Open AccessSatellite monitoring of ammonia: A case study of the San Joaquin Valley
Author(s) -
Clarisse Lieven,
Shephard Mark W.,
Dentener Frank,
Hurtmans Daniel,
CadyPereira Karen,
Karagulian Federico,
Van Damme Martin,
Clerbaux Cathy,
Coheur PierreFrançois
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
journal of geophysical research: atmospheres
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.67
H-Index - 298
eISSN - 2156-2202
pISSN - 0148-0227
DOI - 10.1029/2009jd013291
Subject(s) - san joaquin , environmental science , depth sounding , satellite , atmospheric sciences , daytime , troposphere , thermal infrared , planetary boundary layer , remote sensing , atmosphere (unit) , infrared , thermal , meteorology , geology , physics , optics , turbulence , oceanography , astronomy , soil science
Atmospheric ammonia (NH 3 ) has recently been observed with infrared sounders from space. Here we present 1 year of detailed bidaily satellite retrievals with the Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer and some retrievals of the Tropospheric Emission Spectrometer over the San Joaquin Valley, California, a highly polluted agricultural production region. Several sensitivity issues are discussed related to the sounding of ammonia, in terms of degrees of freedom, averaging kernels, and altitude of maximum sensitivity and in relation to thermal contrast and concentration. We also discuss their seasonal dependence and sources of errors. We demonstrate boundary layer sensitivity of infrared sounders when there is a large thermal contrast between the surface and the bottom of the atmosphere. For the San Joaquin Valley, large thermal contrast is the case for daytime measurements in spring, summer, and autumn and for nighttime measurements in autumn and winter when a large negative thermal contrast is amplified by temperature inversion.