on behalf of the SCIAMACHY Team

SCIAMACHYMeasures Air Pollution

Andreas Richter

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Space borne measurements of pollution are needed

• Pollution is a global problem• Pollution affects health and economy• Pollution transport is an international issue (HTAP)• Pollution problems are expected to increase as

population grows and economies in the developing world expand

• Global data on pollution are relevant for science, decision makers, and every day life

• Pollution and its effects are current research science topics

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Nitrogen Oxides in the Atmosphere

Emitted from• fossil fuel burning• fires• bacteria in soils• lightning

Relevant because of• impact on health • ozone smog formation• acid rain• legislation

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Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2): The Global View

biomass burning transport

anthropogenicpollution

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Zooming-in on ship emissions:

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Observation of Ship Emissions

• International shipping is increasing

• Emissions from ships are less regulated than from other sources

• NOx emissions could exceed present-day global road transport emissions in 2050

• Satellite observations highlight impact on pristine regions

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Zooming-in on China:

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Observation of Global Change

1996 - 2002

Annual Changes in tropospheric NO2

• Nitrogen dioxide observed has changed over last decade

• Downward trend over Europe, upward over China

• “Spy in the sky” like observation of global pollution changes

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Zooming-in on US Power Plants:

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Verification of Pollution Reduction

• SCIAMACHY data and model predictions of nitrogen dioxide disagreed over the US after 2004

• Reason: US power plants now have to use denoxification strategies in summer

model

SCIAMACHY

WRF-chem

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Verification of Pollution Reduction

• SCIAMACHY data and model predictions of nitrogen dioxide disagreed over the US after 2004

• Reason: US power plants now have to use denoxification strategies in summer

• SCIAMACHY measurements are used to update emission estimates

base emissions

SCIAMACHY

WRF-chem

updated model

WRF-chem

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Zooming-in on changes with day of week:

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Observation of Weekly Cycle

• Human emissions are reduced on the weekend

• Different cultures / religions have weekend on Sunday or Friday

• Lower nitrogen dioxide can be observed from space during day off Fri / (Sun-Thu)

Sun / (Mon-Fri)

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Zooming-in on fires:

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Observation of Pollution from Fires

• With the fire season, a huge plume of pollution is moving south and back each year

Pollution

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Using more than one species:

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Identifying Sources using different Species

• Each source produces specific mix of pollutants

• By measuring several components, sources can be identified

• e.g. fires, coal power plants, vehicles, plants, shipping

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Summary

• SCIAMACHY provides high resolution space-borne observations of pollution near the ground

• Measurements from SCIAMACHY have been used to identify pollution sources and to detect and quantify their emissions, e.g. from ships, fires, or power plants

• In combination with measurements from other instruments, SCIAMACHY data have been used to study the change of pollution over time, providing valuable indication on how pollution levels are evolving in response to economic development and environmental legislation