Applications of NASA NO2 and SO2 Products

NASA Remote Sensing Training

LADCO, March 12-15 , 2012

ARSET

Applied Remote Sensing Education and Training

A project of NASA Applied Sciences

Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI)

Retrieval ProductsColumn Amounts-Ozone (O3)-Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2)-Sulfur Dioxide: (SO2)-OthersAerosols

One of four sensors on the EOS-Aura platform (OMI, MLS, TES, HIRDLS)

An international project: Holland, USA, Finland Launched on 07-15-04

Courtesy of OMAR Torres

3

Trace Gases and Applications

• Monitoring point source pollution trends

• Estimating trace Gas Emissions Inventories

• Satellite derived surface NO2 mixing ratios

• Estimating the ozone production rate (not covered in this course, but included in presentation)

Continuous Emission Monitoring System -- Absolute Changes

OMI Trop. NO2 -- % change

July 2008 vs. July 2005NASA Funded Project (PI: Ken Pickering, co-I Ana Prados)

PA: +11%KY: + 7%Based on EPA NOx Budget TradingProgram Progress Reports

Large decreases in Central U.S due to point source emission controls

July 2005 NO2 Height of marker proportionalto NEI-2002 NOx emissions

Source: OMI NO2 from NASA AVDC; EGU locations from USA EPA

NO2 Trends: Regions of Interest over China

Zhang et. al., GRL, 2009

Satellite NO2 trends over China

• OMI Instrument detects emerging “hot spots” due to new coal plant construction

• Increase in satellite NO2 in these source regions from 2005 to 2007

Zhang et. al., GRL, 2009

2005 2007 Ratio:2007/2005

East

Central

West

Using SO2 to monitor point source pollution trends

OMI data indicate a 40% decline in SO2 pollution from the largest US coal power plants

V. Fioletov, C. McLinden , N. Krotkov , M. Moran , K. Yang, Estimation of SO2 emissions using OMI retrievals, 2011, GRL, under review

2005-2007 2008-2010

1) OMI can see individual SO2 emission sources in the US 2) There is a high correlation (~0.9) between SO2 emissions and OMI data 3) OMI confirms a decline in SO2 emissions as a result of pollution control

measures

0.0-0.3 0.3 0.6 DU

US Source #1.Bowen Coal Power Plant, Georgia (3500 MW), SO2 emissions: 170 kT in 2006

“In 2008, the mammoth construction program yielded the first scrubbers, sophisticated equipment that will reduce our overall systems emissions by as much as 90 percent”

Georgia Power website

2005-2007 2008-2010

0.0-0.3 0.3 0.6 DU

V. Fioletov, et al., 2011

Observed increases in 2005-2006 due to additional coal plantsDecreases in 2008 due to implementation of FGD (flue gas desulphurization) controls

2005 2006 2007 2008

Can et. al., GRL, 2009.

SO2 Power Plant Emissions in China

12

Trace Gases and Applications

• Satellite derived surface NO2 mixing ratios • Estimating trace Gas Emissions Inventories

• Monitoring point source pollution trends

Estimating Satellite Based Surface NO2

NO2 Column

S → Surface Concentration

Ω → Tropospheric column

In Situ

GEOS-Chem

Model Profile

OM

MO S

S

Method: Solar backscatter

Scattering by Earth surface and atmosphere

l2l1

Courtesy of Randall Martin

Ground-Level Afternoon NO2 Inferred From OMI for 2005

Lok Lamsal

Also available atat: http://fizz.phys.dal.ca/~atmos/

Note: this is a research product and not an official NASA product

15

Trace Gases and Applications

• Satellite derived surface NO2 mixing ratios • Estimating trace Gas Emissions Inventories

• Monitoring point source pollution trends

NO2 Emission Inventories are Notoriously Difficult to Determine

Satellite Observations of NO2 for Emission Inventory Development

Satellite Tropospheric NO2 (1015 molec cm-2) NOx emissions (1011 atoms N cm-2 s-1)

Martin et al., 2006

Inverse Modeling

Application of Satellite Observations to NOx Emission Inventory updates

Use Chemical Transport Model (CTM) to Calculate Local Sensitivity of Changes in Trace Gas Column to Changes in Emissions

Local sensitivity of column changes to emissions changes

Fractional Change in Emissions

Fractional Change in Trace Gas Column

Lamsal et al., GRL, 2011

Forecast Inventory for 2009 Based on Bottom-up for 2006 and Monthly OMI NO2 for 2006-2009

Temporary Dataset Until Bottom-Up Inventory Available

ΔE = B ΔΩ

OMI Derived Fractional NO2 Emissions Changes in North America

(2010 NO2– 2005 NO2)

Lamsal et al., GRL, 2011Also available at: http://fizz.phys.dal.ca/~atmos/

Note: this is a research product and not an official NASA product

20

Trace Gases and Applications

• Satellite derived surface NO2 mixing ratios • Estimating trace Gas Emissions Inventories

• Monitoring point source pollution trends

• Estimating the ozone production rate

Using satellite based formaldehyde and NO2 for

estimating ozone production potential

• Isoprene and HCHO are VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds) and precursors to tropospheric ozone formation

• HCHO is a product of isoprene oxidation

• Variation in the concentration of HCHO

can serve as a proxy for variation of isoprene

HCHO (Formaldehyde)

VOC/NOx ~ HCHO/NO2

NOx + VOCs → Ozone

OMINO2

OMIHCHO

h

NOTE 1: HCHO/NO2 gives info on the sensitivity of PO3, not the ozone concentration!NOTE 2: HCHO/NO2 = FNR = Formaldehyde to NO2 Ratio

*Based on Sillman [1995] Martin et al. [2004]

OMI HCHO/NO2 as an Indicator of the Instantaneous Ozone Production Rate (PO3)

• If HCHO/NO2 is low, reduce anthropogenic VOCs.• If HCHO/NO2 is high, reduce NOx.

VOC/NOx ~ HCHO/NO2

Courtesy of Bryan Duncan

VOC controls O3 prod. NOx controls O3 production

Lots of Isoprene =NOx controlsLow VOCs =

VOC controls

transition

OMI HCHO/NO2 Ratio August 2006

Courtesy of Bryan Duncan

Southwest US Northeast US

LA

SanFrancisco

Las Vegas

CentralValley

Toronto

DCPhilly

NYC

Richmond

Boston

Phoenix

TROPOMI will have even finer horizontal resolution.

VOC controls O3 prod. NOx controls O3 productiontransition

OMI captures gradient from downtown to suburbs to rural areas!

Image courtesy of Bryan Duncan

OMI HCHO/NO2 Ratio August 2006

Summary: Formaldehyde Air Quality Applications

• The OMI FNR (Formaldehyde to NO2 Ratio) appears to be a credible air quality indicator for ozone production and is consistent with in situ observations.

• The fine horizontal resolution of OMI allows us to see the gradient in the FNR from urban to suburban to rural areas.

• Assuming that CMAQ results for southern California apply to the entire U.S., the OMI FNR indicates:

Ozone production became more NOx-limited over the U.S. from 2005-2007 because of substantial NOx emission reductions.

Ozone production should be more NOx-limited during heat waves in regions with high biogenic emissions.

Courtesy of Bryan Duncan