Acetone and Peroxyacetyl Nitrate in the Upper Troposphere: MIPAS Satellite Retrievals and 3D Model Studies
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Leicester
Department Name: Physics and Astronomy
Abstract
The Earth's atmosphere has a fundamental influence on the health of the planet, and in particular on the wellbeing of humans. These effects occur both directly through the presence of pollutants in the near-surface atmosphere but also indirectly through the effects of climate change. Indeed, there are definite links between pollutants, the natural gases present in the atmosphere and the anthropogenic (human-induced) greenhouse gases which currently force climate change. These links occur via chemical reactions hence the term 'climate-chemistry interactions'. Organic compounds, the signs of life, are one of the important components of atmospheric chemistry but there are still large uncertainties concerning their global modelling. This project will use the latest satellite data to provide, for the first time, measurements of two key organic compounds globally: acetone and peroxyacetyl nitrate (PAN). These measurements will then be compared with a proven global chemistry model to investigate the consistency of the model and observations. The result will be an essential reduction in the uncertainties inherent in models which can predict the future effects of climate and the effects of trends in pollutants, natural gases and climate variables.
Organisations
- University of Leicester (Lead Research Organisation)
- UNIVERSITY OF EDINBURGH (Collaboration)
- National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) (Collaboration)
- Colorado State University (Collaboration)
- European Space Agency (Collaboration)
- University of Toronto (Collaboration)
- Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (Collaboration)
- European Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasting ECMWF (Collaboration)
Publications
Moore D
(2006)
The potential for radiometric retrievals of halocarbon concentrations from the MIPAS-E instrument
in Advances in Space Research
Moore D
(2010)
Seasonality of Peroxyacetyl nitrate (PAN) in the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere using the MIPAS-E instrument
in Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics
Tereszchuk K
(2013)
Observations of peroxyacetyl nitrate (PAN) in the upper troposphere by the Atmospheric Chemistry Experiment-Fourier Transform Spectrometer (ACE-FTS)
in Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics
Hoffmann L
(2008)
Envisat MIPAS measurements of CFC-11: retrieval, validation, and climatology
in Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics
Parker R
(2011)
Acetylene C<sub>2</sub>H<sub> 2</sub> retrievals from MIPAS data and regions of enhanced upper tropospheric concentrations in August 2003
in Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics
Palmer P
(2013)
Quantifying the impact of BOReal forest fires on Tropospheric oxidants over the Atlantic using Aircraft and Satellites (BORTAS) experiment: design, execution and science overview
in Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics
Remedios J
(2007)
Detection of organic compound signatures in infra-red, limb emission spectra observed by the MIPAS-B2 balloon instrument
in Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics
Moore D
(2008)
Growth rates of stratospheric HCFC-22
in Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics
Moore D
(2012)
Global distributions of acetone in the upper troposphere from MIPAS spectra
in Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics
Sembhi H
(2012)
MIPAS detection of cloud and aerosol particle occurrence in the UTLS with comparison to HIRDLS and CALIOP
in Atmospheric Measurement Techniques
Description | For the first time, satellite data has been used to obtain global concentrations of organic compounds with height resolution, I.e., profiles of gases. These gases play a fundamental role in atmospheric chemistry and so we have a whole new way of looking at our atmosphere, the influence of pollutants and the evolution of atmosphere in a changing climate. |
Exploitation Route | Our results and data will be used by atmospheric chemists to constrain and improve global models of atmospheric chemistry. This will result in an improved predictions so that end users such as policy makers will have better information from which to make decisions. |
Sectors | Environment |
Description | They have been used by other scientists to develop satellite data sets. Ultimately the influence is on government policy for the environment |
First Year Of Impact | 2013 |
Sector | Environment |
Impact Types | Policy & public services |
Description | ESA ESRIN, MIPAS Phase F Extension |
Amount | £33,323 (GBP) |
Funding ID | EOS-2014/103 |
Organisation | European Space Agency |
Sector | Public |
Country | France |
Start | 09/2014 |
End | 10/2017 |
Description | MIPAS Phase F studies |
Amount | € 45,000 (EUR) |
Organisation | European Space Agency |
Sector | Public |
Country | France |
Start | 09/2014 |
End | 10/2017 |
Title | MIPAS clouds |
Description | This database contains a variety of information about clouds and aerosol derived from the MIPAS instrument. This includes 1) cloud index, 2) uncertainty on cloud index, 3) mean radiance in cloud microwindow, 4) mean noise in cloud microwindow, 5) cloud/aerosol top height (km), 6) cloud/aerosol top height standard deviation (km), 7) cloud top temperature (K), 8) cloud top temperature standard deviation (K), 9) cloud extinction (km-1), 10) cloud extinction standard deviation (km-1) |
Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
Year Produced | 2016 |
Provided To Others? | Yes |
Impact | The data have been used in three peer-reviewed publications so far: 1) Spang, R., Arndt, K., Dudhia, A., Höpfner, M., Hoffmann, L., Hurley, J., Grainger, R. G., Griessbach, S., Poulsen, C., Remedios, J. J., Riese, M., Sembhi, H., Siddans, R., Waterfall, A., and Zehner, C.: Fast cloud parameter retrievals of MIPAS/Envisat, Atmos. Chem. Phys., 12, 7135-7164, doi:10.5194/acp-12-7135-2012, 2012. 2) Sembhi, H., Remedios, J., Trent, T., Moore, D. P., Spang, R., Massie, S., and Vernier, J.-P.: MIPAS detection of cloud and aerosol particle occurrence in the UTLS with comparison to HIRDLS and CALIOP, Atmos. Meas. Tech., 5, 2537-2553, doi:10.5194/amt-5-2537-2012, 2012. 3) Eichmann, K.-U., Lelli, L., von Savigny, C., Sembhi, H., and Burrows, J. P.: Global cloud top height retrieval using SCIAMACHY limb spectra: model studies and first results, Atmos. Meas. Tech., 9, 793-815, doi:10.5194/amt-9-793-2016, 2016. |
Description | Implementation of new retrievals in ESA operational system |
Organisation | European Space Agency |
Country | France |
Sector | Public |
PI Contribution | Provision of PAN retrieval expertise |
Collaborator Contribution | Implementation into operational code |
Impact | Code for implementation |
Start Year | 2010 |
Description | NASA Aura/ACMAP proposal |
Organisation | Colorado State University |
Country | United States |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | contributed to developing ideas and writing parts of a proposal to investigate a number of atmospheric compounds with the TES instrument and validation against other satellite instruments. |
Collaborator Contribution | adding in contributions to the proposal writing. |
Impact | Unfortunately the proposal was not funded, but we are working with the lead organisation, JPL, to instigate more collaboration opportunities. |
Start Year | 2016 |
Description | NASA Aura/ACMAP proposal |
Organisation | European Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasting ECMWF |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Public |
PI Contribution | contributed to developing ideas and writing parts of a proposal to investigate a number of atmospheric compounds with the TES instrument and validation against other satellite instruments. |
Collaborator Contribution | adding in contributions to the proposal writing. |
Impact | Unfortunately the proposal was not funded, but we are working with the lead organisation, JPL, to instigate more collaboration opportunities. |
Start Year | 2016 |
Description | NASA Aura/ACMAP proposal |
Organisation | Karlsruhe Institute of Technology |
Country | Germany |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | contributed to developing ideas and writing parts of a proposal to investigate a number of atmospheric compounds with the TES instrument and validation against other satellite instruments. |
Collaborator Contribution | adding in contributions to the proposal writing. |
Impact | Unfortunately the proposal was not funded, but we are working with the lead organisation, JPL, to instigate more collaboration opportunities. |
Start Year | 2016 |
Description | NASA Aura/ACMAP proposal |
Organisation | National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) |
Department | Jet Propulsion Laboratory |
Country | United States |
Sector | Public |
PI Contribution | contributed to developing ideas and writing parts of a proposal to investigate a number of atmospheric compounds with the TES instrument and validation against other satellite instruments. |
Collaborator Contribution | adding in contributions to the proposal writing. |
Impact | Unfortunately the proposal was not funded, but we are working with the lead organisation, JPL, to instigate more collaboration opportunities. |
Start Year | 2016 |
Description | NASA Aura/ACMAP proposal |
Organisation | University of Edinburgh |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | contributed to developing ideas and writing parts of a proposal to investigate a number of atmospheric compounds with the TES instrument and validation against other satellite instruments. |
Collaborator Contribution | adding in contributions to the proposal writing. |
Impact | Unfortunately the proposal was not funded, but we are working with the lead organisation, JPL, to instigate more collaboration opportunities. |
Start Year | 2016 |
Description | NASA Aura/ACMAP proposal |
Organisation | University of Toronto |
Country | Canada |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | contributed to developing ideas and writing parts of a proposal to investigate a number of atmospheric compounds with the TES instrument and validation against other satellite instruments. |
Collaborator Contribution | adding in contributions to the proposal writing. |
Impact | Unfortunately the proposal was not funded, but we are working with the lead organisation, JPL, to instigate more collaboration opportunities. |
Start Year | 2016 |
Description | hosted a pair of work experience students (Leicester) |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Local |
Primary Audience | Schools |
Results and Impact | 2 year-10 pupils worked with the EOS Eumetcast system to learn about using geostationary satellite weather data and what we can learn from the data. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
Description | hosted work experience student (Leicester) |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Local |
Primary Audience | Schools |
Results and Impact | Two year-10 students visited during summer 2015 and learnt about a variety of different areas related to Earth Observation. In particular, as a result of the work one of the students decided that they wanted to follow a career in Earth Observation. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015 |
Description | hosted work experience student (Leicester) |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Local |
Primary Audience | Schools |
Results and Impact | Year 10 student visiting the University of Leicester. The student was introduced to Earth Observation Science and introduced to tools to analyse Earth Observation data. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015 |
Description | hosted work experience student (Leicester) |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Local |
Primary Audience | Schools |
Results and Impact | During May 2015, a year-10 student visited the Earth Observation Science group and learnt about near-real-time processing with the Eumetcast system. She learnt about different applications of the SEVIRI and IASI instruments. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015 |