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https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-3815
https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-3815
22 Jan 2025
 | 22 Jan 2025

Advancing CH4 and N2O retrieval strategies for NDACC/IRWG high-resolution direct-sun FTIR Observations

Ivan Ortega, James W. Hannigan, Bianca C. Baier, Kathryn McKain, and Dan Smale

Abstract. Atmospheric methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O) are potent greenhouse gases with significant impacts on climate change. Accurate measurement of their atmospheric abundance is essential for understanding their sources, sinks, and the impact of human activities on the atmosphere. Ground-based high-resolution Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) observations, employed by collaborative international initiatives like the Infrared Working Group (IRWG) within the Network for the Detection of Atmospheric Composition Change (NDACC), play a vital role in retrieving the atmospheric amounts of these gases. Network wide consistent data products rely on consistent observations and retrievals. Recent developments in spectroscopy, a priori data, retrieval software and techniques underscores the necessity to revisit the retrieval strategies for all NDACC/IRWG species currently ongoing. This study investigates various retrieval strategies of CH4 and N2O utilizing high-resolution FTIR observations in Boulder, Colorado, and compares them with unique airborne in situ measurements. The initial focus is on characterizing retrieval differences across spectroscopy databases. While it is challenging to identify the best retrievals purely based on spectroscopy, as they produce similar outcomes, notable differences in profile shapes and magnitudes underscore the importance of independent validation. Specifically, when multi-year independent nearby AirCore and aircraft in situ profile measurements are used to evaluate vertical distributions and biases in partial columns, they reveal excellent agreement in relative differences with FTIR retrievals and thereby strengthening confidence in the assessment. The final optimized retrievals for CH4 and N2O are presented incorporating quantitative fitting results and comparisons of vertical profiles, partial and total columns. We find that employing a priori profiles using the latest simulations of the Whole Atmosphere Community Climate Model (WACCM) enhances accuracy relative to in situ profiles. While the HITRAN 2020 spectroscopic database is effective for N2O, ATM 2020 provides better results for CH4, with slight improvement observed when paired with the water vapor line list from DLR; however, this improvement may be site-dependent. Regarding regularization, both first-order Tikhonov and Optimal Estimation produce comparable outcomes, as long as the fitted profile degrees of freedom remain between 2 and 2.5. Correspondingly, profile results comparisons yield biases of -0.08 ± 0.38 % and 0.89 ± 0.28 % for tropospheric and stratospheric layers of CH4 relative to AirCore, respectively, and 0.39 ± 0.42 % for aircraft comparisons in the troposphere. For N2O, the bias in the troposphere using aircraft measurements is approximately 0.18 ± 0.2 %. Uncertainty budgets combining random and systematic sources are provided. Random errors, mainly stemming from temperature profile uncertainties and measurement noise dominate in the troposphere for both gases with a retrieval random error of 0.5 %. Systematic errors primarily arise from HITRAN based spectral line parameters, predominantly the line intensity and air-broadened half-width. Finally, we present long-term time series of CH4 derived from the recommended retrieval strategies applied to observations at Boulder. To contrast these findings with the southern hemisphere, we successfully extended this analysis to the site in Lauder, New Zealand. These findings contribute to advancing our understanding of atmospheric composition and will support the improvement of a harmonized approach for all IRWG/NDACC sites.

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Journal article(s) based on this preprint

03 Jun 2025
Advancing CH4 and N2O retrieval strategies for NDACC/IRWG FTIR observations with the support of airborne in situ measurements
Ivan Ortega, James W. Hannigan, Bianca C. Baier, Kathryn McKain, and Dan Smale
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 18, 2353–2371, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-18-2353-2025,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-18-2353-2025, 2025
Short summary
Ivan Ortega, James W. Hannigan, Bianca C. Baier, Kathryn McKain, and Dan Smale

Interactive discussion

Status: closed

Comment types: AC – author | RC – referee | CC – community | EC – editor | CEC – chief editor | : Report abuse
  • RC1: 'Comment on egusphere-2024-3815', Anonymous Referee #1, 18 Feb 2025
  • RC2: 'Comment on egusphere-2024-3815', Anonymous Referee #2, 21 Feb 2025

Interactive discussion

Status: closed

Comment types: AC – author | RC – referee | CC – community | EC – editor | CEC – chief editor | : Report abuse
  • RC1: 'Comment on egusphere-2024-3815', Anonymous Referee #1, 18 Feb 2025
  • RC2: 'Comment on egusphere-2024-3815', Anonymous Referee #2, 21 Feb 2025

Peer review completion

AR: Author's response | RR: Referee report | ED: Editor decision | EF: Editorial file upload
AR by I. Ortega on behalf of the Authors (06 Mar 2025)  Author's response   Author's tracked changes   Manuscript 
ED: Publish subject to technical corrections (11 Mar 2025) by Nicholas Deutscher
AR by I. Ortega on behalf of the Authors (11 Mar 2025)  Author's response   Manuscript 

Journal article(s) based on this preprint

03 Jun 2025
Advancing CH4 and N2O retrieval strategies for NDACC/IRWG FTIR observations with the support of airborne in situ measurements
Ivan Ortega, James W. Hannigan, Bianca C. Baier, Kathryn McKain, and Dan Smale
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 18, 2353–2371, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-18-2353-2025,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-18-2353-2025, 2025
Short summary
Ivan Ortega, James W. Hannigan, Bianca C. Baier, Kathryn McKain, and Dan Smale
Ivan Ortega, James W. Hannigan, Bianca C. Baier, Kathryn McKain, and Dan Smale

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Short summary
The study evaluates retrieval strategies for atmospheric CH4 and N2O using high-resolution FTIR observations and comparing results with long-term AirCore and aircraft measurements. Updated a priori data and spectroscopic databases (HITRAN 2020, ATM 2020) improve accuracy. Findings highlight low biases within a few percent, quantified uncertainties, and consistent retrievals for Boulder, Colorado, extended to Lauder, New Zealand, advancing harmonized approaches for NDACC sites.
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