Preprints
https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-1551
https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-1551
14 Jun 2024
 | 14 Jun 2024

Long-term global measurements of methanol, ethene, ethyne, and HCN from the Cross-track Infrared Sounder

Kelley Wells, Dylan Millet, Jared Brewer, Vivienne Payne, Karen Cady-Pereira, Rick Pernak, Susan Kulawik, Corinne Vigouroux, Nicholas Jones, Emmanuel Mahieu, Maria Makarova, Tomoo Nagahama, Ivan Ortega, Mathias Palm, Kimberly Strong, Matthias Schneider, Dan Smale, Ralf Sussmann, and Minqiang Zhou

Abstract. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) play an important role in modulating the atmosphere’s oxidizing capacity and affect tropospheric ozone, carbon monoxide, formaldehyde, and organic aerosol formation. Space-based observations can provide powerful global information to advance our knowledge of these processes and their changes over time. We present here the development of new retrievals for four key VOCs (methanol, ethene, ethyne, and HCN) based on thermal infrared radiance observations from the satellite-borne Cross-track Infrared Sounder (CrIS). We update the Retrieval of Organics from CrIS Radiances (ROCR) algorithm developed previously for isoprene to explicitly account for the spectral signal dependence on the VOC vertical profile shape, and apply this updated retrieval (ROCRv2) to derive column abundances for the targeted species across the full Suomi-NPP CrIS record (2012–2023). The CrIS data are well-correlated with ground-based Network for the Detection of Atmospheric Composition Change (NDACC) retrievals for methanol (r=0.77–0.84); HCN and ethyne exhibit lower correlations (r=0.36–0.44 and 0.56–0.65, respectively) with an apparent 40 % CrIS/NDACC disparity for ethyne. The results reveal robust global distributions of the target VOCs from known biogenic, biomass burning, and industrial source regions, and demonstrate the impact of anomalous events such as the 2015–2016 El Niño. They also highlight the importance of accurate vertical profile constraints when evaluating and interpretating thermal infrared data records. Initial comparisons of the CrIS observations to predicted VOC distributions from the GEOS-Chem chemical transport model point to large uncertainties in our current understanding of the atmospheric ethene budget as well as to underestimated HCN, ethyne, and methanol sources.

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Journal article(s) based on this preprint

07 Feb 2025
Global decadal measurements of methanol, ethene, ethyne, and HCN from the Cross-track Infrared Sounder
Kelley C. Wells, Dylan B. Millet, Jared F. Brewer, Vivienne H. Payne, Karen E. Cady-Pereira, Rick Pernak, Susan Kulawik, Corinne Vigouroux, Nicholas Jones, Emmanuel Mahieu, Maria Makarova, Tomoo Nagahama, Ivan Ortega, Mathias Palm, Kimberly Strong, Matthias Schneider, Dan Smale, Ralf Sussmann, and Minqiang Zhou
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 18, 695–716, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-18-695-2025,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-18-695-2025, 2025
Short summary
Kelley Wells, Dylan Millet, Jared Brewer, Vivienne Payne, Karen Cady-Pereira, Rick Pernak, Susan Kulawik, Corinne Vigouroux, Nicholas Jones, Emmanuel Mahieu, Maria Makarova, Tomoo Nagahama, Ivan Ortega, Mathias Palm, Kimberly Strong, Matthias Schneider, Dan Smale, Ralf Sussmann, and Minqiang Zhou

Interactive discussion

Status: closed

Comment types: AC – author | RC – referee | CC – community | EC – editor | CEC – chief editor | : Report abuse
  • RC1: 'Comment on egusphere-2024-1551', Anonymous Referee #2, 12 Jul 2024
    • AC1: 'Reply on RC1', Kelley Wells, 01 Nov 2024
  • CC1: 'Comment on egusphere-2024-1551', Susan Solomon, 25 Sep 2024
    • AC3: 'Reply on CC1', Kelley Wells, 01 Nov 2024
  • RC2: 'Comment on egusphere-2024-1551', Anonymous Referee #3, 28 Sep 2024
    • AC2: 'Reply on RC2', Kelley Wells, 01 Nov 2024

Interactive discussion

Status: closed

Comment types: AC – author | RC – referee | CC – community | EC – editor | CEC – chief editor | : Report abuse
  • RC1: 'Comment on egusphere-2024-1551', Anonymous Referee #2, 12 Jul 2024
    • AC1: 'Reply on RC1', Kelley Wells, 01 Nov 2024
  • CC1: 'Comment on egusphere-2024-1551', Susan Solomon, 25 Sep 2024
    • AC3: 'Reply on CC1', Kelley Wells, 01 Nov 2024
  • RC2: 'Comment on egusphere-2024-1551', Anonymous Referee #3, 28 Sep 2024
    • AC2: 'Reply on RC2', Kelley Wells, 01 Nov 2024

Peer review completion

AR: Author's response | RR: Referee report | ED: Editor decision | EF: Editorial file upload
AR by Kelley Wells on behalf of the Authors (01 Nov 2024)  Author's response   Author's tracked changes   Manuscript 
ED: Referee Nomination & Report Request started (12 Nov 2024) by Joanna Joiner
RR by Anonymous Referee #3 (15 Nov 2024)
RR by Anonymous Referee #2 (27 Nov 2024)
ED: Publish subject to technical corrections (27 Nov 2024) by Joanna Joiner
AR by Kelley Wells on behalf of the Authors (05 Dec 2024)  Author's response   Manuscript 

Journal article(s) based on this preprint

07 Feb 2025
Global decadal measurements of methanol, ethene, ethyne, and HCN from the Cross-track Infrared Sounder
Kelley C. Wells, Dylan B. Millet, Jared F. Brewer, Vivienne H. Payne, Karen E. Cady-Pereira, Rick Pernak, Susan Kulawik, Corinne Vigouroux, Nicholas Jones, Emmanuel Mahieu, Maria Makarova, Tomoo Nagahama, Ivan Ortega, Mathias Palm, Kimberly Strong, Matthias Schneider, Dan Smale, Ralf Sussmann, and Minqiang Zhou
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 18, 695–716, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-18-695-2025,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-18-695-2025, 2025
Short summary
Kelley Wells, Dylan Millet, Jared Brewer, Vivienne Payne, Karen Cady-Pereira, Rick Pernak, Susan Kulawik, Corinne Vigouroux, Nicholas Jones, Emmanuel Mahieu, Maria Makarova, Tomoo Nagahama, Ivan Ortega, Mathias Palm, Kimberly Strong, Matthias Schneider, Dan Smale, Ralf Sussmann, and Minqiang Zhou

Data sets

ROCRv2 monthly mean VOC retrievals Kelley C. Wells, Dylan B. Millet, Jared F. Brewer, Vivienne H. Payne, Karen E. Cady-Pereira, and Rick Pernak https://z.umn.edu/ROCRv2_VOCs

Kelley Wells, Dylan Millet, Jared Brewer, Vivienne Payne, Karen Cady-Pereira, Rick Pernak, Susan Kulawik, Corinne Vigouroux, Nicholas Jones, Emmanuel Mahieu, Maria Makarova, Tomoo Nagahama, Ivan Ortega, Mathias Palm, Kimberly Strong, Matthias Schneider, Dan Smale, Ralf Sussmann, and Minqiang Zhou

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Short summary
Atmospheric volatile organic compounds affect both air quality and climate. Satellite measurements can help us to assess and predict their global impacts. We present new long-term (2012–2023) measurements of four key VOCs: methanol, ethene, ethyne, and hydrogen cyanide (HCN) from the Cross-track Infrared Sounder. The measurements reflect emissions from major forests, wildfires, and industry, and provide new information to advance understanding of these sources and their changes over time.
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