
3D distribution of CH4 (ppm) as measured by the in-situ analyser Picarro onboard DLR Cessna-Caravan on their first flight of the MAGIC2021 campaign between Kiruna and Pallas (c) A. Fiehn, 2021

The European IAGOS initiative provides instruments on board of commercial aircraft of different companies. These instruments carry out continuous measurements throughout the aircraft’s commercial flights. CO2 and CH4 concentrations are measured as well as other greenhouse gases. AERIS is the IAGOS Data Centre. It collects and disseminates all the products of this European Research Infrastructure.

IAGOS CH4 profile quicklook from the flight from Frankfurt to Austin of 21/02/2020 (c) Iagos database

Greenhouse gases can also be observed by networks of ground-based instruments. This is the case with the European research infrastructure ICOS, which provides standardised and open long-term data from more than 140 measuring stations in 14 European countries. These stations observe greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere as well as carbon fluxes between the atmosphere, the land surface and the oceans. AERIS is in charge of the data portal of the French stations carrying out atmospheric measurements for ICOS-France and not labelled at European level.

Global total methane (CH4) emissions estimated from CTE-CH4 atmospheric inverse model. The ICOS atmospheric methane observations are used to constrain the emission magnitude and distributions over Europe.

Finally, the international TCCON network (Total Carbon Column Observing Network) dedicated to the study of atmospheric trace compounds related to the carbon cycle provides data on greenhouse gases. The network is composed of stations with Fourier transform spectrometers. AERIS makes available in an early phase, for a faster use, the data of the TCCON-Paris station which joined the international network in 2014.

Do not hesitate to consult the AERIS catalogue for more data related to the atmosphere!

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