Preprints
https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2023-1842
https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2023-1842
20 Sep 2023
 | 20 Sep 2023

High-resolution Mapping of Nitrogen Oxide Emissions in Large US Cities from TROPOMI Retrievals of Tropospheric Nitrogen Dioxide Columns

Fei Liu, Steffen Beirle, Joanna Joiner, Sungyeon Choi, Zhining Tao, K. Emma Knowland, Steven J. Smith, Daniel Q. Tong, Siqi Ma, Zachary T. Fasnacht, and Thomas Wagner

Abstract. Satellite-derived spatiotemporal patterns of nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions can improve accuracy of emission inventories to better support air quality and climate research and policy studies. In this study, we develop a new method by coupling the chemical transport Model-Independent SATellite-derived Emission estimation Algorithm for Mixed-sources (MISATEAM) with a divergence method to map high-resolution NOx emissions across US cities using TROPOspheric Monitoring Instrument (TROPOMI) tropospheric nitrogen dioxide (NO2) retrievals. The accuracy of the coupled method is validated through application to synthetic NO2 observations from the NASA-Unified Weather Research and Forecasting (NU-WRF) model, with a horizontal spatial resolution of 4 km × 4 km for 33 large and mid-size US cities. Validation reveals excellent agreement between inferred and NU-WRF-provided emission magnitudes (R = 0.99, Normalized Mean Bias, NMB = −0.01) and a consistent spatial pattern when comparing emissions for individual grid cells (R = 0.88 ± 0.06). We then develop a TROPOMI-based database reporting annual emissions for 39 US cities at a horizontal spatial resolution of 0.05° × 0.05° from 2018 to 2021. This database demonstrates a strong correlation (R = 0.90) with the national emission inventory (NEI) but reveals some bias (NMB = −0.24). There are noticeable differences in the spatial patterns of emissions in some cities, which suggests potential misallocation of emissions and/or missing sources in bottom-up emission inventories.

Fei Liu et al.

Status: final response (author comments only)

Comment types: AC – author | RC – referee | CC – community | EC – editor | CEC – chief editor | : Report abuse
  • RC1: 'Comment on egusphere-2023-1842', Josh Laughner, 20 Oct 2023
  • RC2: 'Comment on egusphere-2023-1842', Anonymous Referee #2, 03 Nov 2023

Fei Liu et al.

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Short summary
Using satellite data, we developed a coupled method independent of the chemical transport model to map NOx emissions across US cities. After validating our technique with synthetic data, we charted NOx emissions from 2018−2021 in 39 cities. Our results closely matched EPA estimates but also highlighted some inconsistencies in both magnitude and spatial distribution. This research can help refine strategies for monitoring and managing air quality.