Document Type
Article
Publication Date
2012
DOI
10.5194/amt-5-2309-2012
Publication Title
Atmospheric Measurement Techniques
Volume
5
Issue
9
Pages
2309-2319
Abstract
A new technique for the satellite remote sensing of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere via the absorption of short-wave infrared laser signals transmitted between counter-rotating satellites in low Earth orbit has recently been proposed; this would enable the acquisition of a long-term, stable, global set of altitude-resolved concentration measurements. We present the first ground-based experimental demonstration of this new infrared-laser occultation method, in which the atmospheric absorption of CO2 near 2.1µm was measured over a ∼144km path length between two peaks in the Canary Islands (at an altitude of ∼2.4 km), using relatively low power diode lasers (∼4 to 10mW). The retrieved CO2 volume mixing ratio of 400 ppm (±15 ppm) is consistent within experimental uncertainty with simultaneously recorded in situ validation measurements. We conclude that the new method has a sound basis for monitoring CO2 in the free atmosphere; other greenhouse gases such as methane, nitrous oxide and water vapour can be monitored in the same way.
Rights
© Author(s) 2012. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
Original Publication Citation
Brooke, J.S.A., Bernath, P.F., Kirchengast, G., Thomas, C.B., Wang, J.G., Tereszchuk, K.A., . . . Loescher, A. (2012). Greenhouse gas measurements over a 144 km open path in the Canary Islands. Atmospheric Measurement Techniques, 5(9), 2309-2319. doi: 10.5194/amt-5-2309-2012
ORCID
0000-0002-1255-396X (Bernath)
Repository Citation
Brooke, J.S. A.; Bernath, P. F.; Kirchengast, G.; Thomas, C. B.; Wang, J. G.; Tereszchuk, K. A.; González Abad, G.; Hargreaves, R. J.; Beale, C. A.; and Harrison, J. J., "Greenhouse Gas Measurements Over a 144 km Open Path in the Canary Islands" (2012). Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Publications. 43.
https://digitalcommons.odu.edu/chemistry_fac_pubs/43
Comments
Corrigendum added as an additional file.