Clouds effect on the Atmospheric Total Column Carbon Dioxide Retrieval by Space Orbiting Argus 1000 Micro-spectrometer: Introductory Study

TL;DR

This study investigates how clouds affect the accuracy of space-based atmospheric CO2 measurements using the Argus 1000 micro-spectrometer, highlighting the underestimation caused by cloud presence.

Contribution

It provides an initial analysis of cloud impacts on CO2 retrieval accuracy using data from the Argus 1000 spectrometer, addressing a key uncertainty in satellite-based GHG measurements.

Findings

CO2 absorption is about 4.5% higher over clear skies than cloudy conditions.

Cloud presence leads to underestimation of atmospheric CO2 levels.

Analysis based on three different sky conditions.

Abstract

Carbon Dioxide (CO2) is one of the most important greenhouse gases after water vapor (H2O) which plays significant role in the climate process. Accurate space-based measurement of CO2 is of great significance in inferring the location of CO2 sources and sinks. Uncertainties in greenhouse gases (GHG) retrieval process must be minimized to accurately infer the actual amount of the atmospheric species. Clouds pose a large uncertainty in CO2 space-based retrieval process leading, mostly, to an underestimation in the CO2 absorption amount above the cloud layer provided that photons do not perform multiple paths. In this paper, three different cases of data collected over cloudy and clear skies by Argus 1000 micro-spectrometer were analyzed. Findings show that the CO2 absorption in the absence of clouds is approximately 4.5% higher than when clouds are present.